In June 2022, LEGO unveiled their second official roller coaster set and the first to go upside down: The LEGO Loop Coaster. Initially, I wasn’t too impressed and was fixated on how much energy the cars lose in such a...
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Coasters-101: Roller Coaster Terminology
Most of you who read our website are “coaster enthusiasts,” but in case you happen to be a member of the “GP” who stumbles upon us by mistake, you may need a crash course in some coaster enthusiast lingo. We...
Continue reading...The Coaster101 Podcast: Matt Schmotzer of Print My Ride Detroit
Matt Schmotzer of Print My Ride Detroit is the designer behind some of the best roller coaster models you’ve ever seen, or maybe even built yourself. Matt’s first project that caught our eye was his incredible working 3D printed roller...
Continue reading...Teaching The Next Generation of Roller Coaster Designers with Brice Fritts of Virginia’s Tuckahoe Middle School
When I was growing up, I had a different career aspiration than a lot of my peers. I didn’t want to be a professional athlete or doctor or lawyer — I wanted to design roller coasters. I was constantly playing...
Continue reading...All About Apollo Engineering Design Group with founder Josh Adams
From amusement ride equipment to overhead cranes, Apollo Engineering Design Group’s wide-ranging experience enables them to provide exceptional engineering, design, analysis, scanning, and testing services. This special design and engineering firm is owned and operated by Josh Adams, a professional...
Continue reading...Design a Safe Backyard Roller Coaster with Paul Gregg – Part 2
Paul Gregg, the retired aerospace engineer turned backyard roller coaster designer, is back with a new book chronicling the research and construction of his homemade thrill rides. When we interviewed him last time, Paul had just published Backyard Roller Coaster...
Continue reading...A Fully Automated, Home Built, Steel Wild Mouse Coaster
We were really impressed by the amount of time and thinking that Paul Gregg puts into his backyard roller coasters in order to make sure they’re safe to operate. But he’s not the only backyard imagineer creating amazing projects. Another...
Continue reading...Designing a Safe Backyard Roller Coaster with Paul Gregg
Every now and then we come across homemade roller coasters designed by amateurs and built in their own backyards. While we appreciate the effort and creativity that goes into building one, most look poorly made and are of questionable safety....
Continue reading...The Art of On-ride Video with Upstop Media’s Scott Schaffer
It’s amazing how many different ways there are to get involved in the amusement park industry. Everyone from engineers to marketers to art designers to videographers can play a role in the industry. And we love meeting the people in each...
Continue reading...Roller Coaster Wheel Material Science with Kate Kujawa
The ideal roller coaster experience is super-fast, super smooth and gets the rider’s adrenaline pumping. The roller coaster needs to be aerodynamic, durable, capable of holding a large load and pass all safety regulations. One important factor taken into consideration...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: What software do roller coaster engineers use?
Modern roller coasters are designed using the latest in computer technology. What used to be done with paper, pencil, and drawing boards is nowadays done on a computer. The universal tool for the engineer is Computer Aided Design (CAD) software....
Continue reading...Coasters-101: Why do roller coasters “sway”?
Every so often you’ll see a video uploaded online of a roller coaster’s track visibly moving or “swaying” as a train races over it. This swaying movement is very startling to those who have never seen it before, especially in...
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