45:
64:(MCR) in eastern Pennsylvania was constructed in 1827 and was the second of its kind in the US. Before long, tourists attracted to the novelty of this technology were offered rides. Passengers enjoyed panoramic views along the descent, which started at a leisurely 5 mph (8.0 km/h) and reached speeds up to 65 mph (105 km/h). The MCR and similar attractions became widely known as
90:
In 1894, Edward Joy Morris took the concept one step further with the invention of side-friction wheels that were installed vertically on the sides of each train car, which were then seated in a trough configuration. Patented as the Figure Eight
Toboggan Slide, the side-friction wheels made contact
27:
design invented by Edward Joy Morris. The design introduced side-friction wheels to help prevent trains from derailing during curved portions of the track. In addition to weight-bearing wheels traditionally located on the underside of each train car, friction wheels were added to both sides, which
102:, which were previously required to ride along and slow the train at various points along the track layout. Instead, ride operators working in the loading station only needed to rely on a hand-operated friction brake to stop the train when it returned.
31:
The first side-friction coasters appeared in the late 19th century and were mild in comparison to modern-day roller coasters. They declined in popularity several decades later as newer coasters began incorporating a third set of
105:
Morris formed the Morris Chute
Company, which manufactured carousels and roller coasters. More than 250 Figure Eight coasters, also called toboggans, were installed around the world. One of the well-known installations,
130:, the newer design added a third set of wheels running beneath the track, further enhancing security from derailment, which paved the way for faster speeds, steeper drops, and new elements in track design such as the
214:
154:. Opened in 1902, Leap the Dips is the oldest roller coaster in the world and the last remaining side-friction roller coaster in North America. It was out of service from 1985 to 1999.
437:
303:
79:
manufacturer. Building upon earlier ride patents for concepts never constructed, he developed his own patent called the
Switchback Railway. The first installation opened as the
539:
277:
218:
245:
94:
Side-friction roller coasters could achieve greater speeds than the switchback design, especially around curves, which led to thrill-inducing lateral
68:. The commercial success of these amusement rides inspired future advancements in what would eventually evolve into the modern-day roller coaster.
756:
65:
118:. It is one of the last remaining side-friction coasters still in operation. In 1903, Morris sold the company, which reemerged in 1904 as the
175:
158:
433:
381:
299:
532:
486:
761:
334:
589:
674:
525:
119:
669:
715:
700:
654:
463:
273:
126:
wheels, also called up-stop wheels, resulted in the demise of the side-friction configuration. Introduced in 1912 by
60:
in the United States were used primarily to transport coal down mountains, often to the nearest river or canal. The
695:
619:
659:
624:
237:
710:
705:
649:
644:
629:
614:
408:
730:
725:
720:
634:
594:
72:
609:
573:
568:
490:
151:
115:
44:
563:
61:
172:
80:
49:
604:
373:
161:, built in 1961. It has a long, winding layout, and has troughs made of steel and concrete.
664:
179:
57:
494:
549:
127:
24:
326:
750:
185:
Slope
Shooter - Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
147:
143:
123:
111:
107:
33:
36:
wheels, which further improved safety and allowed for more thrilling track designs.
679:
599:
131:
84:
98:. The security of the updated design enabled roller coasters to operate without a
735:
327:"Theme Park History: L.A. Thompson, the father of the themed roller coaster"
459:
517:
99:
95:
76:
300:"The Story of LaMarcus Adna Thompson and his Roller Coaster Business"
43:
215:"The History of Roller Coasters: The Mauch Chunk Gravity Railway"
521:
173:
http://www.oocities.org/ultimatethrillparks/woodtrackwheels.htm
71:
One passenger inspired by the MCR was inventor and businessman
190:
Giant
Coaster - Crystal Beach (Crystal Beach, Ontario, Canada)
274:"Opening Day: First Roller Coaster in the USA June 16, 1884"
189:
184:
404:
238:"A Century of Screams: The History of the Roller Coaster"
217:. Entertainment Designer. October 8, 2011. Archived from
28:
roll perpendicular along the inner edge of the track.
91:
with the side rails, making derailment less likely.
688:
582:
556:
462:. American Coaster Enthusiasts. August 15, 2015.
427:
425:
374:"Leap-The-Dips Roller Coaster Historical Marker"
209:
207:
205:
203:
201:
533:
8:
368:
366:
364:
362:
360:
358:
356:
354:
352:
75:, founder of the Eagle Knitting Company, a
540:
526:
518:
487:"Leap-the-Dips: A Thrill From the Past"
434:"Leap-the-Dips: A Thrill From the Past"
197:
405:"Leap-The-Dips (Lakemont Park)"
276:. Western Reserve Historical Society.
267:
265:
263:
436:. The Pennsylvania State University.
232:
230:
228:
159:Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens
7:
52:that opened in 1884 at Coney Island.
325:Potter, Derek (November 10, 2013).
81:Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway
14:
466:from the original on May 10, 2023
440:from the original on May 10, 2023
384:from the original on May 10, 2023
337:from the original on May 10, 2023
306:from the original on May 10, 2023
280:from the original on May 10, 2023
248:from the original on May 10, 2023
460:"Coaster Landmark - Jack Rabbit"
1:
757:Side friction roller coasters
120:Philadelphia Toboggan Company
272:Frato, John (July 5, 2022).
21:side friction roller coaster
778:
432:Fornwalt, Todd W. (2010).
302:. PeoPlaid. May 29, 2021.
485:Todd W. Fornwalt (2010).
762:Types of roller coaster
409:Roller Coaster DataBase
73:LaMarcus Adna Thompson
53:
557:Construction material
491:Penn State University
157:Slope Shooter at the
152:Altoona, Pennsylvania
138:Notable installations
116:Altoona, Pennsylvania
47:
378:ExplorePAhistory.com
110:, opened in 1902 at
583:Train configuration
221:on October 8, 2012.
122:. The invention of
62:Mauch Chunk Railway
331:Theme Park Insider
178:2016-12-20 at the
54:
50:Switchback Railway
744:
743:
769:
590:Fourth dimension
542:
535:
528:
519:
507:
506:
504:
502:
493:. Archived from
482:
476:
475:
473:
471:
456:
450:
449:
447:
445:
429:
420:
419:
417:
415:
400:
394:
393:
391:
389:
370:
347:
346:
344:
342:
322:
316:
315:
313:
311:
296:
290:
289:
287:
285:
269:
258:
257:
255:
253:
234:
223:
222:
211:
58:gravity railways
777:
776:
772:
771:
770:
768:
767:
766:
747:
746:
745:
740:
684:
665:Summer toboggan
578:
552:
546:
516:
511:
510:
500:
498:
497:on May 28, 2015
484:
483:
479:
469:
467:
458:
457:
453:
443:
441:
431:
430:
423:
413:
411:
403:Marden, Duane.
402:
401:
397:
387:
385:
372:
371:
350:
340:
338:
324:
323:
319:
309:
307:
298:
297:
293:
283:
281:
271:
270:
261:
251:
249:
236:
235:
226:
213:
212:
199:
194:
180:Wayback Machine
168:
140:
66:scenic railways
42:
17:
12:
11:
5:
775:
773:
765:
764:
759:
749:
748:
742:
741:
739:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
692:
690:
686:
685:
683:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
632:
627:
622:
617:
612:
607:
602:
597:
592:
586:
584:
580:
579:
577:
576:
571:
566:
560:
558:
554:
553:
550:roller coaster
547:
545:
544:
537:
530:
522:
515:
514:External links
512:
509:
508:
477:
451:
421:
395:
348:
317:
291:
259:
224:
196:
195:
193:
192:
187:
182:
169:
167:
164:
163:
162:
155:
139:
136:
128:John A. Miller
41:
38:
25:roller coaster
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
774:
763:
760:
758:
755:
754:
752:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
693:
691:
687:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
670:Virginia Reel
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
640:Side friction
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:
613:
611:
608:
606:
603:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
587:
585:
581:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
561:
559:
555:
551:
543:
538:
536:
531:
529:
524:
523:
520:
513:
496:
492:
488:
481:
478:
465:
461:
455:
452:
439:
435:
428:
426:
422:
410:
406:
399:
396:
383:
379:
375:
369:
367:
365:
363:
361:
359:
357:
355:
353:
349:
336:
332:
328:
321:
318:
305:
301:
295:
292:
279:
275:
268:
266:
264:
260:
247:
243:
239:
233:
231:
229:
225:
220:
216:
210:
208:
206:
204:
202:
198:
191:
188:
186:
183:
181:
177:
174:
171:
170:
165:
160:
156:
153:
149:
148:Lakemont Park
145:
144:Leap the Dips
142:
141:
137:
135:
133:
129:
125:
124:underfriction
121:
117:
113:
112:Lakemont Park
109:
108:Leap-The-Dips
103:
101:
97:
92:
88:
86:
82:
78:
74:
69:
67:
63:
59:
56:The earliest
51:
46:
39:
37:
35:
34:underfriction
29:
26:
22:
716:Out and back
701:Dual-tracked
689:Track layout
655:Steeplechase
639:
499:. Retrieved
495:the original
480:
468:. Retrieved
454:
442:. Retrieved
412:. Retrieved
398:
386:. Retrieved
377:
339:. Retrieved
330:
320:
308:. Retrieved
294:
282:. Retrieved
250:. Retrieved
241:
219:the original
132:airtime hill
104:
93:
89:
85:Coney Island
70:
55:
30:
23:is an early
20:
18:
16:Type of ride
48:Thompson's
751:Categories
736:Wild mouse
620:Mine train
166:References
696:Boomerang
660:Suspended
625:Motorbike
605:Floorless
548:Types of
87:in 1884.
711:Launched
706:Figure 8
650:Stand-up
645:Spinning
630:Pipeline
615:Inverted
464:Archived
438:Archived
382:Archived
335:Archived
304:Archived
278:Archived
246:Archived
176:Archived
100:brakeman
96:g-forces
731:Twister
726:Terrain
721:Shuttle
635:Powered
595:Bobsled
501:May 14,
470:May 10,
444:May 10,
414:May 10,
388:May 10,
341:May 10,
310:May 10,
284:May 10,
252:May 10,
77:hosiery
40:History
610:Flying
574:Hybrid
569:Wooden
675:Water
564:Steel
680:Wing
600:Dive
503:2015
472:2023
446:2023
416:2023
390:2023
343:2023
312:2023
286:2023
254:2023
242:PBS
150:in
146:at
114:in
83:at
753::
489:.
424:^
407:.
380:.
376:.
351:^
333:.
329:.
262:^
244:.
240:.
227:^
200:^
134:.
19:A
541:e
534:t
527:v
505:.
474:.
448:.
418:.
392:.
345:.
314:.
288:.
256:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
