It is now the only scenic railway – a ride designed to give a view of picturesque landscapes – still in operation in the UK.
It was originally painted with an Alpine scene, but that had to go after the painter died as no replacement could be found with his skills, according to Jones.
It now sports an American theme and is being repainted, while some timbers are being stripped and new uprights put in, in time for the season opening in March.
Another change that took place 10 years ago was women joining men as operators of the ride’s manual controls.
“Obviously, we have to make sure that they’ve got the strength to be able to pull a brake, which they do,” Jones said. “So they go through quite a rigorous test.”
Unusually for a roller coaster, there are no brakes fitted to the track, and gravity controls its speed.