Rollo Coaster | |
---|---|
Idlewild and Soak Zone | |
Location | Idlewild and Soak Zone |
Coordinates | 40°15′37″N79°16′53″W / 40.2602°N 79.2814°W Coordinates: 40°15′37″N79°16′53″W / 40.2602°N 79.2814°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | 1938 |
General statistics | |
Type | Wood |
Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters |
Designer | Herbert Paul Schmeck |
Track layout | Out and Back |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift |
Height | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
Drop | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
Length | 900 ft (270 m) |
Speed | 25 mph (40 km/h) |
Inversions | 0 |
Duration | 1:15 |
Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
Rollo Coaster at RCDB |
Rollo Coaster is a wooden roller coaster located at Idlewild and Soak Zone near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, United States of America. It was built in 1938 by the leading roller coaster designer and builder of that era, Philadelphia Toboggan Company. [1] It was Idlewild's first and only roller coaster for decades until the larger Wild Mouse coaster was erected in 1993. The coaster closed in 2016, amidst safety concerns, but was reopened for the 2018 Operation Season.
Built over a hillside at Idlewild Park, the Rollo Coaster is an out and back format. It uses skid brakes operated manually with a lever. The train consists of 4 cars that have 2 rows in 1 car and 1 row in the others. Each row has 2 seats. It was popular with coaster enthusiasts due to its lack of restraints except for a grab bar, until 2018. It is located next to the Carousel and Flying Aces.
While the Rollo Coaster features only small hills, it uses topography to its advantage. Built over steep terrain, the ride features many tight twists and turns which create a rough ride and a sense of much greater speed.
This coaster was the inspiration for Boulder Dash, a similar but much larger coaster at Lake Compounce.
On August 11, 2016, a three-year-old boy was thrown from the Rollo Coaster. The boy sustained injuries and was rushed to a Pittsburgh hospital by helicopter, where he was listed in critical condition with head and chest injuries. [3] [4] [5] The boy was in the hospital for two months before being released. [6] The ride was closed pending an investigation and remained closed for the remainder of the season, and all of the 2017 season. [7] In May 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Division of Rides and Amusements released its investigative report, detailing how the riders switched seats after ride operators checked them, resulting in the riders not meeting the rider height requirements. [8] In addition, the report noted several instances of excessive wear and movement of the train hitches and tracks, but that it wasn't known whether these factors caused the accident. The report listed several requirements for the ride to be reopened, including the addition of seat belts, a reevaluation of minimum rider height, and a ride evaluation by a Professional Engineer. [9] Based on this report, the state also recommended amusement parks with similar roller coasters voluntarily make take the same actions. [10] Idlewild announced they had procured a new train for the Rollo Coaster, which included seat belts, and that they expected the ride to resume operation for the 2018 season, pending a state inspection. [11]
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are often found in amusement parks and theme parks around the world. LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained one of the first known patents for a roller coaster design in 1885, related to the Switchback Railway that opened a year earlier at Coney Island. The track in a coaster design does not necessarily have to be a complete circuit, as shuttle roller coasters demonstrate. Most roller coasters have multiple cars in which passengers sit and are restrained. Two or more cars hooked together are called a train. Some roller coasters, notably Wild Mouse roller coasters, run with single cars.
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Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement installations". The company has offices throughout the world, including three in Europe, three in Asia, and two in the United States.
A roller coaster train is a vehicle made up of two or more cars connected by specialized joints which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. Roller coasters usually have various safety features, including specialized wheels and restraints.
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Idlewild and Soak Zone, commonly known as Idlewild Park or simply Idlewild, is a children's amusement park in the Laurel Highlands near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, United States, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Pittsburgh, along US Route 30. Founded in 1878 as a campground along the Ligonier Valley Railroad by Thomas Mellon, Idlewild is the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania and the third oldest operating amusement park in the United States behind Lake Compounce and Cedar Point. The park has won several awards, including from industry publication Amusement Today as the best children's park in the world.
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Magic Springs Theme and Water Park, known as Magic Springs, is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 50 mi (80 km) from Little Rock. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks. The park is open weekends from April through October and daily late-May through mid-August. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park was opened in 1977, closed in 1995, and reopened in 2000. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Premier Parks, LLC.
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Herbert Paul Schmeck was an American roller coaster designer. From 1923 to 1955, Schmeck designed 84 coasters for the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. As a designer and president, the company became the most prominent manufacturer of roller coasters in the United States.
The following article is a summary of notable incidents at the amusement parks and water parks that are operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. In some cases, these incidents occurred while the park was under different management or ownership.
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