Figure 8 roller coaster


Figure 8 roller coasters are a category of roller coasters where the train runs through a figure 8 shaped course before returning to the boarding station. This design was one of the first designs to be featured in roller coaster design, along with the out and back roller coaster. The figure 8 design allowed for more turns than the out and back design, offering riders an alternative experience.
An early and famous example of a Figure 8 is the Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park, in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Many figure 8 roller coasters carry the name "Figure 8."

Layout

In a figure 8 track layout, the track crosses over itself, forming an "8" shape.
The double figure eight is a variation where the track contains two separate figure-eight shapes. Some examples include the Cobra at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and the Harley Quinn Crazy Train at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Early figure 8 coasters were typically wooden side friction coasters, where the train was brought to the top of the track via chain lift and then descended through gravitational pull. Modern coasters can be made out of wood or steel, and may incorporate different launch mechanisms or train configurations to enhance the ride experience.

History

Figure 8 coasters date back to the late 19th century. Many roller coasters of the time used out-and-back tracks, and the figure 8 layout became a standard design that provided the rider with more turns during the descent. Like many coasters of the time, figure 8 coasters were slow moving, often capping at speeds of.
While the track design was a popular alternative to typical out-and-back tracks at the start of the 20th century, interest plummeted in the following decades. They were often dismantled in favor of faster coasters, being viewed as less exciting than the new designs of the time. The Leap the Dips coaster at Lakemont Park, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is believed to be the oldest surviving side friction figure 8 coaster.

Figure 8 roller coasters

An Incomplete List of Figure 8 roller coasters
NameParkLocationYear openedStatus
AchterbahnSkyline ParkBad Wörishofen, Bavaria, Germany1999Defunct
AntelopeGulliver's WarringtonWarrington, Cheshire, England, UK
Figure 8Euclid Beach ParkCleveland, Ohio1904Defunct
Figure 8Athletic ParkNew Orleans, LouisianaDefunct
Figure 8Canobie Lake ParkSalem, New Hampshire1902Defunct
Figure 8Capital Beach ParkLincoln, Nebraska1906Defunct
Figure 8Cascade ParkNew Castle, Pennsylvania1903Defunct
Figure 8Columbia GardensButte, Montana1906Defunct
Figure 8Coney IslandCincinnati, OhioDefunct
Figure 8Crystal Beach ParkCrystal Beach, Ontario, Canada1905Defunct
Figure 8Eldridge ParkElmira, New York1903Defunct
Figure 8Greater Island ParkEaston, Pennsylvania1905-1906Defunct
Figure 8Hague ParkJackson, MichiganDefunct
Figure 8Happyland ParkVancouver, British Columbia, Canada1906Defunct
Figure 8Harlem ParkRockford, Illinois1905Defunct
Figure 8Hazle ParkWest Hazleton, Pennsylvania1905Defunct
Figure 8Hocus Pocus ParkKnoxville, Tennessee1913Defunct
Figure 8Indianola ParkColumbus, OhioDefunct
Figure 8Lakeside ParkFlint, Michigan1912Defunct
Figure 8Luna ParkSeattle, Washington1907Defunct
Figure 8Natatorium ParkSpokane, Washington1906Defunct
Figure 8Oakford ParkJeannette, Pennsylvania1904Defunct
Figure 8Ocean View Amusement ParkNorfolk, VirginiaDefunct
Figure 8Olentangy ParkColumbus, Ohio1902Defunct
Figure 8Olympic ParkIrvington, New Jersey1905Defunct
Figure 8Palisades Amusement ParkCliffside Park, New Jersey1908Defunct
Figure 8Phalen ParkSt. Paul, MinnesotaDefunct
Figure 8Pine Island ParkManchester, New HampshireDefunct
Figure 8Ramona ParkGrand Rapids, Michigan1903Defunct
Figure 8Riverside ParkSaginaw, Michigan1903Defunct
Figure 8Rocky Glen ParkMoosic, Pennsylvania1905Defunct
Figure 8Rocky Springs ParkLancaster, Pennsylvania1906Defunct
Figure 8South Haven Amusement ParkSouth Haven, MichiganDefunct
Figure 8Stanley BeachPort Stanley, Ontario, CanadaDefunct
Figure 8Stanton ParkSteubenville, Ohio1905Defunct
Figure 8Steeplechase ParkBrooklyn, New York1908Defunct
Figure 8Watch Tower Amusement ParkRock Island, Illinois1905Defunct
Figure 8Waukesha BeachPewaukee, Wisconsin1910Defunct
Figure 8West View ParkWest View, Pennsylvania1909Defunct
Figure 8White CityBellingham, WashingtonDefunct
Figure 8White CityOshkosh, Wisconsin1906Defunct
Figure 8White CitySheboygan, WisconsinDefunct
Figure 8White CityVancouver, British Columbia, CanadaDefunct
Figure 8Wolff's ParkDetroit, Michigan
Figure 8 TobogganIdora ParkOakland, California1906Defunct
Flying FishThorpe ParkSurrey, England
GeminiCedar PointSandusky, OhioOperating
Ghoster CoasterCanada's WonderlandVaughan, Ontario, CanadaOperating
GrizzlyKings DominionDoswell, VirginiaOperating
Leap The DipsLakemont ParkAltoona, PennsylvaniaOperating
Little DipperSix Flags Great AmericaGurnee, IllinoisOperating
MeteorLittle AmerrickaMarshall, WisconsinOperating
PhoenixKnoebels Amusement ResortElysburg, PennsylvaniaOperating
RacerKennywoodWest Mifflin, PennsylvaniaOperating
Runaway TrainChessington World of AdventuresChessington, Greater London, United KingdomDefunct
ScorpionBusch Gardens Tampa BayTampa, FloridaOperating
Sea DragonRides At Adventure CovePowell, OhioOperating
ThunderboltSix Flags New EnglandSpringfield, Massachusetts1941Operating
Wild BeastCanada's WonderlandVaughan, Ontario, Canada1981Operating
WildcatCedar PointSandusky, Ohio1979Defunct
Woodstock ExpressCarowindsCharlotte, North Carolina
Fort Mill, South Carolina		1975Operating
Woodstock ExpressKings DominionDoswell, Virginia1974Operating
Woodstock ExpressKings IslandMason, Ohio1972Operating