Stuff You Missed in History Class cover image

Roller Coasters

Stuff You Missed in History Class

00:00

The History of the Coney Island Roller Coaster

The Switchback Gravity Pleasure Railway at Coney Island, New York in 1884. Some accounts say he modeled it after Richard Nudsen's Patton and others after the mock chunk Switchback Railway. Passengers rode sideways on what was basically a bench, and they traveled at about six miles an hour. People paid five cents to ride it, and he recouped all the money he'd spent to build it in three weeks.

Transcript
Play full episode

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app