The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885. In essence a specialized railroad system, a roller coaster consists of a track that rises in designed patterns, sometimes with one or more inversions (such as vertical loops) that turn the rider briefly upside down. The track does not necessarily have to be a complete circuit, as shuttle roller coasters exhibit. Most roller coasters have multiple cars in which passengers sit and are restrained. Two or more cars hooked together are called a train. Some roller coasters, notably Wild Mouse roller coasters, run with single cars.
NASA has announced that it will build a system using similar principles to help astronauts escape the Ares I launch pad in an emergency.
History
Main article: History of the roller coasterRussian Mountain
The oldest roller coasters are believed to be descended from the so-called "Russian Mountains," which were specially constructed hills of ice, located especially around Saint Petersburg. Built in the 17th century, the slides were built to a height of between 70 and 80 feet (24 m), consisted of a 50 degree drop, and were reinforced by wooden supports. "Russian mountains" remains the term for roller coasters in many languages.
Some historians say the first real roller coaster was built under the orders of Russia's Catherine the Great in the Gardens of Oreinbaum in Saint Petersburg in the year 1784. Other historians believe that the first roller coaster was built by the French. The Les Montagnes Russes à Belleville ( The Russian Mountains of Belleville ) constructed in Paris in 1812 and the Promenades Aeriennes both featured wheeled cars securely locked to the track, guide rails to keep them on course, and higher speeds.
Scenic gravity railroads
In 1827, a mining company in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania constructed the Mauch Chunk gravity railroad, an 8.7 mi (14 km) downhill track used to deliver coal to Mauch Chunk (now known as Jim Thorpe), Pennsylvania. By the 1850s, 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. 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. This track design was soon replaced with an oval complete circuit. In 1885, Phillip Hinkle introduced the first full-circuit coaster with a lift hill, the Gravity Pleasure Road , which was soon the most popular attraction at Coney Island. 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, with Frederick Ingersoll's construction company building many of them in the first two decades of the Twentieth Century.
Popularity, decline and revival
By 1912, the first underfriction roller coaster had been 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.
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
In 1959 the Disneyland theme park introduced a new design breakthrough with the Matterhorn Bobsleds . This was the first roller coaster to use a tubular steel track. Unlike conventional rails set on wooden railroad ties, 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 coasters are still being built.
New designs and technologies are pushing the limits of what can be experienced on the newest coasters. Electromagnetically launched coasters are examples of such technologies.
Etymology
There are several explanations of the name roller coaster . It is said to have originated from an early American design where slides or ramps were fitted with rollers over which a sled would coast. This design was abandoned in favor of fitting the wheels to the sled or other vehicles, but the name endured.
Another explanation is that it originated from a ride located in a roller skating rink in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1887. A toboggan-like sled was raised to the top of a track which consisted of hundreds of rollers. This Roller Toboggan then took off down gently rolling hills to the floor. The inventors of this ride, Stephen E. Jackman and Byron B. Floyd, claim that they were the first to use the term "roller coaster."
The term jet coaster is used for roller coasters in Japan, where such amusement park rides are very popular.
Mechanics
The cars on a typical roller coaster are not self-powered. Instead, a standard full circuit coaster is pulled up with a chain or cable along the lift hill to the first peak of the coaster track. The potential energy accumulated by the rise in height is transferred to kinetic energy as the cars race down the first downward slope. Kinetic energy is then converted back into potential energy as the train moves up again to the second peak. This hill is necessarily lower, as some mechanical energy is lost to friction.
Not all rides feature a lift hill, however. The train may be set into motion by a launch mechanism such as a flywheel launch, linear induction motors, linear synchronous motors, hydraulic launch, compressed air launch or drive tire. Such launched coasters are capable of reaching higher speeds in a shorter length of track than those featuring a conventional lift hill. Some roller coasters move back and forth along the same section of track; these are known as shuttles and usually run the circuit once with riders moving forwards and then backwards through the same course.
A properly designed ride under good conditions will have enough kinetic, or moving, energy to complete the entire course, at the end of which brakes bring the train to a complete stop and it is pushed into the station. A brake run at the end of the circuit is the most common method of bringing the roller coaster ride to a stop. One notable exception is a powered roller coaster. These rides, instead of being powered by gravity, use one or more motors in the cars to propel the trains along the course.
If a continuous-circuit coaster does not have enough kinetic energy to completely travel the course after descending from its highest point (as can happen with high winds or increased friction), the train can valley: that is, roll backwards and forwards along the track, until all kinetic energy has been released. The train will then come to a complete stop in the middle of the track. This, however, works somewhat differently on a launched coaster. When a train launcher does not have enough potential energy to launch the train to the top of an incline, the train is said to "roll back." On some modern coasters, such as Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, Kingda Ka in Jackson, New Jersey and Stealth at Thorpe Park in Surrey, UK this is an occurrence highly sought after by many coaster enthusiasts.
Safety
Many safety systems are implemented in roller coasters. One of these is the block system. Most large roller coasters have the ability to run two or more trains at once, and the block system prevents these trains from colliding. In this system, the track is divided into several sections, or blocks. Only one train at a time is permitted in each block. At the end of each block, there is a section of track where a train can be stopped if necessary (either by preventing dispatch from the station, closing brakes, or stopping a lift). Sensors at the end of each block detect when a train passes so that the computer running the ride is aware of which blocks are occupied. When the computer detects a train about to travel into an already occupied block, it uses whatever method is available to keep it from entering. The trains are fully automated.
The above can cause a cascade effect when multiple trains become stopped at the end of each block. In order to prevent this problem, ride operators follow set procedures regarding when to release a newly loaded train from the station. One common pattern, used on rides with two trains, is to do the following: hold train #1 (which has just finished the ride) right outside the station, relea
GameStats: Power Chips & High Roller Cheats, Reviews, News
GameStats has the largest collection of Power Chips & High Roller trailers, screenshots, cheats, walkthroughs, release dates, previews, reviews, soundtracks and news.
Dyna Flex MASSAGE POWER ROLLER
Dyna Flex MASSAGE POWER ROLLER discount deals and reviews at GolfLink, your top source for Golf Fitness.
Home Depot - Xtra Power Roller Quicktouch - Home customer reviews ...
Home Depot product reviews and customer ratings for Xtra Power Roller Quicktouch - Home. Read and compare experiences customers have had with Wagner products.
Shop for Wagner Electric Power Roller, Model 980 - MySears Community
Get smart before you buy. Get product information and read Wagner Electric Power Roller, Model 980 reviews before you shop. Read buying guides to get informed.
Shop for Wagner Roll N Go Power Roller - MySears Community
Get smart before you buy. Get product information and read Wagner Roll N Go Power Roller reviews before you shop. Read buying guides to get informed.
Painting's A Breeze. Clean-up's a Bear - Wagner Power Roller 959 ...
Wagner Power Roller 959 - User Rating: 4 stars. Review Summary: The Power Roller is recommended for whole house paint jobs. For a big job, its a great labor and time saver until ...
Power Chips & High Roller (2003)
Check out Power Chips & High Roller Cheats, Codes, Walkthroughs, User Comments, Guides, Articles, Videos and Reviews!
Wagner Power Roller QuickTouch PRO 990 Reviews. Buying Guides ...
Epinions.com - Read product reviews on Wagner Power Roller QuickTouch PRO 990 - Tools and Accessories. Overall Rating: 3 stars from 12 consumer reviews at Epinions.com.
Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Wagner Power Products 284041 Paint Mate ...
Made quick work of an entire room. Better than expected! I found this on sale in a retail store. I had a major paint job to do, so I decided to give it a try.
IGN: Power Chips & High Roller
IGN is the ultimate Power Chips & High Roller resource for trailers, screenshots, cheats, walkthroughs, release dates, previews, reviews, soundtracks and news.