“Wood” Dollywood’s Lightning Rod of a Controversial Coaster Be the World’s First True Wood-Steel Hybrid?

Modern wooden roller coasters unofficially date back to France the early 19th century when “Russian mountains” became sophisticated enough to see wheeled carts hoisted to the top of ramps and released along controlled dips. The oldest operating example of a wooden roller coaster today dates to 1902 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. And since then, wooden coasters have largely…

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