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There are many different
types and styles of roller coaster, each with unique characteristics. The
first roller coasters were built of wood with steel rails. These are still
popular today because they are cheap and many people prefer their traditional
wild, bumpy style. Woodies cannot be built
as high as steel coasters and can't contain inversions (except for a few
newer coasters such as "Son of Beast" at Paramount's Kings Island,
which have inversions that are supported by steel). Perhaps the most famous
wooden roller coaster ever is the Coney Island Cyclone in New York (pictured
righand bottom left). |
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Steel
coasters are the ride of choice for most people today. They are
the tallest, fastest, and smoothest riding coasters. They can also be built
with amazing combinations of loops and corkscrews. A steel coaster over
200 feet tall is called a hypercoaster, and one over 300 feet tall is considered
a gigacoaster (there are only a few of these in the world, such as Millenium
Force at Cedar Point). A small slower steel ride may be called a kiddie
or family coaster. Steel coasters appear in almost every big amusement park
today. Pictured below on the left is the "Incredible Hulk" at
Universal Studios, which has seven inversions. On the right is Millenium
Force, with a top speed of over 90 mph. |
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Steel coasters come
in many styles other than traditional above-track layout. Suspended
coasters have swinging cars that ride below the steel track.
They provide a different sensation than a regular steel coaster. They have
highly banked turns because the vehicles swing freely. There are only a
few of these unique rides, including The Iron Dragon at Cedar Point (pictured),
and the Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. |
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| On an Inverted
coaster, riders ride below the track with their feet dangling.
Inverted rides are usually more intense and exciting, with an array of different
loop combinations. Pictured are "The Great Bear" at Hersheypark
(pictured right and bottom right) and "Alpengeist" at Busch Gardens
Williamsburg (bottom left). |
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| Different design companies
have slightly different versions of the same type of ride. One may use tubular
steel track while the other uses a rectangular shape. Roller coaster trains
are designed for the specific ride and differ in length, number of seats,
type of restraints, and styling. For example, "Medusa" at Six
Flags Marine World (pictured) has a floorless train that allows riders'
feet to dangle inches above the track. All of these factors combine to make
each individual roller coaster a unique experience. |
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| One cannot forget the
many possibilities created by running multiple coasters together. Racing
coasters usually have similar or even identical layouts that allow them
to run side by side. Dueling coasters intertwine to create the sensation
of a near-collision of the two trains. "Dueling Dragons" at Universal
Studios is a great example of this effect. |
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