Editing Roller coaster (section)

===The Russian Mountains and the Aerial Promenades===
{{anchor|Russian Mountains}}
{{redirect|Russian Mountains|other uses}}
The oldest roller coasters are believed to have originated from the so-called "Russian Mountains"; [[John Collier Jones]] specially constructed hills of ice located in the area that is now [[Saint Petersburg|Saint Petersburg, Russia]].<ref>Coker, Robert (2002). ''Roller Coasters: A Thrill Seeker's Guide to the Ultimate Scream Machines''.  New York: Metrobooks.  14.  {{ISBN|9781586631727}}.</ref> Built in the 17th century, the slides were built to a height of between {{convert|70|and|80|ft|m|0}}, had a 50-degree drop, and were reinforced by wooden supports. Later, in 1784, [[Catherine the Great]] is said to have constructed a sledding hill in the gardens of her palace at [[Oranienbaum, Russia|Oranienbaum]] in St. Petersburg.<ref>Bennett, David (1998). ''Roller Coaster: Wooden and Steel Coasters, Twisters and Corkscrews''.  Edison, New Jersey: [[Chartwell Books]]. 9. {{ISBN|9780785808855}}.</ref>

[[File:La Grand Glisade (stitched, hi-res).png|center|thumb|800px|La Grande Glisade, [[Tsarskoye Selo]]]]
The [[Riding Mountain (roller coaster)|Riding Mountain]] (aka ''La Grande Glisade'') entertainment pavilion designed by [[Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli]] for [[Tsarskoye Selo]] royal residence was built in 1754–1757. In Russian it was known as ''Katalnaya gora'' (Катальная гора, literally "Mountain for riding")<ref name=grate/> It was a huge building in the shape of [[rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]]. It had a trail with five hills which can be covered with ice in winter. In the summer time the trails used trolleys on wheels secured in the steel grooves mounted on the wooden trails. Due to a pendulum-like motion based on inertia all five hills could be traversed in one ride.<ref>Agata Pietrzak, [https://www.gdanskstrefa.com/chopin-na-rollercoasterze/ Chopin na rollercoasterze]</ref> The ride was engineered by Russian scientist [[Andrey Nartov]].<ref name=grate>{{Cite web|url=https://tzar.ru/objects/ekaterininskypark/landscape/granite|title=Гранитная терраса &#124; Государственный музей-заповедник «Царское Село»|website=tzar.ru}}</ref> The Anglican clergyman [[John Glen King]] mentioned that some Englishmen visiting Russia called them "Flying Mountains" and described them as follows:
<blockquote>
You will observe that there are five mounts of unequal height: the first and the highest is full {{convert|30|ft|m|spell=in|sigfig=1}} perpendicular altitude; the momentum with which they descend this carries them over the second, which is about {{convert|5|or|6|ft|m|spell=in}} lower, just sufficient to allow for the friction and resistance; and so on to the last, from which they are conveyed by a gentle descent, with nearly same velocity, over a piece of water into a little island. These slides, which are about a [[furlong]] and a half (300&nbsp;m) in length, are made of wood, that may be used in summer as well as in winter. The process is, two of four persons fit in a little carriage and one stands behind, for more there are in it the greater the swiftness with which it goes; it runs on [[caster|castors]] and in grooves to keep it on its right direction, and it descends with a wonderful rapidity. Under the hill, is a machine worked by horses for drawing the carriages back again, with the company in them. Such a work as this would have been enormous in most countries for the labour and expense in cost, as well as the vast quantity of wood used in it. At the same place, there is another artificial mount which goes in a spiral line, and in my opinion, for I have tried it also, is very disagreable; as it seems always leaning on one side, and the person feels in danger of falling out of seat.
<ref>John Glen King, ''A Letter to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Durham: Containing Some Observations on the Climate of Russia and the Northern Countries, with a View of the Flying Mountains at Zarsko Sello Near St. Petersbourg'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=HHQMxwEACAAJ&pg=PA18 pp. 18,19]</ref>
</blockquote>

''Katalnaya gora'' was dismantled in 1792–1795. Currently in its place is the Granite Terrace in the [[Catherine Park]].<ref name=grate/>

[[File:Montagnes russes de Belleville 3.png|thumb|''Les Montagnes de Belleville'']]
[[File:Promenades Aeriennes Jardin Baujon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The Promenades-Aériennes in [[Paris]], 1817]]
Two roller-coasters were built in France in 1817.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-first-roller-coasters.html|title=The World's First Roller Coasters|date=June 10, 2019|website=WorldAtlas}}</ref> ''Les Montagnes de Belleville'' (''Les Montagnes Russes à Belleville'') in [[Belleville, Paris]] had wheels attached to carriages and locked on tracks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/sister_magazine/docs/en_sistermag29_1/s/123650|title=The Ultimate Thrill|website=Issuu}}</ref>
The ''Promenades Aériennes'', opened in Parc Beaujon in Paris on July 8, 1817<ref>Fierro, Alfred, ''Histoire et Dictionnaire de Paris'' p. 613</ref> had  wheeled cars securely locked to the track, guide rails to keep them on course, and higher speeds.<ref name="Urbanowicz">Urbanowicz, Steven J. (2002). ''The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion;'' Kensington, New YorK: [[Citadel Press]]. {{ISBN|9780806523095}}.</ref> It spawned half a dozen imitators, but their popularity soon declined.

However, during the [[Paris in the Belle Epoque|Belle Epoque]] they returned to fashion. In 1887, Catalan entrepreneur [[Joseph Oller]], co-founder of the [[Moulin Rouge]] music hall, constructed the ''Montagnes Russes de Belleville'', "Russian Mountains of Belleville" with {{convert|656|ft|m}} of track laid out in a double-eight, later enlarged to four figure-eight-shaped loops.<ref>Valérie RANSON-ENGUIALE, " Promenades aériennes ", Histoire par l'image [en ligne], consulté le 26 Mai 2017. URL : http://www.histoire-image.org/etudes/promenades-aeriennes</ref>
[[File:Thompsons Switchback Railway 1884.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Thompson's [[Switchback Railway]], 1884]]