The Virginia Reel roller coaster was an older style of coaster characterized by spinning circular "tubs" that zig-zagged down a flat-bottomed track.
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Virginia Reels used a side friction-like track resembling a trench. The tubs, which had inward-facing seats built around the perimeter, spun freely on their chassis as they traveled around the track. Instead of big hills or banks, Virginia Reels featured many unbanked turns and switchbacks to spin their tubs as much as possible. Near the end of the ride were a few helices and a relatively steep drop into a tunnel.[1]
The Virginia Reel was designed by Henry Elmer Riehl, who named the ride after his daughter, Luna Virginia Riehl. The first Virginia Reel was built in 1908 at Luna Park, Coney Island,[2] where Henry Riehl was superintendent.
The last full-sized Virginia Reel was located at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in England until it closed in 1982.[3] The modern equivalent is the Spinning Wild Mouse roller coaster.
A similar ride around the same time, the Tickler, consisted of curved rails and posts forming a zig-zag route down an incline surface. Wheeled circular tubs freely rolled and spun down the incline, guided by the rails and bounced about by the posts.
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