DOCSLIB.ORG

Roller Coasters By: Meira

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Roller Coasters By: Meira Roller Coasters By: Meira Table Of Contents ​ Introduction Page 3 Chapter I: History Of The Roller Coaster Page 4 Chapter II: Wooden Roller Coasters Page 6 Chapter III: Steel Roller Coasters Page 8 Chapter IV: The Technology Behind Roller Coasters Page 10 Conclusion Page 13 Bibliography Page 14 Image Credits Page 15 2 Introduction I chose to research roller coasters as my expert topic because I have been interested in them for many years. I have been riding roller coasters for about three years now, and my love for them grows whenever I go on a new roller coaster. The first roller coaster that I can remember going on is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ​ at Disney World. Ever since, I have ridden many other roller coasters. What made me choose roller coasters as my expert topic is how they are each so different. When you look at two roller coasters side by side at a theme park, chances are they will be very different rides. My biggest questions were how roller coasters have impacted society and changed over time. Through my research, I found answers to many of my questions, and found some extra information too. Roller coasters exist because they are enjoyable. Riders enjoy the large drops, airtime, and inversions found on these thrill rides. Roller coasters really are marvels of modern technology. 3 Chapter I: History Of The Roller Coaster Roller coasters were not always the crazy-fast, upside-down thrill rides we know today. In fact, the average adult can run faster than the first roller coaster. The concept for roller coasters came from many different amusement rides that came before them, like ice slides, mine carts, and the switchback railroad. These early attractions were the beginning of what is now called roller coasters. The Switchback Railroad was huge in the development of roller coasters. It was built in 1847, as only the second railroad in America. It was made to transport coal from Summit Hill down to the town of Mauch Chunk and the Lehigh Canal. Mules hauled the empty cars up the hill. During non-peak hours, the railroad offered rides to the public in special cars. The cars could reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. In the 1870s, the train began being used only as a tourist attraction. The Switchback Railroad served as a model for roller coasters. In addition to the Switchback Railroad, Russain ice slides also had a huge impact on the creation of roller coasters. They were popular in Russia in the 1700s. On an ice slide, riders would sit on a small sled and ride down a long icy ramp. Riders enjoyed the mix of high speeds and downhill thrills found on this attraction. Lamarcus Thompson is credited for building the first roller coaster. He was born in 1848, and enjoyed building and designing even when he was young. As an adult, he rode on a former mine train that had been turned into a tourist attraction. This inspired him to build a ride. Thompson finished his ride in 1884. He called it the Switchback Railway. It opened on June 16, 1884 at Coney Island Amusement Park in New York. It was 4 the first roller coaster in the United States. Today, the Switchback Railway may not be able to compare to rides of today, but it was huge back then. The Switchback Railway kickstarted roller coaster development. Without it, there may not be any roller coasters. It went only six miles per hour. It had only 600 feet of track, but Nevertheless, it was a huge success. People were flocking from all over to ride this new attraction. Lamarcus Thompson died on May 16, 1919. If only he knew where his creation is today. 5 Chapter II: Wooden Roller Coasters The first type of roller coaster was wooden roller coasters. This type of coaster is still found at amusement parks to this day. Three interesting wooden roller coasters are American Eagle, The Raven, and The Beast. American Eagle is a wooden racing coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It is a racing coaster, which means that there are two tracks that run side by side. The cars race each other, providing a unique ride experience. American Eagle is a fan favorite. It is made out of Douglas Fir trees, It opened in 1997, and it was manufactured by Intamin. It has a track length of 1,575 feet. For many guests, American Eagle is a must do when they go to Six Flags Great America. American Eagle has a very fascinating history. It took 9,000 gallons of paint and was painted by hand. It is the world’s largest double-racing wooden coaster. Great America had a contest with their employees to name the coaster. At its debut, it was the tallest, longest, and fastest racing coaster in the world. American Eagle is a classic wooden coaster with a twist. The Raven is a wooden coaster located at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. It opened on May 6,1995. It has a track length of 2,800 feet. It was designed by Custom Coasters Inc., and it hits a top speed of over 50 miles per hour. The Raven is known for being a template for small parks to follow. The Raven takes riders through thickly wooded terrain. It has a duration of 90 seconds, and it was named after Edgar Allen Poe’s poem. It has a height of 110 feet. The Raven’s layout is almost completely hidden by trees, so passers by can barely see the ride. 6 The Raven’s ride offers many thrills. The name was decided exactly 125 years following Poe’s death. This coaster has drops of 81 and 65 feet. It also features a 120 foot long tunnel. The Raven is a spooky but exhilarating ride. The Beast is located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. It opened on April 14, 1979. It was the longest ride in the world when it opened. It was also the fastest ride in the world. It was acclaimed the world’s ultimate roller coaster. The Beast made the record books when it opened. Some of The Beast’s records have been broken since it opened. It has a ride time of about four minutes. It has vertical drops of 135 feet and 141 feet. It also features a 125 foot long tunnel. It also has eight banked turns throughout its exhilarating layout. The Beast is still the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Wooden coasters, despite being old news for some people, are actually many people’s favorite type of roller coaster. 7 Chapter III: Steel Roller Coasters Steel roller coasters are definitely more common these days than wooden ones. They allow for more advanced maneuvers than wooden roller coasters. The majority of the record-breaking coasters are steel. Besides just wooden and steel, there is also a hybrid of the two kinds of roller coasters. This is done by laying steel on top of the wooden track, creating an all new track that can do even crazier movements than the average wooden one, such as inversions. Some people wonder just how many inversions you can fit on a roller coaster. The Smiler has the most in the world, with 14. It is located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. It opened on May 31, 2013. The Smiler is a ride that will leave riders saying “wow” at the end of it. Alton Towers did not have much room to build the Smiler, plus height restrictions. The designers of this coaster did an amazing job. It reaches a top height of 98 feet, goes 58 miles per hour, and has 3,838 feet of track packed into its compact layout. And the parts everyone rides for are the 14 inversions. The Smiler offers something no other coaster has. Its unique theming, vertical drops, and just overall craziness provide a ride experience that will leave riders wanting more. The Smiler may not be the tallest or fastest roller coaster on Earth to have riders wanting more.. Another commonly asked question about roller coasters is just how tall or just how fast a roller coaster can be. Kingda Ka is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. It is located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. It opened on May 21, 2005, and the moment it opened, Kingda Ka took the roller coaster world by storm. It hits a top speed of 128 miles per hour in 3.5 8 seconds, has a maximum height of 456 feet, its track length is 3,118 feet, and it does all this in 50.6 seconds. Kingda Ka is as tall as a 45-story building. Kingda Ka is an exhilarating ride experience. It was manufactured by Intamin, a roller coaster design company. It takes riders up at 90 degrees and then back down at 90 degrees, going through two 270 degree spirals as they go. Nobody knows if any roller coaster will ever take Kingda Ka’s records. The first ever wood/steel hybrid roller coaster is called New Texas Giant. It is located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. This coaster used to just be called “Texas Giant,” but they changed it for it’s 20th Birthday. New Texas Giant, having been converted from a wooden coaster to a wood/steel coaster, made a miraculous transformation. It hits a top speed of over 65 miles per hour, has a maximum height of 153 feet, and a track length of 4,950 feet.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THRILL RIDE - the SCIENCE of FUN a SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Release Running Time: 40 Minutes
    THRILL RIDE - THE SCIENCE OF FUN a SONY PICTURES CLASSICS release Running time: 40 minutes Synopsis Sony Pictures Classics release of THRILL RIDE-THE SCIENCE OF FUN is a white- knuckle adventure that takes full advantage of the power of large format films. Filmed in the 70mm, 15-perforation format developed by the IMAX Corporation, and projected on a screen more than six stories tall, the film puts every member of the audience in the front seat of some of the wildest rides ever created. The ultimate ride film, "THRILL RIDE" not only traces the history of rides, past and present but also details how the development of the motion simulator ride has become one of the most exciting innovations in recent film history. Directed by Ben Stassen and produced by Charlotte Huggins in conjunction with New Wave International, "THRILL RIDE" takes the audience on rides that some viewers would never dare to attempt, including trips on Big Shot at the Stratosphere, Las Vegas and the rollercoasters Kumba and Montu, located at Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida. New Wave International was founded by Stassen, who is also a renowned expert in the field of computer graphics imagery (CGI). The film shows that the possibilities for thrill making are endless and only limited by the imagination or the capabilities of a computer workstation. "THRILL RIDE-THE SCIENCE OF FUN" shows how ride film animators use CGI by first "constructing" a wire frame or skeleton version of the ride on a computer screen. Higher resolution textures and colors are added to the environment along with lighting and other atmospheric effects to heighten the illusion of reality.
    [Show full text]
  • Thrill Ride King of Coasters
    Up to Speed Up to Speed Cedar Point Top Thrill Dragster is the world's second fastest roller coaster. It is topped only by Kingda Ka. Thrill Ride Kingda Ka is one wild ride. As you wait in line, you hear the screams of people riding the roller coaster. Part of you can't wait to ride it; another part of you wants to bolt in the opposite direction. Before you know it, it's your turn to board. You brace yourself. Whoosh! With a roaring blast, the thrill ride rockets from 0 to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. Before you can catch your breath, the train whisks you straight up 456 feet. When it can go no farther, gravity plummets the coaster downward into a dizzying spiral twist. The train then whips you through another valley and zooms up another hill. Congratulations! You have just experienced one of the fastest-and tallest-roller coasters on Earth. King of Coasters Kingda Ka, or the "King of Coasters," opened in the spring of 2005 at the Six Flags Great ReadWorks.org Copyright © 2007 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved. Used by permission.Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation. Up to Speed Adventure theme park in Jackson, New Jersey. The jaw-dropping thrill ride shattered the world's record for roller coaster speed and height when it opened. Of the more than 1,000 roller coasters in the United States, it was the latest "extreme" coaster to be built. Six Flags roller coaster designer Larry Chickola said that building Kingda Ka wasn't easy.
    [Show full text]
  • Peggy Williams
    From your friends at Jackson Auto Worx JULY 2019 Summer’s Literal Ups and Downs It is said that life is a rollercoaster. It is also true that rollercoasters are, uh… rollercoasters. As summer is firmly here, we at Braking News are taking the plunge into one of America’s beloved summer pastimes; amusement parks. And specifically the thrilling feel of danger and excitement engineered for safety and mass consumption, the rollercoaster. • There are more amusement and theme parks in the United States than in any other country in the world. • According to the Roller Coaster DataBase, there were 4,639 coasters in operation around the world in 2018 — 4,455 of them steel, 184 wooden (3 of the woodies have loops in them! Take that, preconceived childhood notions!) • Of those 4,639 rollercoasters in the world, 19 of them are found in Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia California, the largest number of rollercoasters in any one park anywhere in the world. • California may host the park with the greatest number of coasters, but in order to experience the fastest roller coaster in the world, you’ll need to travel to the other side of the world. The fastest roller coaster, “Formula Rossa” ride, is located in Abu Dhabi’s Formula One theme park and launches its riders to a top speed of 149 miles per hour. • According to Guinness World Records, Bakken, located in Klampenborg, Denmark, opened in 1583 and is currently the oldest operating amusement park in the world. • The worlds fastest coaster may be in Abu Dhabi, but he tallest roller coaster is in the Six Flags Great Adventure Park in New Jersey.
    [Show full text]
  • Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication) Engineering, College Of
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication) Engineering, College of Fall 2005 Nebraska Blueprint - Fall 2005 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/engineeringblueprint Part of the Engineering Commons "Nebraska Blueprint - Fall 2005" (2005). Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication). 4. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/engineeringblueprint/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Engineering, College of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. FFALLALL CONTENTS 22005005 NEBRASKA BLUEPRINT College of Engineering & Technology OONN ITSITS WAYWAY The Patriot, the longest, tallest, fastest full-circuit inverted roller coaster in the region, is under construction at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Mo. The $14 million roller coaster is expected to open in Spring 2006. PPHOTOHOTO BBYY FRANKFRANK PRIBYLPRIBYL COVER STORYpage8 Learn the truth about what makes roller coasters move BEHIND ALSO INSIDE THE SCENES 3 ..... Letter from the editor page11 4 ..... Contributors 6 ..... HHumanoidumanoid rroboticsobotics 12 ... CCGIGI 14 ... Learn a word: Hologram Read a fi rst-hand 15 ... UNL mini baja team account about the staff’s turbulent journey back to Lincoln from Worlds of Fun. FROM THE EDITOR Dear reader, s the fi rst issue Aof 2005 hits the presses, I can say with confi dence that the Blueprint has emerged from its rebuilding phase. Our second consecutive win of “most improved publication” from the Engineering College Magazines Association is testament to this. It has been a diffi cult process, complicated by the loss of most of our senior staff to graduation and our adviser, Roxane Gay, to another school.
    [Show full text]
  • 2005 Canada's Wonderland
    KidZville Hanna-Barbera Land Splash Works A busy town just for kids, with attractions Home to Scooby-Doo and features attractions including Taxi Jam, Chopper Chase and Zoom such as Ghoster Coaster, Scooby-Doo's Haunted There are over 2 million gallons of heated White Water Canyon water fun in our 20-acre water park. There Zone: the ultimate transportation station, Mansion and Hanna Barberry Go Round. Don’t White Water Canyon is full of powerful rapids that weave featuring Silver Streak, the world’s largest and miss daily meet and greets with Scooby! is something for everyone. giant rafts through cavernous caves and sharp rocks. See numbers 33 to 49 on Park map. only children’s inverted coaster with a helix. Physical considerations. See Guest Services for details. See numbers 73 to 81 on the Park map. Physical considerations. See Guest Services for details. Hidden geysers wait to soak the unsuspecting rafter. Physical considerations. See Guest Services for details. Height requirement 112 cm / 44 inches (accompanied by a chaperone). Attraction rating 3. Physical considerations. See Guest Services for details. Playhouse Theatre An outdoor covered theatre for kids, featuring live character Nickelodeon Central shows all season long. This season's schedule includes A themed area designed for kids. Nickelodeon characters such as Blue, Dora Mighty Canadian Caillou, Clifford, Mona the Vampire, Franklin, Noo Noo and The Doodlebops. Show line up subject to change. the Explorer, Diego, Hey Arnold and Jimmy Mine Buster Action F/X Theatre Physical considerations. See Guest Services for details. Neutron are always close by for a hug and The Mighty Canadian Mine Buster SpongeBob SquarePants stars in a deep-sea a photo.
    [Show full text]
  • Brochure Vekoma
    WOOD COASTERS & UPGRADES SCHAAPWEG 18 6063 BA VLODROP THE NETHERLANDS TEL +31 (0) 475-409222 FAX +31 (0) 475-402115 WWW.VEKOMA.COM TURNING YOUR WORLD AROUND 2 PHOTO CREDIT BY: AMUSEMENT TODAY WHAT TO EXPECT Wood coasters have offered excitement for many years. They combine speed, thrill and the nostalgic feeling of a wood coaster, all in one spectacular ride. The partnership between Rocky Mountain Construction and Vekoma Rides enables Vekoma Rides to offer new Topper- and IBOX tracks which can highlight these typical characteristics, and considerably improve the experience, smoothness and intensity of the ride, enabling for new features in your wood coaster and smoothing out the ride. With Rocky Mountain Construction and Vekoma Rides, nostalgia now meets excitement. This brochure contains information about the Topper Track and IBOX Track. These special track systems are innovative alternatives to the traditional wood track and with Patents Pending on both the Topper Track and IBOX Track we can clearly state this to be really unique systems. PHO T O CRED IT BY: IT BY: A MUS E M E NT T ODA Y CHALLENGE THE THRILL-SEEKERS WHILE MAINTAINING THE ORIGINAL WOOD COASTER CONSTRUCTION. GIVE YOUR ATTRACTION A BOOST THAT WILL CERTAINLY BLOW YOUR GUESTS’ mINDS! 3 NEW INVERTED FEATURES 4 INDEX Chapter 01 NEW WOOD COASTERS Page 6 Chapter 02 RE-PROFILING & TRACK UPGRADE Page 8 Chapter 03 INNOVATIVE NEW TRAINS Page 10 Chapter 04 PARTS & SERVICES Page 12 Chapter 05 CONTACT Page 14 5 NEW WOOD COASTERS TOPPER TRACK/ IBOX TRACK 6 Vekoma Rides has the capability and certainly the interest to work with you ABOUT THE TOPPER TRACK on new or existing wood coasters, all with new and innovative technologies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Official Magazine of American Coaster Enthusiasts Rc! 127
    FALL 2013 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN COASTER ENTHUSIASTS RC! 127 VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 1 $8 AmericanCoasterEnthusiasts.org ROLLERCOASTER! 127 • FALL 2013 Editor: Tim Baldwin THE BACK SEAT Managing Editor: Jeffrey Seifert uthor Mike Thompson had the enviable task of covering this year’s Photo Editor: Tim Baldwin Coaster Con for this issue. It must have been not only a delight to Associate Editors: Acapture an extraordinary convention in words, but also a source of Bill Linkenheimer III, Elaine Linkenheimer, pride as it is occurred in his very region. However, what a challenge for Jan Rush, Lisa Scheinin him to try to capture a week that seemed to surpass mere words into an ROLLERCOASTER! (ISSN 0896-7261) is published quarterly by American article that conveyed the amazing experience of Coaster Con XXXVI. Coaster Enthusiasts Worldwide, Inc., a non-profit organization, at 1100- I remember a week filled with a level of hospitality taken to a whole H Brandywine Blvd., Zanesville, OH 43701. new level, special perks in terms of activities and tours, and quite Subscription: $32.00 for four issues ($37.00 Canada and Mexico, $47 simply…perfect weather. The fact that each park had its own charm and elsewhere). Periodicals postage paid at Zanesville, OH, and an addition- character made it a magnificent week — one that truly exemplifies what al mailing office. Coaster Con is all about and why many people make it the can’t-miss event of the year. Back issues: RCReride.com and click on back issues. Recent discussion among ROLLERCOASTER! subscriptions are part of the membership benefits for our ROLLERCOASTER! staff American Coaster Enthusiasts.
    [Show full text]
  • Physics of Roller Coasters
    Physics of Roller Coasters Royal High School Physics, Fall 2007 Purpose The purpose of this activity is to investigate the physical properties of a model roller coaster and apply these to physics in general and to life sized roller coasters. Introduction to the Activity The roller coaster is a treasure-trove of physics, from forces and accelerations, to speed and energy. Many physical principles can be studied using the simple model rollercoaster. In addition, conversion of units and proportionality are addressed as we convert measurements from one unit to another and as we scale up the results to reflect a real life-sized version of this particular coaster. In this activity the class will build four identical K’NEX roller coaster models and work in groups to use these models as vehicles to examine several physics principles (position, velocity, acceleration, vectors, potential energy, kinetic energy, the exchange between the two over the course of a roller coaster ride), and friction. This activity meets State of Texas TEKS requirements from §112.47, Physics, including items (c) (2) (B) to (D), (5) (B) and (C), and 6(A). The activity also meets state TEKS requirements from §111.32 Mathematics, including items (b) (1) (A), (B), and (D). http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/ This activity also meets National Science Education Teaching Standards B, C, and D; and Program Standard D (“Good science programs require access to the world beyond the classroom”). More details about these and other national science education teaching standards can be found at http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/standards.aspx.
    [Show full text]
  • Does It Have Fur Or Feathers? a Categorisation of Theme Park Attractions
    Does it have fur or feathers? A Categorisation of Theme Park Attractions Author: Frank Cornelissen Author ANR: U0396714 Supervisor: Pieter Cornelis 2nd Reader: Greg Richards Date: August 17th, 2010 Tilburg University Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences Department of Leisure Studies Preface & Acknowledgements One should think that the concept of ‘once bitten, twice shy’ would apply after finishing my bachelor thesis, yet a little over four months ago I once again found myself at the beginning of what then seemed an impossible task. The goal? To devise an empirically founded categorisation of theme park attractions. That task may seem simply at first, but when looking at attractions in the likes of, to name but a few, Tower of Terror, Hocus Pocus Hall, The Flying Dutchman, Lisebergtower, Hex or Dragon Khan, it will seen become apparent that each and every of these attractions is highly unique. As the seemingly endless imagination and the incredible skills that come into play in converting the most impossible of ideas into reality was part of what raised my interest in the theme park industry many years ago, that didn’t come as a surprise. It did, however, make things considerably more difficult. Luckily, I wasn’t on my own in taking on this challenge. First and foremost I would like to thank my supervisor Pieter Cornelis; I would not have been able to finish my thesis without his support, guidance, wisdom and ruthless criticism. I sincerely appreciate the advice Fetene Tekle, Marie-Anne Mittelhaeuser and especially Theo van der Weegen have given me regarding statistics in general and dimension reduction of dichotomous data in particular.
    [Show full text]
  • Revolutionary Wing Coaster Coming to Six Flags Great America in 2012 First Theme Park in the U.S
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Revolutionary Wing Coaster Coming to Six Flags Great America in 2012 First Theme Park in the U.S. to Announce Plans to Build State-of-the-Art Wing Coaster Gurnee, Ill. – September 1, 2011 – Get ready to take flight! Six Flags Great America announces plans to add a state-of- the-art roller coaster for the 2012 season. X-Flight is a ground-breaking wing coaster featuring cutting-edge technology. The Gurnee theme park is the first to announce plans for a wing coaster in the U.S. X-Flight will take riders on a flight that defies gravity, with no track above or below them. Riders sit in pairs, suspended on either side of the track with their feet dangling, as they begin their climb up a 12-story plunge launching them into speeds of 55mph through 3,000 feet of intense drops and five inversions, including a barrel roll and zero-g roll. One of the most adrenaline-pumping moments on the ride is an extreme fly-through where the coaster speeds straight toward a structure, before making a last-minute vertical flip to fit through a keyhole cut-out. “Six Flags Great America has a long history of introducing legendary rides and first-of-its-kind roller coasters,” said Hank Salemi, Six Flags Great America Park President. “What makes X-Flight so unique is soaring through 3,000 feet of high- speed drops, loops and turns, with nothing above or below you. The coaster’s train actually looks like a plane with seats suspended on either side of the track.
    [Show full text]
  • Cedar Point Welcomes 2016 Golden Ticket Awards Ohio Park and Resort Host Event for Second Time SANDUSKY, Ohio — the First Chapter in Cedar and Beyond
    2016 GOLDEN TICKET AWARDS V.I.P. BEST OF THE BEST! TM & ©2016 Amusement Today, Inc. September 2016 | Vol. 20 • Issue 6.2 www.goldenticketawards.com Cedar Point welcomes 2016 Golden Ticket Awards Ohio park and resort host event for second time SANDUSKY, Ohio — The first chapter in Cedar and beyond. Point's long history was written in 1870, when a bath- America’s top-rated park first hosted the Gold- ing beach opened on the peninsula at a time when en Ticket Awards in 2004, well before the ceremony such recreation was finding popularity with lake island continued to grow into the “Networking Event of the areas. Known for an abundance of cedar trees, the Year.” At that time, the awards were given out be- resort took its name from the region's natural beauty. low the final curve of the award-winning Millennium It would have been impossible for owners at the time Force. For 2016, the event offered a full weekend of to ever envision the world’s largest ride park. Today activities, including behind-the-scenes tours of the the resort has evolved into a funseeker’s dream with park, dinners and receptions, networking opportuni- a total of 71 rides, including one of the most impres- ties, ride time and a Jet Express excursion around sive lineups of roller coasters on the planet. the resort peninsula benefiting the National Roller Tourism became a booming business with the Coaster Museum and Archives. help of steamships and railroad lines. The original Amusement Today asked Vice President and bathhouse, beer garden and dance floor soon were General Manager Jason McClure what he was per- joined by hotels, picnic areas, baseball diamonds and sonally looking forward to most about hosting the a Grand Pavilion that hosted musical concerts and in- event.
    [Show full text]
  • THE CYCLONE, 834 Surf Avenue at West 10Th Street, Brooklyn
    Landmarks Preservation Commission July 12, 1988; Designation List 206 LP-1636 THE CYCLONE, 834 Surf Avenue at West 10th Street, Brooklyn. Built 1927. Inventor Harry c. Baker. Engineer Vernon Keenan. Landmark Site: Borough of Brooklyn Tax Map Block 8697, Lot 4 in part consisting of the land on which the described improvement is situated. On September 15, 1987, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the proposed designation as a Landmark of the cyclone and the proposed designation of the related Landmark Site (Item No. 12). The hearing had been duly advertised in accordance with the provisions of law. Six witnesses spoke in favor of designation, including the ride's owner, whose support was given dependant upon his ability to perform routine repair and maintenance. One witness spoke in opposition to designation. The Commission has received many letters in favor of designation. DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS Summary Descended from the ice slides enjoyed in eighteenth-century Russia, through the many changes incorporated by French and American inventors, the Cyclone has been one of our country's premier roller coasters since its construction in 1927. Designed by engineer Vernon Keenan and built by noted amusement ride inventor Harry C. Baker for Jack and Irving Rosenthal, the Cyclone belongs to an increasingly rare group of wood-track coasters; modern building codes make it irreplaceable. The design of its twister-type circuit and the enormous weight of the cars allow the trains to travel on their own momentum after being carried up to the first plunge by mechanical means. Now part of Astroland amusement park, the Cyclone is not only a well­ recognized feature of Coney Island, where the first "modern" coaster was built in 1884, but, sadly, is the only roller coaster still operating there.
    [Show full text]