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LaMarcus Adna Thompson is often called the Father of Roller Coasters.
In 1884, LaMarcus Adna Thompson invented the Switchback Gravity Railway, a patented coaster that visitors to Brooklyn’s Coney Island could ride for just five cents.
Many of us are fond of the roller coaster slides and the sheer thrill and adventures that these slides bring with them. This prompts us to find out more information regarding the various aspects of these slides including the fact that why they were built. According to the Smithsonian magazine, a US inventor and businessman named LaMarcus Adna Thompson built it.
Thompson was disgusted with the uprise of “hedonistic amusements” like saloons and brothels. Therefore, in 1884, he invented the Switchback Gravity Railway, a patented coaster that visitors to Brooklyn’s Coney Island, USA could ride for just five cents. Thompson is often called the “Father of the American Rollercoaster” for establishing Coney Island’s connection to amusement parks. His initial invention, however, was not like the thrillers we know today.
The initial inventions by Thompson were gravity-powered, slow-moving cars that were faced outward rather than forward. This arrangement was done to enjoy a constructed scene as the car coasted at less than six miles per hour. These scenes would often be built to match the beautiful landscapes around the world. Thompson constructed one of the Swiss Alps, for instance, among these landscapes and another of Venetian canals.
According to the magazine, there are several other interesting facts associated with roller coaster slides. One of those facts is that the tallest roller coaster in the world is Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. It is 465 feet straight toward the sky and then descending at a rapid clip. It goes from zero to 128 miles per hour in only 3.5 seconds to speed you up the rails 45 stories high at a 90-degree angle. The rest of the ride is a spiralling 50.6-second blur.
Besides the tallest roller coaster, there is the fastest roller coaster as well, i.e.- the Formula Rossa roller coaster at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. This coaster goes from zero to 149 miles per hour in just 4.9 seconds. People will peak at a maximum height of 170 feet and get an adrenaline rush worth 4.8G, as per their website.