Hobbies And Interests
Wooden Roller Coasters
In the early 1900s, roller coasters were built based on the designs of railroads. They used laminated wooden beams and structures with flat steel rails attached to tracks that small cars could travel by speed and the gravity of the different drops. Today, wooden roller coasters are not as sleek or quick as most modern day thrill rides. But many find their nostalgia and classic look to be a thrill to the eye.
Steel Roller Coaster
Steel roller coaster designs revolutionized the coaster and theme park industry. Creating coasters with steel allowed designers to add more speed, twists, turns, loops and corkscrews to the ride. The tracks were made of steel which made the ride more smooth. Supports made of tubular steel also allowed the designers to use less supports and take up less space in the park. It also helped them make taller hills and faster drops. Steel roller coasters gave designers a chance to use their imagination when creating rides.
Inverted Roller Coaster
The first inverted roller coaster, "Batman: The Ride" at Six Flags, was created in the early 1990s. The new design became the inspiration for many future roller coasters and thrill rides as well. These types of roller coasters are designed so that the passengers ride in cars that are suspended beneath the track rails as opposed to on top of them. These rides give the sensation of flying as there is nothing under the rider's feet. Most of these coasters are made out of steel and are sometimes aided by motors or propulsion and can include twists and loops.
4th Dimension Roller Coaster
The 4th Dimension Roller Coaster, or 4D coaster, was created by Arrow Dynamics and is one of the newer and more popular types of coasters. Instead of two running rails, the coaster train runs on four rails. The usual rails are used for the train wheels to run. The side rails on the outside or underneath section of the main rails are used along with ratchet gears and links that can turn or spin the train car in different directions. This ability gives the rider a different experience as the car will change positions throughout the ride. It gives designers a chance to change the typical ride expectations, and to also program coasters so that the ride can be different every time.