Postcard History: The Flip-Flap Rollercoaster, Coney Island NY, 1900s

A main attraction of Sea Lion Park in Coney Island, the Flip Flap Railway was built and tested in Toledo OH in 1888 by designer Lina Beecher, who tested the ride with sand bags and monkeys before human riders were allowed on the rollercoaster. The Flip-Flap featured a single rail, and riders rode two-to-a-car and sat in tandem. The Flip Flap Railway was shut down along with Sea Lion Park in 1902. Although Sea Lion Park was replaced with Luna Park in 1903, the Flip Flap Railway was not retained, perhaps because the two-person cars meant that it was difficult to turn a profit on the coaster, or perhaps because many riders experienced whiplash from the extreme forces of this early thrill-ride.