What Do You Count As A Coaster

Ok, I know this is a never ending debate, and no one can really have a right or wrong answer, but what do you all count as roller coasters. I saw on one of the updates that you guys don't do powered kiddie coasters because that just "crosses the line." Although I think I do recall seeing on Coastercounter.com that Robb counted Lil' Shaver at Camp Snoopy. So what does everyone count as a coaster?

I count twins (like Gemini), kiddie coasters (even powered), and everything else that is on RCDB.com.

I count a coaster as anything on RCDB.

^ Ditto. Anything that says coaster on it, plus anything from RCDB.

I count it as a coaster if its on RCDB.

I don't count powered coasters because they don't 'coast' at all! My usual rule of thumb is to go by the overall 'experience' is it more like a coaster or more like a water ride. Hence the reason I don't count both Journey to Atlantis', but I did count Buzzsaw Falls...Journey really is like a dark/water ride with a bit of coaster section, whereas Buzzsaw was more like a coaster out in the forest with a bit of a log flume section. Does that make sense?

As for to count something as 1,2 or even 3 credits (ex: Dragons, Gwazi, Steeplechase, Colossus, etc.) again it goes with 'experience'. On the Steeplechase I can ride one of 3 different tracks, but they all provide the EXACT same exeperience, whereas Dueling Dragons and Gwazi are quite different. Racers get a bit harder to figure out, but for example Rolling Thunder is different enought that I count it as two.

As for Robb counting the powered on coastercounter...he only does that to make up for the fact that it's missing a lot of coasters that he's ridden!

Elissa "Jeff Johnson counts anything with wheels as a credit!" Alvey

The other problem with Coastercoaster that I have, is that there are no 'set rules'. I mean, that's fine because there aren't any set rules for the site, but if the coaster is listed, I feel I have to count it.

Simply because for that site alone, I have to base my coaster count on THEIR parameters, not mine. So if they list Journey to Atlantis, powered coasters, etc, I *have* to count them, because other people are.

But on my personal count, I don't count powered coasters.

On Countercounter, my count is 763, but my REAL count is only 708. If I didn't count all those powered, relocated, pseudo water rides, etc, I would be about 60 credits behind the #1 person, who counts all those types of rides on thier list. So to be fair to myself, I HAVE to include them because they are listed on the site. Because, yeah...technically I've HAVE ridden all those rides.

I kind of look at coastercounter as a 'ride counter.' Because some things listed there I don't consider coasters, but I HAVE ridden them.

Again, there is no right or wrong way about counting coasters. Just make sure you give people your parameters so they know what you do and don't count.

--Robb "I hope this all makes sense." Alvey

I decided I'd make an HTML page out of my excel spreadsheet so you guys can see what I count:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/robbcoaster.htm

At one point I used to count relocated coasters at a time where there were only a handfull of them on my list, but then I stopped when I actually started following several coasters around!

I think I stopped when SFKK's Vampire became SFNE's Flashback. That was the last one, after that I stopped counting re-located coasters.

--Robb

Nice!

Question from the girl who doesn't quite speak "coaster".... what is a powered coaster???

Shari "Still learning the lingo" Shoufler

powered usually means that there is a motor in it that pulls the ride the entire way through. There are such things as powered lifts that give power to an internal motor to drag the ride up the lift and then coast through the ride.

A powered coaster doesn't use gravity at all. The coaster cars actually uses a motor to propel it forward or backward. A coaster like Flight of Fear isn't a powered coaster because it relies on gravity after the launch.

Nearly all powered coasters have some sort of "extra rail" in the middle...

The Mack Powered Mine Trains are actually really cool! I don't think we have any in the US...they are ALL OVER Europe, and there's one at Canada's Wonderland.

Elissa "too bad they're not a credit :crying: " Alvey

So then do you also count carnival/traveling coasters? I have counted 3 on my list, but how do you know if you've repeated one or not?

Racers get a bit harder to figure out, but for example Rolling Thunder is different enought that I count it as two.

So what if the Racer is actually one track? I remember seeing a Racer where the train started in one side of the station, and ended in the other side. Know what I'm talking about?

I have learned something new today, and it's not even 9:00 a.m.

Thanks!!

Shari "Now someone tell me what 'trims' are" Shoufler

Hey Robb,

did you really rode all these coasters on your list? I mean over 700??? :shocked:

That is amazing.

--Soeren

So what if the Racer is actually one track? I remember seeing a Racer where the train started in one side of the station, and ended in the other side. Know what I'm talking about?

It must be the Racer at Kennywood or Grand National at Blackpool, because they are the only ones. Better known as a Moebius Loop.

I count the Racer (Kennywood) as one. I think most people do the same. I actually subscribe to the thought that you have to ride both sides to count it, or it would be the same as getting off a coaster at the mid-course brake and walking away.

Shari "Now someone tell me what 'trims' are" Shoufler

Trim brakes are those annoying brakes that just kind of "trim" off a little speed. I say they are annoying because usually they slow you down and make something unenjoyable. Such as on Mantis, a trim brake makes the first hill a little slower and thus boring. I don't actually know why trim brakes are there. I'm guessing they slow it down because you would go faster through certain elements that some people couldn't handle or something.

Here is a picture of Mean Streak at Cedar Point. This hill would be way better, but there is a nasty little trim brake on it. Its the silver thing in the middle of the track.

http://rcdb.com/ig16.htm?picture=2

As for traveling/carnival coasters we try and look at serial numbers or who owns them to make sure to only count them once.

Elissa "for instance we found out the mouse in miami we rode is the same one from Del Mar...minus one credit " Alvey

Trim brakes are those annoying brakes that just kind of "trim" off a little speed. I say they are annoying because usually they slow you down and make something unenjoyable.

Yeah for me!! That's EXACTLY what I thought that meant!

Shari "doing a little superiority dance for knowing that one" Shoufler

^^Talk about uber detailness!!

Yeah Elissa, I saw that about the mouse in miami and that's why I wondered how you count those.

Oh and as for coaster counting, I would just like to tell everyone something cool that I do. Everytime I ride a new roller coaster, I first add it to my list that I keep in Microsoft Word. Then, I get a picture off of RCDB and put it in a folder. That way when anyone asks what coasters you have ridden, its fun to be able to actually show them. Does anyone else do this?

I made an excel spreadsheet and hotlinked the coasters name with it's picture in folder. That way as someone peruses my count, they can click on a name and the picture pops up.

Now why someone would actually care to read my count is something else entirely.

As for my counting rules:

Dualies: Two tracks=two coasters. It's not my fault they share the same support structure.

Moebius tracks: Two credits. And really, there's only two of these in the world so it's not like it's going to artificially inflate my count that much. If you can make it to Kennywood AND Blackpool you deserve the +2 bump IMO.

Relocated: Count them twice. Again this doesen't come up much either untill you've been at this awhile. So far the only one I've done is Stealth/Borg.

Severly Altered Coasters: If a coaster has a signifigant change to it's track I'll count it again. i.e. V2->V2.5 at SFMW. Retracking doesent warrant a recount and either does turning the train around.

Journey to Atlantis is a Mack water coaster, it's not my fault that they ordered more water than coaster. 8)

And just to anger some people I count Devils Den at Conneaut as a wooden coaster. Partly due to the chain lift and drop, partly because toboggan was down and I didn't get the credit.

For the record I would only count Standing and Looping coaster as 1 just so I wouldn't have to ride the stand-up train!

Tha Jooze

378 By my count, 377 on coastercounter

you all left out a Mobius coaster! :shocked: Montaña Rusa at La Feria Chapultepec Magico http://rcdb.com/id354.htm now weather it counts as 2 coasters or not does not concern me because I've never ridden it...or...them however you count them.

Zach "Wow, I feel like a big man now because I knew something about coasters nobody else knew" Lewis

EDIT: apparently there is one more mobius coaster out there the Derby Racer at Euclid Beach http://rcdb.com/id1910.htm

^ The Derby Racer doesn't exist anymore, though.