THE RUSSIAN MOUNTAINS
The first "scream machines" were not out-of-control trains but sleds on man-made ice-covered hills constructed of cut lumber and tree trunks. Elaborate constructions often stretching several city blocks, the 50 mile-per-hour rides earned the nickname "Flying Mountains." Children and adults would make the tedious trek up 70 feet (five stories) of stairs and climb into an ice-block sled outfitted with a straw seat. The trip back down lasted little more than a few fleeting seconds.
Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway
Whereas the Russian Mountains is usually credited as the first wheeled coaster, the Switchback in 1784 at St. Petersburg is perhaps more worthy of the crown. Carriages in grooved tracks traveled up and down small hills powered by the height and slope of the initial descent. Almost 50 years later, the first tracks were laid for the American predecessor of the roller coaster, the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway in Pennsylvania.
Coney Island
It began in 1884, when La Marcus Thompson, the "Father of the Gravity Ride," opened a 600-foot switchback railway at Coney Island. With a top speed of six miles per hour, Thompson's ride was little more than a leisurely, gravity-powered tour of the beach. Still, its popularity enabled him to recoup his $1,600 investment in only three weeks.
Within a few months, however, Thompson's monopoly on Coney Island coasters was over. Charles Alcoke also built a slow scenic railway, connecting the ends of the track in a continuous loop in order to return riders to their starting position. Although the Alcoke coaster raised the bar, challenging the attendance records of Thompson's Switchback Railway, it was Phillip Hinkle's 1885 technological advancement that gave the whole industry a lift. The Hinkle coaster was elliptical and featured a powered hoist that pulled cars to the top of the first hill, making it a far more exciting ride than the slow-moving Switchback.
HISTORY OF ROLLER COASTER INNOVATIONS
The first roller coaster actually built in the United States appeared at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York in 1884. It was built by LaMarcus Thompson, and called 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 reached a top speed of 6 miles per hour, and the train cars had to be manually towed to the top of the hills at the beginning of both tracks; the patrons were required to get out at the end of the first track and climb stairs to the second hill to board the train again for the return trip.
Cedar Point brought in a giga coaster called the Millennium Force which goes up 310 feet with a maximum speed of 93 miles per hour. It was the fastest, and tallest giga coaster in the world at that time. In 2001, Lighthouse Point Campground became a reality. Cedar Point opened its 15th roller coaster, the Wicked Twister in 2002, and added an ice skating program called Snoopy Rocks on Ice which was performed at The Good Time Theater. Cedar Point did it once again with the Top Thrill Dragster which was the tallest and fastest roller coaster at the time. It goes up 420 feet in the air and goes 120 mph. Cedar Point management invested into the main park and Soak City. Then they added Castaway Bay, a free standing indoor waterpark resort, near Cedar Point Causeway. In 2005, Cedar Point opened maXair, Cedar Point 68th ride. Cedar Point invited it’s guests in 2006 to go on the best swing ride of their life’s with Skyhawk. In 2007, Cedar Point introduces Maverick, Cedar Point’s 17th roller coaster, it was named the best roller coaster of 2007. In 2008 Cedar Point makes planet Snoopy and makes the Extreme Sports center. In 2009, Cedar Point makes the Main Midway and puts up lights on Frontier Town. In 2010 Cedar Point makes Shoot the Rapids, another water ride. In 2011, Cedar Point makes another breath taking ride, Wind Seeker, a 30 story ride that you slowly swing up on and get breath taking views of the park, Lake Erie and the
Russia is a country with many large land masses that are greatly dependent on and helped shape the culture in Russia today. Russia is filled with rivers and mountains that protect them from invasions and help aid in trade. The Dnieper River and the Ural Mountains had a major impact on the development of Russia, as they impacted Russian both positively and negatively. For example, a positive effect of the Dnieper River is that it aided in trade with different civilizations, and the Ural Mountains protected Russia from being invaded by outside forces.
Carowinds is compiled of many gravity-defying rides. Top Gun: The Jet Coaster is the Carolinas’ only inverted steel roller coaster. While on the ride, you are hurled through six swirling inversions while in the air. The Vortex is a stand-up roller coaster that takes you on a 50 m.p.h. series of loops and drops. Drop Zone Stunt Tower is a ride where you can experience the rush of gravity as you descend sixteen stories in seconds
a passenger train, a roller coaster has no engine or power source of its own. For most of the ride,
No one person can be credited for the invention of the railroad; rather there are many individuals who contributed to the railways final design. To begin, as far back as the 16th century, Germans were using horse-drawn wagons, pulled along wooden rails. These systems were known as “wagonways” and are grandparents of modern railways. By 1776, wooden rails and wheels had been replaced by iron. Eventually, the wheels became flanged, allowing the wheels to better grip the rails. The major turning point of locomotives was the invention of the steam engine. The steam engine was invented by three different British inventors, over a period of a hundred years; to give only one man the credit would be a crime.
The coaster then was clear for take off. The coaster made its way to the top of the first hill, and as the cart descended and turned the first corner, Rosa was thrown from the cart. Rosa dropped out of the cart onto a metal support beam more than 75 feet below the place where she was ejected and came to rest on top of the roof of a tunnel. When the famil...
The Arctic Tundra The Tundra is located in the northern regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. as well as a few regions of Antarctica. The Tundra is the second largest vegetation. zone in Canada. It can be divided into three different sections: the High Arctic Tundra, the Low Arctic Tundra and the Alpine Tundra.
According to Robert Smith, the history of the bicycle goes like this: in the late 18th century and early 19th century, a two-wheeled vehicle with a wooden frame and a saddle, known as the celeripede ("fast feet") was developed in France. The celeripede had a fixed cross-bar and no pedals, meaning that it could not be steered very well and it was moved by running along the ground while straddling the saddle. Needless to say, it never became popular.
To many outsiders the Arctic is pictured as a deserted, blank piece of land with no life. Little did they know that the Arctic Region is actually inhabited by many native Alaskan groups, and that still to this day continue practicing their subsistence lifestyle. Native Alaskan groups such as the Gwich'in Indians, Inupiat Eskimos, Yup'ik and Aleut still depend on the geographic features of the Arctic. For not only their subsistence lifestyle, but also the preservation of their culture.
Not far from the opening gate, I glanced at the first ride I was going to experience, the Cork Screw. The whole entire family was going to ride on the rollercoaster, even my sister Alissa who is terrified of coasters. As I walked up the narrow path that led to the Cork Screw, I could see that there was a large number of people waiting to get onto the ride. While waiting patiently to board the coaster, I gazed up in awe at the Cork Screw, one of the newer roller coasters, which sparkled high above our heads. Twirling hoops and loops were the main attraction of this roller coaster.
Appalachia is a 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains stretching from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It is home to more than 25 million people.
A roller coaster is a thrill ride found in amusement and theme parks. Their history dates back to the 16th century. It all started in Russia, with long, steep wooden slides covered in ice. The idea then traveled to France. Since the warmer climate melted the ice, waxed slides were created instead, eventually adding wheels to the system. The first roller coaster in which the train was attached to the track was in France in 1817, the Russess a Belleville. The first attempt at a loop-the loop was also made in France in the 1850s. It was called the Centrifuge Railway. However, government officials quickly diminished the idea when the first accident occurred. Inventors since then have continued to capitalize on people’s love of a great thrill, always trying to make them bigger, faster and scarier!
Amusement parks are by far one of the most thrilling places on earth. As you wait in a long line to get in park, you can hear numerous kids, adults, and tourist shouting off the top of their lungs due to a tremendous jaw-dropping drop on their beloved roller coasters.
Chechnya is situated in the Caucasus Mountains, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It is surrounded by Dagestan to the east, Georgia and South Ossetia to the south, Russia to the north and North Ossetia in the west. Chechnya is rich in mineral oil and produced twenty million tons per year before the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 created the opportunity for the Russian provinces to declare their independence. The Russian government managed to keep its control of all states apart from Chechnya, which, under the new president Dzhokhar Dudayev, declared independence in October 1991.
Good day from Switzerland! This charming country is tucked among mountains in central Europe where is a great choice for traveling. It is a joyful and peaceful country with many beautiful scenes to see and visit. Its people spend much time enjoying adventures in the snowy Swiss Alps. Visitors may even hear some yodeling! Its air is clean and fresh, making the people happy and the place to be more and more attractive.