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| Statistics | |||||||||
| Designer / calculations | Edward Joy Morris | ||||||||
| Type | Wooden - Side Friction | ||||||||
| Riders per train | 4 | ||||||||
| Propulsion | Chain lift hill | ||||||||
| Height | 41 feet | ||||||||
| Drop | 9 feet | ||||||||
| Top speed | 18 mph | ||||||||
| Length | 1452 feet | ||||||||
| Inversions | 0 | ||||||||
| Drop angle | 25° | ||||||||
| Duration | 1:00 | ||||||||
| G-Force | 1 | ||||||||
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Leap-the-Dips is a wooden side friction roller coaster located at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA. Opened in 1902, the ride is currently the oldest roller coaster in operation and the only side friction roller coaster still operating in North America.
History
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The attraction first opened in 1902 as the Figure 8, replacing the Gravity Railroad.[1][2] In 1910, the ride was extended and renamed Leap-The-Dips.[3]
Leap-The-Dips closed in 1985 following a change in park ownership.[4] By this time, the ride's structure was worn out and as a result only one car was being operated.[5]
In 1991, it was nominated to become a National Historic Landmark.[4] It received this designation in 1996.[6]
A campaign was launched in the 1990s to restore and reopen Leap-the-Dips. Fundraising, donations from many individuals and organizations (including the American Coaster Enthusiasts) and loans generated the money required for the restoration.[7] Following a $1 million restoration effort, Lea-The-Dips reopened on May 31, 1999.[8][9] American Coaster Enthusiasts acknowledged Leap-the-Dips as an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" in 2002 and supplied a plaque.
The park and Leap-the-Dips were closed following the 2016 season.[10] The park reopened in 2019, but Leap-The-Dips remained closed. Following refurbishment, Leap-The-Dips was reopened on July 3, 2020.[11]
Design
Leap-the-Dips features a figure-eight layout consisting of small drops followed by a turnaround.
Trains
Leap-the-Dips has a single car with four seats.
Images
_2012_01.jpg)
_2004_01.jpg)
References
- ↑ "The "Figure Eight" at Lakemont", Altoona Tribune (June 19, 1902), pp. 8. Retrieved on November 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Clipping", Altoona Tribune (28 February 1902), pp. 5. Retrieved on November 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Lakemont Park Opens Saturday", Altoona Times (May 25, 1910), pp. 10. Retrieved on November 9, 2020.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "National Historic Landmark Nomination". 1991. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/2a1b1c56-c29d-43e5-b6a1-24337b2c5309. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Park's future triggers fight in Altoona", The Philadelphia Inquirer (August 30, 1985), pp. 14. Retrieved on November 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Leap-The-Dips". National Historic Landmarks Program. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121010084518/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2104&ResourceType=Structure. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ↑ Success of Fund-Raising Efforts - Leap The Dips (Wayback Archive)
- ↑ Leap the Dips Roller Coaster - P. Joseph Lehman, Inc.
- ↑ "Oldest Coaster", Courier-Post (June 3, 1999), pp. 31. Retrieved on November 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Lakemont Park to Close for Renovations During Summer of 2017". https://gantnews.com/2017/03/21/lakemont-park-to-close-for-renovations-during-summer-of-2017/.
- ↑ Ozana, Rus (July 2, 2020). "Leap The Dips to Reopen". American Coaster Enthusiasts. https://www.aceonline.org/news/515652/Leap-The-Dips-to-Reopen.htm. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
External links
- Leap The Dips on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
