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Roller Coasters By: Meira

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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.
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