Leap-The-Dips

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Leap-The-Dips
Location	Lakemont Park
Type	Wood - Side Friction - Kiddie
Status	Open
Opened	1902
Manufacturer	Edward Joy Morris Company
Designer	Edward Joy Morris
Height	41 feet (12.5 m)
Drop	9 feet (2.7 m)
Length	1,452 feet (442.6 m)
Duration	1:00
Max Vertical Angle	25 degrees
Leap-The-Dips at RCDB
Pictures of Leap-The-Dips at RCDB

Leap-The-Dips is the World's oldest operating roller coaster and North America's last surviving side friction roller coaster. It is located at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania and was built in 1902 by the E. Joy Morris Company. Leap-the-Dips operated until 1985, when it closed due to disrepair. A fundraising campaign led to a restoration starting in 1997 and a reopening on Memorial Day 1999.

The ride is quite tame by today's standards, being only 41 ft (12.5 m) in height and having an average speed of 10 mph (16 km/h). In comparison, Kingda Ka, the fastest and tallest complete-circuit roller coaster (as of July 2006), reaches 456 ft (139 m) high and has a top speed of 128 mph (206 km/h). Despite this, Leap-The-Dips is considered a quite fun (and of course nostalgic) ride.

Leap-the-Dips is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1996 was made a National historic landmark. It is also an ACE Coaster Classic.

[edit] Current Issues

2005: The Leap-The-Dips is suffering from old age, as mechanical problems kept it closed for all but two weeks of the 2005 season. The wood supports for the side friction rails often needed to be replaced, and during its brief operation several cars stalled out, unable to gain enough momentum to finish.

2006: 2006 was a notable year for the Leap-The-Dips, with people waiting in long lines to ride it throughout the season. Few car-stalling problems occurred, although a few wood supports did need to be fixed or replaced.