History of the roller coaster

Scenic Railway at Luna Park (Melbourne, Australia), the world's oldest continually-operating roller coaster, built in 1912.

The history of the roller coaster stretches back to ice slides constructed in 18th century Russia and spans all the way to the many and varied coasters of today. In between, numerous technological innovations have been introduced to make coasters bigger, faster, and safer than those that came before.

History

Beginnings

The Promenades-Aeriennes in Paris (1817).

Thompson's Switchback Railway, 1884.

The oldest roller coasters descended from the "Russian Mountains," which were specially constructed hills of ice^[1] located especially around Saint Petersburg, Russia. Built in the 18th century, the slides were built to a height of between 70 feet (21 m) and 80 feet (24 m), consisted of a 50 degree drop, and were reinforced by wooden supports. These slides became popular with the Russian upper class. Catherine II of Russia was such a fan of these attractions that she had a few of these slides built on her own property. "Russian mountains" remains the term for roller coasters in many languages, such as Spanish (la montaña rusa), Italian (montagne russe), French (les montagnes russes) and Portuguese (montanha-russa). Ironically, the Russian term for roller coaster, американские горки (amerikanskie gorki), translates literally as "American mountains."^[2]

There is some dispute as to who was the first to put this operation on wheels. Some historians say the first real roller coaster was built under the orders of James the 3rd in the Gardens of Oreinbaum in St. Petersburg in the year 1784. (The lawn where Catherine's roller coaster once stood, at the Sliding Hill Pavilion, now sits vacant.).^[3] Other historians believe that the first roller coaster was built by the French. The Les Montagnes Russes à Belleville (The Russian Mountains of Belleville) and the Promenades Aeriennes in Parc Beaujon (1817) ^[4] both featured wheeled cars securely locked to the track, guide rails to keep them on course, and higher speeds.^[5] The first permanent loop track was probably also built in Paris from an English design in 1846, with a single-person wheeled sled running through a 13-foot (4 m) diameter vertical loop. These early single loop designs were called Centrifugal Railways.

Scenic Railways

Mount Pisgah with the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway.

In the 1850s, a mining company in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania constructed the Mauch Chunk gravity railroad, a brakeman-controlled, 8.7 mile (14 km) downhill track used to deliver coal to Mauch Chunk (now known as Jim Thorpe), Pennsylvania.^[6] By 1872, the "Gravity Road" (as it became known) was providing rides to thrill-seekers for 50 cents a ride. Railway companies used similar tracks to provide amusement on days when ridership was low.

Using this idea as a basis, LaMarcus Adna Thompson began work on a gravity Switchback Railway that opened at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York in 1884.^[7] Passengers climbed to the top of a platform and rode a bench-like car down the 600 ft (180 m) track up to the top of another tower where the vehicle was switched to a return track and the passengers took the return trip.^[8] This track design was soon replaced with an oval complete circuit.^[5] In 1885, Phillip Hinkle introduced the first complete-circuit coaster with a lift hill, the Gravity Pleasure Road, which was soon the most popular attraction at Coney Island.^[5] Not to be outdone, in 1886 LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented his design of roller coaster that included dark tunnels with painted scenery. "Scenic Railways" were to be found in amusement parks across the county.^[5]

Growing popularity and innovations

As it grew in popularity, experimentation in coaster dynamics took off. In the 1880s the concept of a vertical loop was again explored by Lina Beecher, and in 1895 the concept came into fruition with the Flip Flap Railway, located at Sea Lion Park in Brooklyn, and shortly afterward with Loop the Loop at Olentangy Park near Columbus, Ohio as well as similar coasters in Atlantic City and Coney Island. The rides were incredibly dangerous, and many passengers suffered whiplash. Both were soon dismantled, and looping coasters had to wait for over a half century before making a reappearance.

By 1912, the first underfriction roller coaster was developed by John Miller. Soon, roller coasters spread to amusement parks all around the world. Perhaps the best known historical roller coaster, The Cyclone, was opened at Coney Island in 1927. Like The Cyclone, all early roller coasters were made of wood. Many old wooden roller coasters are still operational, at parks such as Kennywood near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Pleasure Beach Blackpool, England. The oldest operating roller coaster is Leap-The-Dips at Lakemont Park in Pennsylvania, a side friction roller coaster built in 1902. The oldest wooden roller coaster in the United Kingdom is the Scenic Railway at Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, Kent and features a system where the brakeman rides the car with wheels. It was severely damaged by fire on April 7, 2008, but was subsequently restored and reopened to the public in 2015.^[9] Scenic Railway at Melbourne's Luna Park built in 1912, is the world's oldest continually-operating roller coaster, and it also still features a system where the brakeman rides the car with wheels. One of only 13 remaining examples of John Miller's work worldwide is the wooden roller coaster at Lagoon in Utah. The coaster opened in 1921 and is the 6th oldest coaster in the world.^[10]

The Great Depression marked the end of the first golden age of roller coasters, and theme parks in general went into decline. This lasted until 1972, when The Racer was built at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio (near Cincinnati). Designed by John Allen, the instant success of The Racer began a second golden age, which has continued to this day.

Steel roller coasters

Matterhorn Bobsleds, the world's first tubular steel roller coaster.

In 1959, the Disneyland theme park introduced a new design breakthrough in roller coasters with the Matterhorn Bobsleds. This was the first roller coaster to use a tubular steel track. Unlike conventional wooden rails, tubular steel can be bent in any direction, which allows designers to incorporate loops, corkscrews, and many other maneuvers into their designs. Most modern roller coasters are made of steel, although wooden roller coasters are still being built.

In 1975 the first modern-day roller coaster to perform an inverting element opened: Corkscrew, located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. In 1976 the vertical loop made a permanent comeback with the The New Revolution at Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.

New designs and technologies are pushing the limits of what can be experienced on the newest coasters. Flying coasters like Tatsu and electromagnetically-launched coasters like Maverick are examples of the latest generation of technologically advanced coasters.

Timeline of notable roller coasters

The roller coasters mentioned here are significant for their role in the amusement industry. They were notable for specific reasons, including:

First coaster of a specific kind, style, manufacturing material or unique technology; ground-breaking
First time a particular record-breaking threshold was crossed
Historical significance

1800 to 1899

1817

First coaster featuring cars that locked onto track: Les Montagnes Russes à Belleville (Russian Mountains of Belleville), Paris, France.
First coaster to feature two cars racing each other: Les Montagnes Russes à Belleville.
First complete-circuit coaster: Promenades Aériennes (The Aerial Walk), Paris.

1827

First scenic gravity railroad (inspiration for first American coasters): Mauch Chunk Switchback Gravity Railroad, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, United States.^[5]

1846

First looping coaster (non-circuit): Centrifugal Railway, Frascati Garden, Paris.^[11]

1885

First use of powered chainlift: Gravity Pleasure, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.^[5]

1900 to 1969

1902

Leap-The-Dips opens at Lakemont Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania. It is today the world's oldest operating wooden coaster (it was closed from 1985 until 1999).^[5]

1907

First use of lapbar: Drop-The-Dips, Coney Island.

1912

Scenic Railway opens at Luna Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Today it is the world's oldest continually-operating roller coaster.

1913

First coaster with a möbius-style track: Derby Racer, Euclid Beach Park, Cleveland, Ohio, United States.

1925

First coaster to reach 100 feet: Cyclone, Revere Beach, Revere, Massachusetts, United States.

1930

Rodelbaan opens at De Waarbeek, Hengelo, The Netherlands. The oldest operating steel roller coaster.

1952

First junior steel coaster: Little Dipper, Memphis Kiddie Park, Brooklyn, Ohio, United States. It is the world's oldest operating junior steel coaster.

1959

First tubular steel coaster: Matterhorn Bobsleds, Disneyland, Anaheim, California, United States. Today it is the world's oldest operating tubular steel coaster.^[5]

1966

First coaster to feature an underwater tunnel: Mine Train, Six Flags Over Texas.

1970 to 1979

1972

First enclosed coaster: Fire In The Hole, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, United States.

1975

First "modern" coaster with inversions (two): Corkscrew, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California.^[11]

1976

First "modern" coaster with a vertical loop: Revolution, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California.^[11]

Corkscrew at Cedar Point, the first roller coaster with three inversions.

First coaster with three inversions: Corkscrew, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, United States.^[11]

1977

First shuttle coaster: Although six opened the same year, White Lightnin', at Carowinds, is likely to have opened first, given the park's southern location and longer operating season.

1978

First coaster with interlocking loops: Loch Ness Monster, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States

1979

The Beast: opened as the tallest, fastest and longest wooden coaster. Today it is still the longest wooden roller coaster in the world.

1980 to 1989

1980

First coaster with four inversions: Carolina Cyclone, Carowinds, North Carolina and South Carolina, United States.^[11]

1981

First coaster manufactured by Vekoma: Python, Efteling, Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands.
First modern suspended roller coaster: The Bat, Kings Island, Mason, Ohio, United States.

1982

First coaster with five inversions: Viper, Darien Lake, Darien, New York.^[11]

Racer at Kings Island, the first roller coaster to operate vehicles in reverse.

First coaster to operate vehicles in reverse: Racer, Kings Island.
First coaster to run stand-up trains: Dangai, Thrill Valley, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan.

1983

First alpine coaster: Ice Mountain Bobsleds, Enchanted Forest, Turner, Oregon, United States.

1984

First Boomerang Coaster: "Boomerang", Bellewaerde Park, Belgium. (It was the second to be built, but the first to open to the public.)^[12]

1985

First coaster with heartline roll: Ultra Twister, Nagashima Spa Land, Mie Prefecture, Japan.^[13]

1987

First coaster with six inversions: Vortex, Kings Island.^[11]

1988

First coaster with seven inversions: Shockwave, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, United States.^[11]

1989

First complete-circuit coaster to exceed 200 feet (61 m) in height: Magnum XL-200, Cedar Point.

1990 to 1999

1990

First coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard: Iron Wolf, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, United States.

1992

Dragon Khan at PortAventura, the first roller coaster with eight inversions

First inverted coaster: Batman: The Ride, Six Flags Great America.
First coaster with a cutback inversion: Drachen Fire, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States.

1995

First coaster with eight inversions: Dragon Khan, PortAventura, Salou, Tarragona, Spain.^[11]
First use of on-board audio: Space Mountain, Disneyland Park, Paris.

1996

First coasters to use a linear motor electromagnetic propulsion system: Flight of Fear, at both Kings Island and Kings Dominion.

1997

First coaster to reach 100 miles per hour (160 km/h): Tower of Terror II, Dreamworld, Australia.
First coaster (non-complete circuit) over 400 feet (120 m) tall: Superman: Escape From Krypton, Six Flags Magic Mountain, California.
First flying coaster: Skytrak Total, Granada Studios, Manchester, United Kingdom.

1998

Oblivion at Alton Towers, the first Diving Machine roller coaster.

First Dive coaster: Oblivion, Alton Towers, Alton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
First linear motor launched inverted coaster: Volcano, The Blast Coaster, Kings Dominion.
First linear motor launched dueling coaster: Batman & Robin: The Chiller, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson Township, New Jersey, United States.

1999

First floorless coaster: Medusa, Six Flags Great Adventure.
First tire-propelled launch system: Incredible Hulk Coaster, Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida, United States.
First inverted dueling coaster: Dragon Challenge, Islands of Adventure.

2000 to 2009

2000

Millennium Force at Cedar Point, the first roller coaster to exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height and the first to use an elevator cable lift.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, just outside Allentown, Pennsylvania. Steel Force opened in 1997 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States, with a first drop of 205 feet (62 m) and a top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).^[14]

First complete-circuit coaster to exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height: Millennium Force, Cedar Point.
First coaster to use an elevator cable lift system: Millennium Force.
First modern wooden coaster with vertical loop: "Son of Beast", Kings Island. (Note: After an accident on July 9, 2006 the loop was removed.^[11])
First wooden coaster over 200 feet (60.96 m) tall: Son of Beast.
First large-scale flying roller coaster, Stealth, California's Great America

2001

First coaster with a 90° vertical drop: Dodonpa, Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan.
First coaster to use pneumatic propulsion system: Hypersonic XLC, Kings Dominion.
First coaster to feature both a lift hill and propulsion system: California Screamin', Disney California Adventure Park, Anaheim, California, United States.

2002

First coaster to use a hydraulic propulsion system: Xcelerator, Knott's Berry Farm.
First coaster with ten inversions: Colossus, Thorpe Park, Chertsey, Surrey, United Kingdom.^[11]
First coaster with seats that rotate on a horizontal axis (4th Dimension roller coaster): X², Six Flags Magic Mountain.

2003

First complete-circuit coaster to exceed 400 feet (120 m) in height: Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point.
First coaster with a more than 90° vertical drop (97°): Vild-Svinet, BonBon-Land, Zealand, Denmark.
First coaster to utilize a vertical lift (not considered an elevator lift): Vild-Svinet, BonBon-Land.

2004

First coaster with a "fly-through" station: Thunderhead, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States.

2005

The current tallest roller coaster in the world: Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson Township, New Jersey, United States.

2006

Expedition Everest opened at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It is listed in the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive roller coaster in the world; a record which still holds.

2008

First coaster with a "ferris wheel"-style lift hill: Maximum RPM!, Freestyle Music Park, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States.

2009

First coaster with a 100° free-fall drop: Saw: The Ride, Thorpe Park, Surrey, United Kingdom

2010 to 2014

2010

First coaster with a vertical freefall drop element: Th13teen, Alton Towers, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
The current fastest roller coaster in the world: Formula Rossa, Ferrari World, Yas Island Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

2011

First wing coaster: Raptor, Gardaland, Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy.
First Family Boomerang coaster without any inversions: Ben 10 – Ultimate Mission, Drayton Manor Theme Park, Tamworth, Staffordshire, England
First coaster with a record-breaking 121° free-fall drop: Takabisha, Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan

2013

First wooden coaster with three inversions: Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, United States.
First coaster with 14 inversions: The Smiler, Alton Towers, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
First coaster with top hat attached onto the loop: Full Throttle, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, United States.

2014

First coaster with a tilting vehicle: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, United States

References

↑ Coker, Robert (2002). Roller Coasters: A Thrill Seeker's Guide to the Ultimate Scream Machines, Metrobooks, New York. ISBN 1586631721. pg 14
↑ Rambler New English-Russian Dictionary: "American"
↑ Erla Zwingle (Sep 1998). "Catherine the Great", in the Sports Illustrated, Vol. 194, n. 3.
↑ Fierro, Alfred, Histoire et Dictionnaire de Paris p. 612
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Urbanowicz, Steven J. (2002). The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion; Citadel Press, Kensington, New York. ISBN 0-8065-2309-3.
↑ Roller Coaster History: Early Years In America. Retrieved 26 July 2007
↑ Sheedy, Chris (January 7, 2007). "Icons — In the Beginning... Roller-Coaster". Sunday Life (weekly supplemental magazine included in The Sun-Herald) (John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd.). p. 10.
↑ Rutherford, Scott (2000) The American Roller Coaster, MBI Publishing Company, Wisconsin, ISBN 0760306893.
↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7335519.stm Retrieved on 8th April 2008
↑ http://www.aceonline.org/CoasterAwards/details.aspx?id=46
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Kay, James (2007). "The History of the Inversion". CoasterGlobe. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
↑ http://rcdb.com/926.htm
↑ Kay, James. "The History of the Pipeline Coaster". CoasterGlobe. Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
↑ "Rollercoaster Database: Steel Force (Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom)". Retrieved 2008-07-10.

External links

Roller Coaster History - History of the roller coaster
The Roller Coaster Almanac - See what happened across multiple * Roller Coaster Patents - With links to the U.S. Patent office
Roller Coaster Database - Information, statistics and photos for over 1900 roller coasters throughout the world

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