The Mauch Chunk Railway in America was created for miners to transport themselves down the mines. Late at night it was also used for fun. Around 1870, it was retired for a better way of transportation and was just used for pleasure. People paid $1 to ride it!
America is one of the leading producers of rollercoasters. It always has to faster and better than the last one. You have the Haverhill Downs, La Marcus Thompson Switchback railway, Scenic railways, and Figure 8's. The loop-to-loop was harly heard of because it snapped riders necks! Today the most common are wood coasters, steel coasters, corkscrew, shuttle loops, revolution, suspended coasters, stand-up coasters, and inverted coasters.
Wood coasters became popular in the 1920's and the steel coasters became popular in the era of Disney. In 1975, the corkscrew was actually the first successful inverting rollercoaster. It only had 2 inversions. The revolution was the first ever single loop coaster. in 1982, at Kings Island, suspended coasters was tried for the first time ever. The features of this coasters have the cars able to swing to side without any hindrances. Stand-up coasters and inverted coasters are something of the 90's. Stand-up coasters is where you actually stand-up! You actually feel like you're gonna fall out! And the last is inverted coasters. These cars hang down from the track but don't swing side to side.
I loved learning about coasters because I have been riding them since I was a kid. I did not know that they went all the way back to the 1700's! It's amazing how technology has advanced and yet how dangerous it is to ride one of them still... I hope that one day they will be even safe than they are today.
Click on the picture to find more out about the science behind rollercoasters including the physics of rollercoasters!!!!
