Rollo Coaster

Rollo Coaster is a wooden roller coaster located at Idlewild and Soak Zone near Ligonier, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1938 by Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC).^[1] It was Idlewild's first and only roller coaster for decades, until the larger Wild Mouse coaster was erected in 1993. The coaster temporarily closed in 2016 following an incident, but reopened in 2018.

Rollo Coaster
Ride entrance in August 2008
Idlewild and Soak Zone
Location	Idlewild and Soak Zone
Coordinates	40.2602°N 79.2814°W / 40.2602; -79.2814
Status	Operating
Opening date	1938
General statistics
Type	Wood
Manufacturer	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Designer	Herbert Paul Schmeck
Track layout	Out and Back
Lift/launch system	Chain lift
Height	27 ft (8.2 m)
Drop	25 ft (7.6 m)
Length	900 ft (270 m)
Speed	25 mph (40 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:15
Height restriction	42 in (107 cm)
Rollo Coaster at RCDB

History

Rollo Coaster opened in 1938, and was built with lumber sourced directly from the park, using a sawmill built nearby specifically for the project.

Built over a hillside, Rollo Coaster is an out and back coaster. It uses skid brakes operated manually with a lever. The train consists of four cars. The first car has two rows, and the other cars have one row. Each row has two seats. It is located next to the carousel and Flying Aces. Its original train featured nothing but a grab bar for restraints, but its current train features seatbelts and individual ratcheting lap bars.

While Rollo Coaster's only elements are several small hills, it uses the park's topography to its advantage. Built over steep terrain, the ride features many tight twists and turns, which intensify the ride and its sense of speed.

Rollo Coaster was once designated by the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) as an ACE Coaster Classic.^[2] This designation was rescinded upon the addition of its new trains, which utilize stricter restraints than the designation allows for.

Incident

On August 11, 2016, a three-year-old boy was thrown from Rollo Coaster. The boy sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a Pittsburgh hospital by helicopter, where he was listed in critical condition with head and chest injuries.^[3][4][5] The boy was in the hospital for two months before being released.^[6]

The ride was closed pending an investigation and remained closed for the remainder of the 2016 season, as well as all of the 2017 season.^[7] In May 2017, the Division of Rides and Amusements of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture released its investigative report, detailing how the ride's restraints were not extensive enough to secure a rider as small as the three-year-old boy had been.^[8] In addition, the report noted several instances of excessive wear and movement of the train hitches and tracks, but it wasn't known whether these factors caused or influenced the accident. The report listed several requirements for the ride to be reopened, including the addition of seat belts, a reevaluation of minimum rider height, and a ride evaluation by a professional engineer.^[9] Based on this report, the state also recommended amusement parks with similar roller coasters voluntarily make take the same actions.^[10] Idlewild announced they had purchased a new train for Rollo Coaster from PTC, which included seat belts and lap bars, and that they expected the ride to resume operation for the 2018 season, pending a state inspection.^[11] It reopened in 2018 without further issue, and has been operating ever since.