The Beginning of Amusement Rides

Mauch Chunk “Gravity Road” Railway (Image: http://bit.ly/1EkDvI3)

Roller coasters are the culmination of all amusement park rides. Though the exact origin of the very first roller coaster is uncertain, the idea of riding cars on tracks came from coal mining. Coal miners would ride wooden delivery carts filled with coal downhill, and they found it reduced their stress. And so, the concept of the modern roller coaster was born.

In the 1850s, a mining company in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. constructed the Mauch Chunk gravity railroad. It was a brakeman-controlled, fourteen-kilometer downhill track, used to deliver coal. By 1872, it became known as the “Gravity Road”, and it was providing rides to thrill-seekers for 50 cents per ride. Railway companies also began using similar tracks for amusement rides.

The Rise and Fall of Roller Coasters

Thompson’s Gravity Switchback Railway, 1884  (Image: http://bit.ly/1L32wiD)

Using the same basic idea, LaMarcus Adna Thompson began work on a gravity switchback railway that opened at Coney Island in New York in 1884. Passengers boarded a car at the top of a platform, riding the 180m track to the top of another tower where the vehicle was then switched to a return track, and the passengers returned to the original platform.

This switchback track design was soon replaced with a continuous circuit. In 1885, Phillip Hinkle introduced the first complete-circuit coaster with a lift hill, the Gravity Pleasure Road, which was soon the most popular attraction at Coney Island. In 1886, LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented his design of roller coaster that included tunnels and painted scenery. These “scenic railways” were to be built in amusement parks across the county. About 2,000 roller coasters were installed in U.S.A. during the 1920s. 

After the Great Depression of 1929 and two world wars, new forms of entertainment such as TV and movies emerged, and roller coasters lost their popularity. By 1970, 2,000 roller coasters in the U.S.A. were torn down and only 172 of them remained. But roller coasters are in the spotlight again, with the use of steel tube rails. Thanks to the development of modern steel technology, roller coasters are taller, faster and safer.

How Steel Revived Roller Coasters

A vertical loop and corkscrew on the Batman Ride at Six Flags, Great America (Image: http://bit.ly/1KeYUV1)

The first roller coasters were made of wood and had problems with corrosion when exposed to the elements. Soon after, roller coasters began to be made using iron. 
Steel is a carbon alloy of iron. This means, steel is produced by mixing iron with carbon and other materials. The strength of steel depends on the amount of carbon it contains. Steel becomes more flexible and stretchable as the amount of carbon decreases. When the amount of carbon increases, the metal becomes harder. Although it becomes very hard and strong, it is not flexible and becomes easier to break or snap. By controlling the amount of carbon, the material can be manipulated to fit the purpose of its use.

Because roller coasters must be strong but flexible, steel was the perfect material to revive the popularity of thrill rides. Steel can withstand the pressure from the weight of passengers and the force of gravity and speed. Safety is a very important issue to consider when building roller coasters.

The Difference of Steel

Corkscrew at Cedar Point, the first roller coaster with three inversions (Image: http://bit.ly/1MZoLXf)

Steel roller coasters generally feel smoother to ride than their wooden counterparts. Because of their strength, they can be more complex and make faster turns and twists without injuring riders. There are many different types of steel coasters, such as flying, inverted, floorless and suspended. Fewer supports mean features like loops, rolls, corkscrews, inversions and drops of more than 90 degrees. Almost all records for tallest, fastest and longest coasters are held by steel-made rides.

Blue Fire, an inverted roller coaster at Europa-Park, Germany (Image: http://bit.ly/1L1bGtg)

According to Roller Coaster Data Base (www.rcdb.com), 96 percent of the world’s 2,391 roller coasters are made of steel. Additionally, most other theme park rides, like merry-go-rounds are also made of steel. There is no material like steel which satisfies safety, durability and convenience. 

The Global Contribution of the Steel Industry

Did you know that steel is making the world a better place every day? The amount of daily steel production is enough to build 548 Eiffel towers. Also, steel companies provided 7.8 days of training to each employee in 2013 and 8 million people which is about the same as the population of Switzerland, is working in the steel industry. Moreover, the $100 billion paid in tax is equivalent to putting 10 million students through school each year or building 5,000 new hospitals!

Watch this interesting video created by worldsteel to learn about steel’s global contribution!

Can You Imagine Your Day without Steel?

As mentioned above, steel is enriching the world every day. And, this marvelous material accompanies us through the day: in the bedroom, at work and every where we go. Did you know that steel is indispensable to our daily lives? If you are doubtful, just check the infographic below!

Even More Steel?

Have you ever imagined how pervasive steel is? Can you think of more steel use in our everyday life? Check out our previous postings to learn about the material’s ubiquitous presence in our life and share with us if you can think of anything more!

• What are Automobiles Made of?
  

The automobile is an important part of our daily lives. And steel is a crucial requirement to build this important part. POSCO’s light, but also very durable automotive steel sheets are advancing the global auto industry.

• What is Steel Used For?
  Steel brings amusement and vibrancy to our lives by bringing musical tunes to our ears. Find out more about what steel is used for and how steel is dissolved into our daily lives.

[box]
Worldsteel’s #lovesteel Campaign

In September 2013, the worldsteel launched its #lovesteel campaign for social media and worldsteel website. The #lovesteel campaign is a series of short videos that highlight working experiences in the steel industry. The series consists of interviews of people of worldsteel member companies, and their insights on exciting world of the steel industry to inspire young people who are interested in steel career.

POSCO Also Participated!

In fact, as a member company of worldsteel, POSCO was one of the participants of the campaign. The 14^th video of the series features Yerim Kim who is working in Investor Relations at POSCO. Let’s find out what inspires Yerim to work in the steel industry by watching the video below.

[/box]

Read on to find out more about what steel is used for and how steel is weaved into our daily lives.

Surprise #1) Steel brings amusement to our lives!

Have you experienced the excitement of amusement parks and the thrill of roller coasters? Without steel, you would not be able to enjoy roller coasters!

Roller coasters go back to the 17^th century, but they first appeared in 1817 in Paris, France. It then spread to the U.S. in the 19^th century and by 1920, they became so popular that most amusement parks had more than one installed.

Due to the Depression and the rise of television, roller coasters temporarily lost interest. However, with the appearance of “steel coasters”, roller coasters regained the interest of consumers. Compared to roller coasters made of wood, steel roller coasters could be made higher, faster while also being more safer. As of January 2012, 94% of roller coasters (2,791) around the world are made of steel.

Surprise #2) Steel brings profound musical tunes to our ears!

Steel also allows us to hear wonderful melodies. The sound of the piano has a beautiful sound that can transport us to a heavenly state. Contrary to what you might have expected, pianos are constructed with steel – a material which you would not associate with delicate music, correct?

The strings (piano wire) found within piano are made of strong high carbon steel to maintain tension. To be produced, high carbon steel is heated above 900 degrees Celsius and then is dipped into a container with melted lead at temperatures between 430~520 degrees Celsius which is a process called patenting. The end product has high strength, high viscosity qualities which are fit for usage in springs as well.

Surprise #3) Steel keeps us alive!

Did you know that everyone has steel inside their bodies?

3g of iron is essential for our bodies to function. Though a minor quantity, without it, we cannot survive! About 60% is found in our blood, 30% is in our liver and spleen and the remaining 10% is found within myoglobin cells, cytochrome and other particles inside muscles and bone marrow.

Iron is necessary for the body’s red blood cell formation. When there is not enough red blood cells, this affects our energy levels so that we get tired easily.  60 to 80% of patients with anemia have iron deficiency, but the symptoms do vary.

In many cases, the symptoms of anemia are shortness of breath, face becomes pale, and signs of anorexia. Moreover, hair falls out, nails become weak, and skin becomes very dry. Iron certainly plays a very important role within our bodies so we should make sure we maintain it!

Other Facts about Steel that You Didn’t Know Before

Generally people assume that the steel industry is the representative industry that produces harmful pollutions as a byproduct due to the use of coal for steel production. However, when one takes into consideration the entire life cycle of raw material extraction and processing, steel actually produces the least emissions per unit among building materials.

Steel is the only building material that can last for over 100 years. In addition to the merit of long-term usage, 90% of it can be recycled again unlike other materials. One ton of steel can go through 40 rotations of the reproduction cycle so that the cumulative amount of usage is actually over 10 tons.

Steel is recognized not just for the manufacturing process but also as eco-friendly consumer products as well. Representative examples of this are the eco-friendly, high strength steel used for automotive steel sheets, galvanized steel sheets for automotive fuel tanks, chrome-free zinc-plated steel for home appliances and so on. High tension steel plates are thinner than regular steel plates, however, they are merited for making it possible to produce lighter cars. In addition, they can enhance fuel economy and reduce emissions and hazardous substances.

That’s not all! Japan and other major nations are looking towards the development of electric power transmissions and the component necessary for this to happen is electrical steel products. There is increasing demand for steel plates used for rotational machinery within motor units as the non-oriented electrical steels have excellent magnetic properties for efficiency.

Bright future for steel. There is no limit to the use of steel!

The necessity and importance of steel for society is increasing more and more. They say that steel already has a large influence on the things around us. They help make all things from needles to ships. However the boundaries are expanding even more! From housing and skyscrapers, to the numerous bridges and spires, steel is all around us. Steel is even found in our transportation that takes us from place to place as they are what makes up cars and subways too.

What was most surprising among the uses of steel that we introduced? Stay tuned for more stories on steel that we will write about here on POSCO’s blog!