Coasters 101: An Engineer's Guide to Roller Coaster Design

by Nick Weisenberger

Overview

***NEW EDITION RELEASED OCTOBER 2022!***
Have you ever wondered what it takes to design and build a roller coaster? At last, there's a book that shows you. A mix of engineering and art, roller coasters are complex three-dimensional puzzles consisting of thousands of individual parts. Designers spend countless hours creating and tweaking ride paths to push the envelope of exhilaration, all while maintaining the highest safety standards. Coasters 101: An Engineering Guide to Roller Coaster Design examines the numerous diverse aspects of roller coaster engineering, including some of the mathematical formulas and engineering concepts used.

A few of the many topics covered include:

Roller coaster history

Defining wood versus steel roller coasters

What software roller coaster designers use

Roller coaster physics and formulas

Project management and construction

Wheel design and material selection

Track fabrication techniques

Daily inspections and preventive maintenance

Amusement industry safety standards

Career advice to help you become a roller coaster engineer

And much more!

This technical guide is the most detailed roller coaster design book to date and will take you through the entire process, from concept to creation. A must read for every enthusiast and aspiring roller coaster engineer!

New 5th Edition Updates

A roller coaster on a cruise ship?! How the SPIKE coaster works

Four times a roller coaster saved a life

How Universal's Donkey Kong coasters will appear to jump the tracks

Why are roller coasters removed?

60 pages of new content and improved explanations

More images and diagrams!

There are three versions of Coasters 101:

Kindle: color pictures, automatic updates when a new edition is released

Paperback: black and white images to keep costs down

Hardcover: full color images

Nick Weisenberger is the author of several travel and theme park related books including The 50 Most Unique Roller Coasters Ever Built and Steam Trains and Monorails: The Best of America's Theme Parks. Catch him on the Coaster101 Podcast.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781468013559
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	01/07/2012
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Nick Weisenberger graduated from the University of Toledo, in Toledo, Ohio, with a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. One of his favorite activities is visiting amusement parks. You can read more about his adventures at www.coaster101.com. Nick currently works as an engineer and resides with his wife near Columbus, Ohio.