Lift hills use various mechanisms to transport roller coaster cars to an elevated point, gaining potential energy. Traditional chain lifts have been used for over 100 years, while newer designs include cable lifts, catch car lifts, vertical lifts, and lift/launch combinations. Factors like available space, height, and rider evacuation influence lift hill design, which continues to evolve with taller, more efficient structures.

1. lift hills

2. lift hills

3. A LIFT HILL is a mechanism used to
transport a roller coaster car or train
up a hill to an elevated point.
As the train is pulled to the top, it is
gaining potential energy, or stored
energy.
Once released, the acceleration due
to gravity make the vehicles coast
back to the station.

4. Traditionally, lift hills had a relatively shallow ascent angle.
With today’s technology, lift hills can have any angle of ascent.
Vertical Lift Hill
Dare Devil Dive
Six Flags Over Georgia
Gerstlaurer
2011
Inverting Lift Hills
X-Cars by Maurer Rides
~25° Lift Hill Angle
Magnum XL-200
Cedar Point
Arrow Dynamics
1989
https://www.themeparkarchive.com/parks/cedar-point/magnum-xl-200
45° Lift Hill Angle
Millennium Force
Cedar Point
Intamin
2000
https://rcdb.com/2926.htm#p=33804
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidsimmons/275020647

5. Factors that influence lift hill design include:
• Space available
• Budget
• Noise
• Speed required
• Height of the lift hill
• Method for rescuing riders
• Materials used
• Force on the chain/cable
• Rider comfort
• And so on
Lift hills come in all different types, shapes, and sizes.

6. Traditional Chain Lifts
The most common type of lift hill, the chain lift, has been in use for more than a hundred years.
Example of a traditional chain lift on a
wooden roller coaster.~7 feet per second.
Example of a traditional chain lift on a steel
roller coaster.

7. Cable (Elevator) Lifts
Cable lifts can usually pull the vehicles to the top of the lift faster than a chain lift.
Millennium Force - Cedar Point
Intamin
2000
*first modern roller coaster to use a cable lift*
~22 feet per second
El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
Intamin
2006
181 feet tall wood coaster
~19 feet per second

8. Catch Car Lifts
Catch car lifts allow the vehicles to traverse the lift hill track both forwards and backwards.
Vekoma Boomerang Model Aftershock - Silverwood
Vekoma 2008
Suansanook
ชมรมคนรักสวนสนุก AmusementInsider

9. Tire Drive Lifts (also called Friction or Booster Wheel)
Quieter than chain lifts but may have a harder time operating in wet weather.
Dragon
Legoland NewYork
Zierer
2021
Th13teen
Alton Towers
Intamin
2010

10. Vertical (Elevator) Lifts
Requires much less space than a traditional sloped lift.
Lost Coaster - Indiana Beach
Single Platform Elevator
Divertical - Mirabilandia
Double Platform Elevator
Mirabilandia Official

11. Electric Spiral Lift
Jet Star 2 – Lagoon Park
Schwarzkopf
1976
CoasterForce

12. Push Spiral Lift
Hero
Flamingo Land
Zamperla
2013
Expedition Theme Park

13. Ferris Wheel Lift
Maximum RPM! / Round About
Hard Rock Park / Freestyle Music Park
Premier Rides
2008 – 2009
*the only Ferris wheel lift ever built*
Sean Flaharty

14. Lift/Launch Combos
Sloped track like a traditional lift but uses launch technology to rapidly ascend to the top.
Maverick
Cedar Point
Intamin
Magnetic (LSMs)
Lightning Rod
Dollywood
Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC)
Magnetic (LSMs)
Incredible Hulk
Islands of Adventure
B&M
FrictionWheel
Coasting for Sports Universal Orlando Resort

15. People Powered Sliding Lift
Green Dragon
GreenWood Forest Park, United Kingdom
WGH Transportation
2004
www.ukrides.info

16. The lift hill is usually the first and tallest hill on a roller coaster. The higher the lift,
the greater the amount of potential energy gained by the train.
This is shown by the equation for potential energy:
PE = mgh
Because mass and gravity are constant for the train, if the height of the train above
the ground is increased,the potential energy must also increase.
Thus, gravitational potential energy is greatest at the highest point of a roller coaster.
As the train accelerates down the hill, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.
(Stay tuned for more on the physics of roller coasters in a future episode!)
PE is potential energy
m is mass (kg)
g is acceleration due to gravity 9.80m/s^2
h is the distance above the ground (m)

17. With the exception of magnetic (LSM or LIM) lift/launches,every type of lift hill
requires a physical component on the vehicle to contact a component on the lift hill.
For example,on a traditional chain lift,“Chain dogs” are attached to the underside of
the cars to engage with the lift hill chain.

18. On the majority of roller coasters,vehicles are only permitted to travel
in one direction.Therefore,most lift hills employ anti-roll back (ARB)
technology to prevent the vehicles from rolling down backwards if the
chain were to break.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US8020494B2/en
Some new ARBs use magnets to
reduce noise and wear.

19. Some lift hills are designed to purposely let the vehicles
roll back down them for extra thrill.
Big Grizzly Mountain
Runaway Mine Cars
at Hong Kong
Disneyland uses a
catch car chain lift to
allow the train to roll
backwards.

20. Roller coasters must have a way to safely evacuate
riders if the lift mechanism fails or the vehicles
become stuck.These come in different varieties
including:
amusement420
• Evacuation stairs
• Evacuation cart
• Ability to reverse the
lift to take the cars
back to ground level

21. Roller coasters can have more than one lift hill.
For example, Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland
Paris has four lift hills.

22. With improved engineering tools, lift hill support
structure has evolved to become more efficient.
Thicker track spines result in fewer support columns.
Magnum XL-200
205 feet
1989
1st lift over 200 feet
Millennium Force
310 feet
2000
1st lift over 300 feet
Intimidator 305
305 feet
2010
5th tallest lift in the world
https://rcdb.com/4520.htm#p=26967

23. The chain return is now usually located inside the
spine of the track rather than a separate component.
Diamondback – Kings Island
B&M - 2009
Orion – Kings Island
B&M - 2020
https://limitlesspark.com/2019/03/24/diamondback-review-bm-hyper-coaster-at-kings-island-march-2019/

24. Today, the tallest lift hills use “arch shape” support
strategies to minimize the amount of structure needed.

25. The tallest lift hill in the world is
Carowinds’ Fury 325 at 325 feet.
325 feet
(99.06 meters)
*As of January 2022

26. From a rider experience perspective, lift hills build anticipation
for what is to come and can offer incredible views.
Ravine Flyer II – Waldameer
Erie, Pennsylvania
ThemeParkHD

27. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Coasters-101.
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28. Appendix:Terminology
ARB = Anti-Roll Back
LSM = Linear Synchronous Motor
LIM = Linear Induction Motor
PE = Potential Energy
KE = Kinetic Energy
M = mass
g = acceleration due to gravity

29. Additional Resources:
STEM - Why Does This Weight Move on Roller Coaster Lift Hills?
Chain tension calculations by Mentored Engineer with Corey Rasmussen
Why Roller Coasters Click – ARB explanations by Art of Engineering
Amusement Park Physics: A Teacher's Guide by Nathan Unterman
Coasters101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design by Nick Weisenberger