Video:Wood vs. Steel Coasters
with Jerry VargoLearn about the key differences between wood and steel roller coasters, as well as a bit of roller coaster history from a former member of The American Coaster Enthusiasts.See Transcript
Transcript:Wood vs. Steel Coasters
Hi, My name is Jerry Vargo, I was a member of The American Coaster Enthusiasts for over 25 years. I'm here with About.com here at Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver, Colorado and I am going to tell you about Steel vs. Wood Coasters.Riding Wood vs. Steel Coasters
The wooden coasters are alive is probably the best way to describe it, they give. Steel coasters are hard.They are very fast. There is a lot of things you can do with steel that you can't do with wood, that is why they are so popular, but the true roller coaster aficionados prefer wood.
History of Roller Coasters
When roller coasters started out, they were basically at the end of the trolley ride and their were parks at the end of the trolley ride, people would take them on a Sunday afternoon and go out to the park with a picnic and they would have rides. Initially they started out as slides, and then they put wheels on them. By the time of the mid-1920's, which was the golden era of roller coasters, there were parks , there were roller coasters, that's what people did for entertainment.
Maintenance of Wood v. Steel Coasters
The steel coasters generally appeal to the younger crowd because it takes a little more strength to ride those things. You've got to hold on, they are really wild, they go up and around and over and under, they are a ton of fun. Wooden coasters are a little more problematic, vis a vis maintenance. There's wood, there are a lot of bolts to hold the thing together, paint, primer, wheels. The way the wheels are constructed on a wooden coaster, there's side wheels, under wheels, that train is not going to fall off that track. The difference between wooden coasters vs. steel coasters, you don't have as much problem with the paint, there's less maintenance, but there is still intensive safety for both coasters just to make sure you have a safe ride. Roller coasters, some are better than others, but they are all great. Thanks for watching, for more information, please visit us at About.com.
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