David Gray's pictures of the week 14-5-2007

DAVID GRAY photography
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This week's pictures take a look at ghost trains and similar so-called "dark rides". The first picture shows parts of the old ghost train from Brighton's Palace Pier being loaded onto a lorry to be taken away to a yard in South Wales. This might suggest that ghost trains, like so many other much-loved traditional attractions, have had their day and are being replaced by glitzier gadgetry. This is indeed the general trend, but the pier's old ride is in fact to be restored and sold on to another site, while a new ghost train will take its place in Brighton within a few weeks. Ghost trains and similar scary houses of horror are collectively known as "dark rides" and they remain popular at funfairs around the world. Their origins lie in Victorian "tunnels of love", which used boats rather than trains. The first ride on rails to be actually called a ghost train was built for the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company in New York in the 1920s. So many dark rides remain in operation that conventions for enthusiasts are held regularly in the United States and new, scarier attractions are being developed all the time. There is life in the old ghosts yet.

The old ghost train on Brighton's Palace Pier being loaded onto a lorry in May 2007 (image 2725-16)

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