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 Name Park LocationYear openedStatus Achterbahn Skyline Park Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, Germany1999Defunct (2014) Antelope Gulliver's Warrington Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK Figure 8 Euclid Beach Park Cleveland, Ohio1904Defunct (1909) Athletic Park New Orleans, LouisianaDefunct Canobie Lake Park Salem, New Hampshire1902Defunct (1933) Capital Beach Park Lincoln, Nebraska1906Defunct (1917) Cascade Park New Castle, Pennsylvania1903Defunct (1921) Columbia Gardens Butte, Montana1906Defunct (1915) Coney Island Cincinnati, OhioDefunct (1918) Crystal Beach Park Crystal Beach, Ontario, Canada1905Defunct (1915) Eldridge Park Elmira, New York1903Defunct Greater Island Park Easton, Pennsylvania1905-1906Defunct (1919) Hague Park Jackson, MichiganDefunct Happyland Park Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada1906Defunct (1911) Harlem Park Rockford, Illinois1905Defunct Hazle Park West Hazleton, Pennsylvania1905Defunct (1922) Hocus Pocus Park Knoxville, Tennessee1913Defunct (1922) Indianola Park Columbus, OhioDefunct Lakeside Park Flint, Michigan1912Defunct (1920) Luna Park Seattle, Washington1907Defunct (1913) Natatorium Park Spokane, Washington1906Defunct (1916) Oakford Park Jeannette, Pennsylvania1904Defunct Ocean View Amusement Park Norfolk, VirginiaDefunct Olentangy Park Columbus, Ohio1902Defunct (1937) Olympic Park Irvington, New Jersey1905Defunct (1920) Palisades Amusement Park Cliffside Park, New Jersey1908Defunct Phalen Park St. Paul, MinnesotaDefunct Pine Island Park Manchester, New HampshireDefunct Ramona Park Grand Rapids, Michigan1903Defunct (1913) Riverside Park Saginaw, Michigan1903Defunct Rocky Glen Park Moosic, Pennsylvania1905Defunct (1936) Rocky Springs Park Lancaster, Pennsylvania1906Defunct (1917) South Haven Amusement Park South Haven, MichiganDefunct Stanley Beach Port Stanley, Ontario, CanadaDefunct Stanton Park Steubenville, Ohio1905Defunct (1912) Steeplechase Park Brooklyn, New York1908Defunct Watch Tower Amusement Park Rock Island, Illinois1905Defunct (1914) Waukesha Beach Pewaukee, Wisconsin1910Defunct West View Park West View, Pennsylvania1909Defunct (1926) White City Bellingham, WashingtonDefunct Oshkosh, Wisconsin1906Defunct Sheboygan, WisconsinDefunct Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaDefunct Wolff's Park Detroit, MichiganFigure 8 TobogganIdora ParkOakland, California1906Defunct (1916)Flying FishThorpe ParkSurrey, England Gemini Cedar Point Sandusky, OhioOperating Ghoster Coaster Canada's Wonderland Vaughan, Ontario, CanadaOperating Grizzly Kings Dominion Doswell, VirginiaOperating Leap The Dips Lakemont Park Altoona, PennsylvaniaOperating Little Dipper Six Flags Great America Gurnee, IllinoisOperating Meteor Little Amerricka Marshall, WisconsinOperating Phoenix Knoebels Amusement Resort Elysburg, PennsylvaniaOperating Racer Kennywood West Mifflin, PennsylvaniaOperatingRunaway TrainChessington World of AdventuresChessington, Greater London, United KingdomDefunct (2022) Scorpion Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Tampa, FloridaDefunct (2024) Sea Dragon Rides At Adventure Cove Powell, OhioOperating Thunderbolt Six Flags New England Springfield, Massachusetts1941Operating Wild Beast Canada's Wonderland Vaughan, Ontario, Canada1981Operating Wildcat Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio1979Defunct (2011) Woodstock Express Carowinds Charlotte, North Carolina Fort Mill, South Carolina1975Operating Woodstock Express Kings Dominion Doswell, Virginia1974Operating Woodstock Express Kings Island Mason, Ohio1972Operating
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