Roller Coaster (Lagoon)
The Roller Coaster, often nicknamed the White Roller Coaster due to the previously white color, at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, United States, is the oldest roller coaster at the park. It is a wooden roller coaster owned by Lagoon. Built in 1921 and operating ever since, the Roller Coaster is the seventh oldest roller coaster in the world and the fourth oldest in the United States.[1]
| Roller Coaster | |
|---|---|
 Roller Coaster as viewed from the Sky Ride | |
| Lagoon Amusement Park | |
| Location | Lagoon Amusement Park |
| Coordinates | 40.984861°N 111.895137°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1921 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Designer | John A. Miller |
| Track layout | Double Out and Back |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 18.9 m (62 ft) |
| Length | 762 m (2,500 ft) |
| Speed | 45 mph (72 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Height restriction | 46 in (117 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
| Roller Coaster at RCDB Pictures of Roller Coaster at RCDB | |
  | |
| Location | Farmington, Utah |
|---|---|
| MPS | Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000883 |
| Added to NRHP | October 24, 2012 |
History
The Roller Coaster was designed by John A. Miller and opened in 1921. In 1953, a fire damaged the coaster and burnt down the rest of the park, meaning the station and lift hill had to be rebuilt.[2] Over the years it has had computer upgrades and new trains installed. In 2005, it became an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark for being a classic coaster. In October 2012, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The ride has no real official name other than "Roller Coaster", so the locals often call it the White Roller Coaster. The park has recently stopped painting the ride, so it will gradually move from white to natural brown as Lagoon rebuilds a section of the ride per off-season, to help preserve the Roller Coaster. However, the nickname stuck, and people continue calling it the White Roller Coaster despite it now being mostly brown.
In early 2018 the ride opened with new Great Coasters International trains, instead of the original 4x3x2 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters trains. The entrance was moved to where the original exit was, and has a wall explaining the history of the coaster. The ride experience was not changed however.
Layout
The Roller Coaster starts with a turn out of the station and over to the lift hill where it rises 60 feet (18 m). The train then plunges down the first hill and up the next and down again around the west turn and into several more series of hills gradually getting smaller around two more turns before returning to the station.
Accidents
A number of accidents have occurred on the Roller Coaster since its opening, though all were related to the persons' own misconduct. In 1989, a 13-year-old girl stood up and fell 35 feet to her death. She died at the scene.[3] At least two more deaths have occurred over the years. In 1934, Henry Howe, 20, of Ogden, Utah fell to his death as he attempted to stand up when the train was on its highest hill. Howe hit a number of support trestles on the way down. In 1946, James Young Hess was struck by the train as he was working on scaffolding on the ride. Hess suffered skull, leg and arm fractures and internal injuries before dying on September 1, 1946.[4]
References
- "World's Oldest Operating Roller Coasters". National Amusement Park Historical Association. Retrieved 31 Aug 2014.
- "Lagoon Park Rides". Lagoon - It's What Fun Is!. Retrieved 31 Aug 2014.
- Rosebrock, Don (June 14, 1989). "TEEN'S DEATH ON ROLLER COASTER AT LAGOON IS RULED ACCIDENTAL". Deseret News. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- Rosebrock, Don (June 13, 1989). "BOUNTIFUL GIRL'S DEATH NOT THE 1ST ON LAGOON'S WOODEN ROLLER COASTER". Deseret News. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
