Thompson's Switchback Railway On June 13, 1884, at Coney Island in New York, the world's first roller coaster opened. It was called the "Switchback Railway," cost a nickel to ride, and peaked at almost seven miles per hour. The coaster was designed by LaMarcus Adna Thompson, whose inspiration was most likely the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway -- an 1827 Pennsylvania mine train that was used for entertainment during slow work days. The "Switchback Railway" was pretty simple: Guests would climb up a high tower and be seated in a large, bench-like car. The "operators" would physically push the car down the 600-foot track, and after a ride over a few rolling hills, the passengers would end up at the top of a tower on the other side. The car would be switched over to the other track to repeat the same ride for the second tower's guests. Needless to say, roller coasters have come a long way since then. There are dozens of types, such as inverted, suspended, stand-up, floorless, spinning, and flying coasters. Theme parks around the world are constantly pushing the envelope and competing to break new records to feature the tallest, fastest, or most unique coasters. Here are a few of the best modern coasters: "Kingda Ka" - Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey -- the "rocket launch" coaster reaches 128 mph at 456 feet high. It is currently the fastest and highest coaster with the longest drop (418 feet), a record it's held for four years. "Steel Dragon 2000" - Nagashima Spa Land in Japan -- the tallest (318 feet) and fastest (95 mph) of the traditional steel coasters. "X" (now "X2") - Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California -- a fourth-dimension coaster, it's a combo of a "flying" coaster and an inverted one, since the seats actually swivel, changing the view and position of each rider throughout the ride (and turning grown men into scared little girls). "Superman: The Escape" - also at Six Flags Magic Mountain -- the tallest (415 feet) and fastest (100 mph) of the "shuttle" coasters. "The Beast" and "Son of the Beast" - Kings Island in Mason, Ohio -- "The Beast" opened in 1979 and still holds the record for being the longest wooden coaster at 7,359 feet, with a four-minute ride time! Its sequel, "Son of the Beast," opened in 2000, and holds the records for the tallest (218 feet), fastest (78.3 mph), and longest drop (214 feet) for a woodie. "Wicked" - Lagoon in Farmington, Utah -- a one-of-a-kind coaster that seats only  eight people and combines several elements of other types of coasters. "Superman: Ultimate Flight" - Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey -- one of the best flying coasters. "Fairly Odd Coaster" - Nickelodeon Universe (inside the Mall of America) in Bloomington, Minnesota -- an indoor coaster in which the small cars spin on the track. "X Scream" - Stratosphere in Las Vegas, Nevada -- only partially a roller coaster, but probably the scariest of them all, since it "drops" you from the top of the hotel -- 900 feet above the city. Now that's some scary sh--! Suggested Sites... Roller Coaster History in America - more details about the switchback railways and other early coasters. Ultimate Rollercoaster - information on record holders and a history of thrill rides. Roller Coaster DataBase - searchable database of pics and stats on more than 2,000 roller coasters. HowStuffWorks: How Roller Coasters Work - examines the principles and hardware that keeps roller coasters running.

Directory categories: Roller Coasters, Roller Coaster Physics, Amusement and Theme Parks, Coney Island

Archived under: 19th Century, Coney Island, Entertainment, History, New York, Records, Roller Coasters, Summer, Travel

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