Hullámvasút, Wooden roller coaster in Zugló, Hungary.
The Hullámvasút was a wooden roller coaster with a height of about 17 meters and a length of around 980 meters, winding through undulating wooden tracks and sharp turns. Each train consisted of seven units with a total capacity of 28 riders, with seats arranged side by side in five rows per car.
This wooden coaster was built in 1926 by Irvine Dragon and became a landmark at Vidámpark amusement park. It operated continuously until its closure in November 2015.
The name Hullámvasút means 'riding the waves' in Hungarian, connecting the local language directly to how visitors experienced this wooden structure.
A dedicated brake operator rode on each train to manually control speed and prevent derailment through the Side Friction tracking system. Visitors should understand that the safety mechanisms of this era operated differently from modern coasters.
The Side Friction tracking system was an lesser-used technical solution that allowed the coaster to function without modern rail designs. This system made manual brake operator control necessary and differed fundamentally from later construction methods.
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