• A roller coaster isn't powered by an engine, it is powered by gravity.
• The chains that pull the car to the top of the first hill transgers an enormous amount of energy to the car. (potential energy)
• The fastest launch speed is approximately 120 mph in four seconds
• The fastest drop speed it approximately 120 mph
• The largest capacity was about 1,500 rides per hour

Roller Coasters began with a simple slide in Russia, they were called ice slides. These slides started in the 16th century. The slides were built out of lumber wood and they were layerd with thick sheets of ice that would cover the whole surface. How they rode the slides is, the riders would climb up the stairs that were attached to the back of the slide then speed down the 50 degree drop.

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The first gravity switchback train was built in the United States at Coney Island. Coney Island is in Booklyn, New York in 1884. It was built by LaMarcus Thompson, he called it the Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway. Thompson‰s ride incorporated flat steel track nailed onto several layers of wooden planks. Two 45 foot towers were connected with track.The ride was only five cents per ride, the Gravity Pleasure Switchbackrepaid Thompson's capital investment in less than three weeks. LaMarcus Thompson went on to build 24 more roller coasters.

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The first underfrition roller coaster was introduced by John Mille. This design held the coaster train on the track and allowed for more speed, steeper hills, and less drag. Because of the Great depression and the Second World War some of the best roller coasters had to be declined. They called it the under friction roller coaster because the underfriction of the rolloer coaster held the cart on the track. This meant that the coaster cars could go faster, and stop quicker. This was the beginning of coasters as we know them today.

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Roller coasters today are better than the slides before. Roller coasters today have changed a lot from the slides in Russia. Now that we have the technology we can build better, faster, and more fun roller coaster. No there are about 900 roller coasters world wide, opposed to before there was only 300, and that was about 20 years ago. In the old days you were just sitting on a wooden structure, and now there are about 33 different ways to ride a roller coaster.

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This is a picture of how it all started. With the slides in Russia.	This is the first gravity switchback roller coaster.	This is a picture of how roller coasters today are.

The place to get infomation on how roller coasters were first started.
This place has good pictures of all types of roller coasters.
Way cool animated border lines!
This has some colorful border lines that are animated!