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The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted. The vertical loop is not a recent roller coaster innovation. Its origins can be traced back to the 1850s when the French built the Centrifuge Railway. The ride relied on centripetal forces to hold the car in the loop. The ride was shut down after an accident. [1] Later attempts to build a looping roller coaster were carried out during the late 1800s with the Flip Flap Railway at Sea Lion Park. The ride was designed with a completely circular loop (rather than the teardrop shape used by many modern looping roller coasters, see below), but caused neck injuries due to the intense G-forces pulled with the tight radius of the loop. The next attempt at building a looping roller coaster was in 1901 when Edwin Prescott built the Loop-the-Loop at Coney Island. This ride used the modern teardrop-shaped loop and a steel structure, however more people wanted to watch the attraction, rather than ride. No more looping roller coasters were built until the Revolution opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1976. In 2000, a modern looping wooden roller coaster was built, the Son of Beast at Kings Island. Although the ride itself was made of wood, the loop was supported with steel structure. Due to maintenance issues however, the loop was removed at the end of the 2006 season. Designers of other rides have been tempted sometimes to include similar loops, although safety concerns usually lead them to quickly reconsider.
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