Twists And Turns Of The History Of The Roller Coaster Originating From The Coal Train

Photo illustration of a roller coaster (Stephen Hateley / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Today, June 16, more than a century ago or 1884, the first sled or roller coaster rides were opened to the public on Coney Island, United States. Like the tracks, the coal-carrying train's history is also full of twists and turns, making it one of the most iconic rides in the amusement park it is today.

The first sled in the United States was initiated by LaMarcus Thompson. "Cyclone", as it is called the roller coaster, is a sled made of wood.

The cyclone is capable of traveling at a speed of 60 meters per hour. This sled is one of the oldest in the United States (US) that is still operational.

You could say, Thompson is the person who popularized the roller coaster in the US. The idea of putting thrilling rides in an amusement park caught the attention of many residents. And at the turn of the century, hundreds of roller coasters mushroomed across the country.

Citing History, between 1897 and 1904 alone there were three amusement parks built on Coney Island. Among them are Dreamland, Luna Park and Steeplechase.

In the summer of the 1920's, Coney Island was crowded with millions of visitors every day. They come to enjoy rides, one of which is roller coasters, slideshows, and other entertainment.

However, this business took a dip during the Great Depression and World War II. At that time, most people, especially US citizens, only allocated a small amount of money for entertainment.

This business only started to revive in 1955 when the Disneyland theme park appeared in California. This moment gave birth to the concept of a modern theme park and helped regenerate the roller coaster.

The success of Disneyland sparked a new wave of theme park markets. Since the 1970s, amusement parks have been competing to create the most thrilling rides.

Coal train

Quoting The Washington Post, the history of the roller coaster refers to the customs of residents in Russian villages in the 15th and 16th centuries. They have a habit of building ice slides in winter.

It can be up to 70 feet tall with a descending angle of about 50 degrees. How to play it, they sit on a block of ice and let it slide according to the law of gravity.

The custom arrived in Paris, France in the early 1800's. There a similar game was built which was called the "Russian Mountains". This time the game can also be enjoyed in the summer. To do this, they added wheels.

Until 1827, the concept for the forerunner of the first roller coaster in the United States was born. At that time the sled called the Mauch Chunk Train was created.

Although originally this train was built to transport coal through the Mauch Chunk mountains. According to Robert Cartmell, in his book The Incredible Scream Machine this train began to change its cargo to carry passengers in 1873.

People pay a small fee to navigate the dangerous mountainous terrain. This is a new attraction for the community which attracts more than 35,000 passengers per year.

In 1976, the remains of the track were declared a historical monument, and although their original purpose was not for entertainment, the train has entered the record books as the tallest and longest coaster ever built.