Height of Coasters

[bigb7965]

how do people measure the height of roller coasters?


is the height of coasters measured from surface of the ground it is built on?
if so then how do they measure the height of a coaster that is on hilly land or that goes on the side of a canyon? (superman krypton coaster)


do they just measure the length of the track to the top of the lift hill?
i know that most coaster's lift hills dont start off of the ground

some people have told me that height is measured from sea level but i doubt that

this question has been bothering me for a while

if you have any ideas please answer

[cycamps]

They measure from ground level to the top of the highest point of the ride (usually the lift hill). Some coasters have different drop heights, which are different measurements. An example of this is American Eagle. It's height is only 127 feet, but its drop is 147 feet.

[Danhockey04]

This is what I have learned. The height is measured depending on where you are standing, how high up you are or how far below you are. For official stats though, it is probably the height difference of the station to the top of the lift hill plus the elevation of the station above the ground.

[bigb7965]

They measure from ground level to the top of the highest point of the ride (usually the lift hill). Some coasters have different drop heights, which are different measurements. An example of this is American Eagle. It's height is only 127 feet, but its drop is 147 feet.

its height is measured from the track in the station and the drop is measured from the top of the lift hill to the ground or lowest point of the drop?

[bigb7965]

This is what I have learned. The height is measured depending on where you are standing, how high up you are or how far below you are. For official stats though, it is probably the height difference of the station to the top of the lift hill plus the elevation of the station above the ground.

seems reasonable enough

[cycamps]

^^Yes, the drop is measured from the top of the lift hill, or the from the highest point of the ride to the point where it is at its lowest immediatly following the drop. An example of that is Top Thrill Dragster. It has no lift hill.

[FParker185]

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is actually a park that measures the height of their coasters from Sea Level (so any heights you hear from that park are greatly exaggerated)

Some parks rather than measure the height of the ride they will give you the distance in track elevation as a height, so for instance with that technique American Eagle would be 147 feet and 10 inches tall, rather than 127'10" tall with 20 extra feet of drop below grade.

Basically different parks measure different ways, parks that are concerned with records tend to use the trickier measuring techniques or building tactics like building a flat ride on taller than normal footers and calling it the worlds tallest pendulum ride

[Demon_07]

^^Yes, the drop is measured from the top of the lift hill, or the from the highest point of the ride to the point where it is at its lowest immediatly following the drop. An example of that is Top Thrill Dragster. It has no lift hill.

Really? I thought Dragster had a chain lift! loljk.

[cycamps]

^Hey, I'd think the same, but I didn't know if he was familiar with the ride or not.

[Demon_07]

I'm not very familiar with the ride either but I know it's basic layout.