Most Melburnians have been to Luna Park at one time or another, but one of my favourite things about this place is the great scenic railway. Not only is that a great euphemistic title for a pretty high intensity rollercoaster, it also signifies the fact that it’s one of the great historic rollercoasters of the world.
It’s the last remaining manual handbrake operated rollercoasters on the planet. While most rollercoasters used to operate like this, safety standards and technology have improved over time. However, as this is a heritage listed rollercoaster, the original braking system has remained all this time.
For anyone who’s ridden this, or seen it in operation will remember seeing the rollercoaster operator standing in between the benches, riding the coaster with you and pulling the crank to keep it from flying off!
Luna parks used to be all around the world in the early 20th century, but most have since closed down.
If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it – if not for the novelty of riding one of the last remaining manually operated rollercoasters in the world, then for the incredible view across Port Phillip Bay when you reach the top!
If you love learning about little facts like this, you can book our tours of Melbourne, which run every day.
@depotadventures Name a better wooden #rollercoaster in the world. #lunapark #stkilda ♬ original sound – Depot Adventures
