Q 01/05

Which inventor opened the Switchback Railway at Coney Island in 1884, often called America's first modern coaster?

A) Anton Schwarzkopf

B) George Ferris

C) LaMarcus Adna Thompson

D) John A. Miller

Answer · why

C) LaMarcus Adna Thompson

LaMarcus Adna Thompson charged a nickel for a 600-foot coast at about six miles an hour; the ride was so popular that he earned back his $1,600 invest...

Q 02/05

What do riders feel when a coaster hits negative G-forces?

A) Floating up out of the seat

B) Being pressed firmly into the seat

C) Being pushed sideways against the restraints

D) A sudden wave of dizziness

Answer · why

A) Floating up out of the seat

Floating up out of the seat is what negative g-forces feel like: the track drops away faster than riders fall, so they rise against the lap bar. Fans ...

Q 03/05

Which roller coaster was the world's tallest at 456 feet (139 m) until its closure in 2024?

A) Top Thrill 2

B) Steel Dragon 2000

C) Kingda Ka

D) Superman: Escape from Krypton

Answer · why

C) Kingda Ka

Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure stood 456 feet and held the height record from 2005; the park closed it in November 2024 and demolished the tow...

Q 04/05

On which coaster type do trains hang under the rails while riders' legs dangle free?

A) Stand-up coaster

B) Floorless coaster

C) Flying coaster

D) Inverted coaster

Answer · why

D) Inverted coaster

Inverted coasters fix the seats to a wheel carriage that runs under the rails. The first, Batman: The Ride, opened near Chicago in 1992 and proved suc...

Q 05/05

Which manufacturer built the original Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America in 1992?

A) Arrow Dynamics

B) Vekoma

C) Great Coasters International (GCI)

D) Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)

Answer · why

D) Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)

Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), a Swiss firm, worked out the design with the park's general manager, Jim Wintrode, who wanted a hanging coaster that could...