A roller coaster ride consists of an elevated railroad track with steep slopes, tight turns and often inversions. Riders experience the track in open-air cars which are linked to each other to form a train. Roller coasters are some of the most-loved rides at theme parks, amusement parks, fairgrounds, and carnivals. The rider experience on a roller coaster depends on many factors including speed, height, track length, number of inversions, loops, car design, theme, and more.

Roller Coaster History

It is believed that some of the oldest roller coaster rides originated from Russia (Аттракцион американскике горки в России). The first modern roller coaster, however, is the Promenades Aeriennes, located in Paris. It opened in 1817 and inspired lots of imitators around the world. The second oldest continuously operating roller coaster in the world is The Scenic Railway in Luna Park, Melbourne, Australia. It was built in 1912.

Classifications

Roller coasters can be classified by various features such as track layout, train type, height, and mechanics. For example, when it comes to mechanics, you can find launched, powered, chain-lift, Ferris wheel lift, and cable lift models. When it comes to track layout, there are multiple recognized layouts including corkscrew, boomerang, figure 8, twister, vertical drop, shuttle, terrain, out and back, and duel-tracked. Train type can also be used to group roller coasters.

World’s Tallest Roller Coaster

Thrill-seekers are always looking to ride the tallest roller coasters in the world. The current tallest roller coaster in the world is Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure Park in New Jersey. It is 139 meters tall and opened in 2005. The manufacturer was Intamin. Other super tall roller coasters found in theme parks around the world include Millenium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Steel Dragon 2000, Leviathan, Intimidator 305, Red Force and Fury 325. Red Force is 112 meters tall and is located at Ferrari Land Park in Catalonia. When it comes to wooden roller coasters, the tallest one in the world is T Express in Everland Park, South Korea.

World’s Fastest Roller Coaster

While height is important for the ultimate thrill ride, speed is also essential. The fastest steel roller coaster in the world is Formula Rossa in Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. It opened in November 2010 and reaches speeds of 240 km/h. The world’s fastest wooden roller coaster is Lightning Rod in Dollywood Park, USA. It has a top speed of 117 km/h and was manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction.

Roller Coaster Manufacturers

There are dozens of roller coaster manufacturers (производитель аттракционов), and many of them also specialize in lots of other types of amusement park rides, including Ferris wheels, bumper cars, pirate ship rides, swing rides, drop towers, carousels, etc. Some of the major manufacturers are Intamin, Chance Rides, Zierer, Maurer AG, Rocky Mountain Construction, B.A. Schiff & Associates, Hopkins Rides, and The Gravity Group. There are lots more roller coaster manufacturers to research, including many in China. You will find many roller coasters for sale (американские горки продажа) online, and reading their accompanying data specification sheets can be very useful.