Roller coaster in the context of "West Mifflin, Pennsylvania"

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⭐ Core Definition: Roller coaster

A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride employing a form of elevated railroad track that carries passengers on a train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements. Roller coasters are usually designed to produce a thrilling experience, though some roller coasters aim to provide a more gentle experience. Trains consist of open cars connected in a single line, and tracks are typically built and designed as a complete circuit in which trains depart from and return to the same loading station. One notable exception is Racer at Kennywood, West Mifflin, PA, which has the train return to the opposite loading track due to its unique Möbius design. The rides are typically found in amusement parks around the world but can also be located in shopping malls and zoos. The Roller Coaster DataBase estimates there are approximately 6,000 extant roller coasters as of October 2025.

The earliest progenitors to the modern roller coasters were the "Russian Mountains", which first appeared in the 17th century. LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained one of the first known patents for a track-based roller coaster design in 1885, based on the Switchback Railway which opened a year earlier at Coney Island. Today, most roller coasters are built out of steel, which can allow for more intense forces and inversions (where the rider is upside down).

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In this Dossier

Roller coaster in the context of Centrifugal railway

Centrifugal Railway was the name of a number of early looping roller coasters that were built in Western Europe in the middle of the 19th century. These rides were very similar in their basic design to many modern-day shuttle roller coasters (i.e., they did not make a complete circuit), but with only one lift hill and no launch. A single roller coaster car would ascend to the peak on the coaster before descending rapidly down the same hill and then passing through the central loop with enough speed to remain on the track at the top of the loop. The size of these centrifugal railways differed; some were purported to have vertical loops of a mere 2 metres (6.6 ft), while others were estimated to be 12 metres (39 ft) (although, as described below, early coaster designers were prone to cases of gross exaggeration).

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Roller coaster in the context of Nagashima Spa Land

Nagashima Spa Land (ナガシマスパーランド, Nagashima Supā Rando) is an amusement park and vacation resort in Kuwana, Mie, Japan, about 30 km west of Nagoya. It opened in 1966, and features an amusement park with several roller coasters, thrill rides, kiddie rides, a water park (open only in the summer), a hot springs complex, an outdoor outlet mall, and 3 official hotels.

In 2022, Nagashima Spa Land hosted 4.2 million visitors, making it the 21st-most visited amusement park in the world and the fourth-most visited in Japan behind Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan that year.

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Roller coaster in the context of Brighton Palace Pier

The Brighton Palace Pier, commonly known as Brighton Pier or the Palace Pier, is a Grade II* listed pleasure pier in Brighton, England, located in the city centre opposite the Old Steine. Established in 1899, it was the third pier to be constructed in Brighton after the Royal Suspension Chain Pier and the West Pier, but is now the only one still in operation. It is managed and operated by the Eclectic Bar Group.

The Palace Pier was intended as a replacement for the Chain Pier, which collapsed in 1896 during construction of the new pier. It quickly became popular, and had become a frequently-visited theatre and entertainment venue by 1911. Aside from closures owing to war, it continued to hold regular entertainment up to the 1970s. The theatre was damaged in 1973 and following a buy-out was demolished in 1986, changing the pier's character from seaside entertainment to an amusement park, with various fairground rides and roller coasters.

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Roller coaster in the context of Traction motor

A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains.

Traction motors are used in electrically powered railway vehicles (electric multiple units) and other electric vehicles including electric milk floats, trolleybuses, elevators, roller coasters, and conveyor systems, as well as vehicles with electrical transmission systems (diesel–electric locomotives, electric hybrid vehicles), and battery electric vehicles.

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Roller coaster in the context of Shuttle roller coaster

A shuttle roller coaster is any roller coaster that ultimately does not make a complete circuit, but rather reverses at some point throughout its course and traverses the same track backwards. These are sometimes referred to as boomerang roller coasters, due to the ubiquity of Vekoma's Boomerang coaster model.

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Roller coaster in the context of Lift hill

A lift hill, or chain hill, is an upward-sloping section of track on a roller coaster on which the roller coaster train is mechanically lifted to an elevated point or peak in the track. Upon reaching the peak, the train is then propelled from the peak by gravity and is usually allowed to coast throughout the rest of the roller coaster ride's circuit on its own momentum, including most or all of the remaining uphill sections. The initial upward-sloping section of a roller coaster track is usually a lift hill, as the train typically begins a ride with little speed, though some coasters have raised stations that permit an initial drop without a lift hill. Although uncommon, some tracks also contain multiple lift hills.

Lift hills usually propel the train to the top of the ride via one of two methods: a chain lift involving a long, continuous chain which trains hook on to and are carried to the top; or a drive tire system in which multiple motorized tires (known as friction wheels) push the train upwards. A typical chain lift consists of a heavy piece of metal called a chain dog, which is mounted onto the underside of one of the cars which make up the train. This is in place to line up with the chain on the lift hill.

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Roller coaster in the context of Launched roller coaster

The launched roller coaster is a type of roller coaster that initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or a series of linear induction motors (LIM), linear synchronous motors (LSM), catapults, tires, chains, or other mechanisms employing hydraulic or pneumatic power, along a launch track. This mode of acceleration powers many of the fastest roller coasters in the world.

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Roller coaster in the context of Train (roller coaster)

A roller coaster train is a vehicle made up of two or more carts coupled together by specialized joints which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. Roller coasters usually have various safety features, including specialized wheels and restraints. It is called a train because the carts are connected in a chain and follow each other along the track, just like a railroad train. Individual carts vary in design and can carry from one to eight or more passengers each.

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