A powered roller coaster is a railed amusement ride similar to a standard roller coaster. Unlike a true roller coaster, the train is powered through the entire course, rather than being allowed to coast after an initial lift or launch. This allows for both compact layouts that start out with curving hills, or long, extended layouts that would need too many lifts to be feasible. The most common manufacturers of powered coasters are Mack, Wisdom Rides, and Zamperla. Due to the family-oriented nature of the rides, height restrictions can be as little as 36 inches or taller for someone to ride.
The most common model of powered coasters is the Zamperla Dragon coasters (also called "Dragon Wagons," although there are non-powered versions of these coasters). Other installations include Casey Junior, Le Petit Train du Cirque at Disneyland Park (Paris) (built by Vekoma), Thunder Run at Canada's Wonderland, Runaway Mine Train at Alton Towers and High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Islands of Adventure.
The train on a powered coaster usually picks up electricity from contacts in the rails (similar to an electric locomotive or a monorail) and may contain multiple motors. Some powered coasters are powered by a flexible cable connected to the train. Another component of powered coasters is an extra "track" in the center of the rails. This allows the tyres attached to the motor to "grip" the track and propel the train forward.
A powered coaster generally runs a single train and may traverse the circuit multiple times before stopping at the station.
In Genting highlands, The Flying Dragon was the world's longest powered roller coaster in terms of ride length but has been demolished.
A very rare Powered Coaster was at Camelot Theme Park in England. The "Dragon Flyer" ride had diesel engine in the front of the themed dragon and was driven around the track by the ride staff.
YouTube Encyclopedic
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The Human-Powered, Giant Theme Park Playground: Ai Pioppi
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Backyard Roller Coaster Steel Cart Update - GoPro POV
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Newton's Attic G-Force: A Bungee Powered Roller Coaster
Transcription
TOM: Ready? PAUL: Yeah. TOM: Pedal. [CREAKING] PAUL: Back. TOM: Yep. I am in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains, about an hour north of Venice, in Italy. And this is a place called Ai Pioppi, The Poplars. 40 years ago, a man called Bruno opened a restaurant and then, he learned to weld, and he thought, okay, I'll make some small bits of playground equipment for the kids who come to my restaurant. Well, it's now 40 years later, and Bruno's welding looks like this. This is the terrifying Wheel of Death? Bicycle of Death? -- I'm not sure how to translate it -- at Ai Pioppi. Like all the rides at this bizarre, kinetic, playground, theme pa--aahh!--rk -- it is entirely human-powered. Everything here has no more energy that what people put into it, in this case by pedalling. There are all sorts of bizarre contraptions, and -- Augh! Go on! [BOTH YELL] Here we go! Pedal! Pedal! [LOUD YELLING] Go on! Go on! Yes! [MORE YELLING] It is astonishing. It exists only in -- come on! Keep pedalling! That is... oh boy, that's my phone! That's my phone. That's my phone. All right, let's -- oh, here we go again. Break there? PAUL: I'm done. TOM: So, um, I might have broken my phone. Good news! I didn't break my phone. Bad news: I did break my face. About five minutes after filming that. Entirely my fault, not theirs. I ran on a bit of metal that I shouldn't have done. Tripped, fell face first, next thing I know a lovely Italian doctor is putting seven stitches into my cheek. Obviously there's an acceptable level of risk when you go and do something like this. If you're not willing to take that risk, then don't go, but -- I do recommend you do. It is wonderful, everyone there was wonderful, they provided first aid as well. But if you go: please, don't get reckless. Don't do what I did. Don't think you're invincible just 'cos you've done a couple of somersaults on a bike. Follow the safety warnings, be really careful, and I'll see you around. And if there's no video next week, it is because I'm having seven stitches removed from my face!
Model types
- Larson International - Fire Ball
- Wisdom Rides - Orient Express
- Zamperla - Dragon Coaster
Appearances
- Santa's Village AZoosment Park as "Dracor, the Dragon Coaster" (Zamperla - Dragon Coaster) (1986-2006) and "Dragon Coaster" (Wisdon Rides - DOrient Express) (2011-Present)
External links
This page was last edited on 15 January 2024, at 09:22