Switchback Railway (Cedar Point)

Switchback Railway General [[File:|link=|center]] ' ' Park Cedar Point Location Sandusky, Ohio, USA Status Defunct Operated Operated 1892 - ? Opened 1892 Opening Cost Height restriction Statistics Manufacturer Builder Designer LaMarcus Adna Thompson Type Wooden Type Model Riders per train Riders per hour 1600 Lift/launch system Man powered Height Approx. 25-50 feet Drop Approx. 20 feet Top speed 6-10 mph Length 600 feet Dimensions feet x feet Duration Around 1 minute Inversions 0 Steepest drop 30° Maximum g-force 2.9*

Switchback Railway was a wooden roller coaster at Cedar Point, Ohio USA. It was the first roller coaster at the park and the first amusement park ride in the USA. Riders paid 5 cents, and sometimes waited 3 hours to ride^{[citation needed]}.

Design

Riders climbed up a staircase to the station, where riders pushed down in a toboggan-like car^{[citation needed]}, and went through several airtime hills, before they reached the second tower, and were then turned around. (Thus the name, 'switchback') The Switchback Railway did not have a powered lift hill which meant that the cars had to be pushed back to the station by hand.

Photo Gallery

A drawing of the switchback railway in 1884

Sources

Cedar Point.com/Park History, Wikipedia

Note: This coaster is very old and many things are not confirmed. Also note that Wikipedia is not a reliable source.