Centrifugal Railway
Encyclopedia
Centrifugal railway was the name of a number of early looping roller coaster
s that were built in Western Europe
in the middle of the 19th century. The rides were similar in their basic design to many modern day shuttle roller coaster
s (i.e., they did not make a complete circuit), but with only one lift hill
and no launch
. A single roller coaster car
would ascend to the tallest point on the coaster before descending rapidly down the same hill and then passing through the central loop at high speeds with large amounts of centripetal
and reactive centrifugal force
. The size of these centrifugal railways differed; some were purported to have vertical loops of a mere 6.5 feet (2 m), while others were estimated to be 40 feet (12.2 m) (although, as described below, early coaster designers were prone to cases of gross exaggeration).
cities including London
, Manchester
, and Liverpool
. A more permanent outdoor version of the centrifugal railway was installed at the Frascati Gardens in Paris
, France
. Although installations were later placed in the cities of Bordeaux
, Havre
, and Lyon
s, the ride ultimately proved to be unpopular and more looping roller coasters were not built for nearly twenty years.
The centrifugal railways built in the 1840s were extensively tested before allowing human riders. The operators of the Railways tested the rides with a variety of things occupying the cars, including egg crates, glasses of water, flowers, sandbags, and even a monkey. Although the 1840s centrifugal railways had no reported safety issues, a later version operated in the 1865 was quickly closed by police after the first car sent through the loop derailed.
, the world's fastest roller coaster, currently reaches). Although reports by some were favorable, the ride's overall success was poor, and it became the subject of derision in various editorial cartoons of the day. The centrifugal railways shared a circular loop shape that produced intense g-force
s on riders of the 1898 Flip-Flap Railway. This circular shape differed from the teardrop-shaped loops which are used in modern roller coaster inversions—producing lower g-forces and less rider discomfort.
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s that were built in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
in the middle of the 19th century. The rides were similar in their basic design to many modern day shuttle roller coaster
Shuttle roller coaster
A shuttle roller coaster is any roller coaster that ultimately does not make a complete circuit, but rather reverses at some point throughout its course and traverses the same track backwards...
s (i.e., they did not make a complete circuit), but with only one lift hill
Lift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
and no launch
Launched roller coaster
The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has increased in use in the last decade. In place of a traditional chain lift, the launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or series of Linear Induction Motors , Linear Synchronous Motors ,...
. A single roller coaster car
Train (roller coaster)
A roller coaster train or car describes the vehicle which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. More specifically, a roller coaster train is made up of two or more "cars" which are connected by some sort of specialized joint. It is called a "train" because the cars follow one...
would ascend to the tallest point on the coaster before descending rapidly down the same hill and then passing through the central loop at high speeds with large amounts of centripetal
Centripetal force
Centripetal force is a force that makes a body follow a curved path: it is always directed orthogonal to the velocity of the body, toward the instantaneous center of curvature of the path. The mathematical description was derived in 1659 by Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens...
and reactive centrifugal force
Reactive centrifugal force
In classical mechanics, reactive centrifugal force is the reaction paired with centripetal force. A mass undergoing circular motion constantly accelerates toward the axis of rotation. This centripetal acceleration is caused by a force exerted on the mass by some other object. In accordance with...
. The size of these centrifugal railways differed; some were purported to have vertical loops of a mere 6.5 feet (2 m), while others were estimated to be 40 feet (12.2 m) (although, as described below, early coaster designers were prone to cases of gross exaggeration).
History
It was not long after the creation of the first wheeled roller coasters in the late 18th century or the early 19th century that the first roller coaster inversion was designed. This first design was created in 1833 by an engineer named Clavieres, but it was not implemented into a functioning ride until more than a decade later. In 1843, designers Hutchinson and Higgins registered a design and exhibited a "Centrifugal Iron Railway" at theaters in various BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
cities including London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. A more permanent outdoor version of the centrifugal railway was installed at the Frascati Gardens in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Although installations were later placed in the cities of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, and Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s, the ride ultimately proved to be unpopular and more looping roller coasters were not built for nearly twenty years.
The centrifugal railways built in the 1840s were extensively tested before allowing human riders. The operators of the Railways tested the rides with a variety of things occupying the cars, including egg crates, glasses of water, flowers, sandbags, and even a monkey. Although the 1840s centrifugal railways had no reported safety issues, a later version operated in the 1865 was quickly closed by police after the first car sent through the loop derailed.
Ride experience
There are few first-hand accounts that remain preserved from riders of the various centrifugal railways. Ride operators and promoters engaged in incredible levels of exaggeration regarding the speed and dimensions of the ride. For example, one individual made the absurd claim that the centrifugal railway reached a "terrific speed...[of] more than one hundred and fifty miles per hour" (By comparison, this is the approximate speed Formula RossaFormula Rossa
Formula Rossa is a launched roller coaster located at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Manufactured by Intamin, Formula Rossa is the world's fastest roller coaster with a top speed of...
, the world's fastest roller coaster, currently reaches). Although reports by some were favorable, the ride's overall success was poor, and it became the subject of derision in various editorial cartoons of the day. The centrifugal railways shared a circular loop shape that produced intense g-force
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
s on riders of the 1898 Flip-Flap Railway. This circular shape differed from the teardrop-shaped loops which are used in modern roller coaster inversions—producing lower g-forces and less rider discomfort.