Drop off the Comet at Hersheypark, a double out and back roller coaster.

Out and back refers to the layout of a roller coaster. An out and back coaster is one that climbs a lift hill soon after leaving the station, races out to the far end of the track after the initial drop, performs a 180 degree turn and then returns to the station. Some out and back coasters perform more complicated turns at the far end of the track.

This particular design is very popular and is easy to design and construct. With an out and back design, the hills on the way "out" usually are quite large and gradually decrease in size. The hills on the way "back" are usually "bunny hops", or small hills created to maximize air-time.

Design variants

The simplest out-and-back layout resembles a flattened oval when viewed from above. In profile, the train leaves the station (point A) and ascends the lift hill; after gaining kinetic energy from the initial drop, the train ascends a second hill to slow the train before it enters the first turn-back at the far end of the track (point B). Exiting the turn-back, the train descends the second hill to gain speed again before entering a third hill (or a braking area) to slow for a second turn-back at the near end of the track (point C) and the return to the station.

Double out-and-back

The red train of The Comet at Great Escape has ascended the first large "out" hill and is about to turn to the left to head "back"; the second "out and back" loop can be seen at a lower elevation outside the first loop.

A variation on the theme has the track traveling from the station (point A) out to the far end (point B), then returning past the station before traveling out to the far end again, and finally returning to the station. From above, the simplest double out-and-back would appear as a flattened oval spiral with a crossover for the final return to the station.

Examples of this type of ride include the venerable Comet, which was moved from Crystal Beach Park in Ontario to Great Escape at Queensbury, New York, the Phoenix at Knoebels' Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, and GhostRider at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.

Triple out-and-back

These coasters travel back and forth between A and B thrice; the resulting appearance is often hard to discern from true twisters, which are usually free-form in design. An example of this type of ride is the Coney Island Cyclone.

Quadruple out-and-back and higher

While no roller coasters of this type are known, they would travel between A and B more than three times. Like triple out-and-backs, they are hard to discern from twisters, and sometimes wild mice.

Examples

Coaster Park Year opened Manufacturer
American Eagle Six Flags Great America 1981 Intamin
Apollo's Chariot Busch Gardens Williamsburg 1999 Bolliger & Mabillard
Arkansas Twister Magic Springs and Crystal Falls 1993 Michael Black and Associates
Behemoth Canada's Wonderland 2008 Bolliger & Mabillard
Big One Blackpool Pleasure Beach 1994 Arrow Dynamics
Blue Streak Cedar Point 1964 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Boulder Dash Lake Compounce 2000 Custom Coasters International
Cannon Ball Lake Winnepesaukah 1967 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Cheetah Wild Adventures 2001 Custom Coasters International
Comet Hersheypark 1946 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
The Comet Great Escape 1994 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Fury 325 Carowinds 2015 Bolliger & Mabillard
Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 1924 Arthur Looff
GhostRider Knott's Berry Farm 1998 Custom Coasters International
Goliath La Ronde 2006 Bolliger & Mabillard
Goliath Six Flags Over Georgia 2006 Bolliger & Mabillard
Great American Scream Machine Six Flags Over Georgia 1973 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
High Roller Valleyfair 1976 Rauenhorst Corporation
Intimidator Carowinds 2010 Bolliger & Mabillard
Jack Rabbit Seabreeze Amusement Park 1920 Harry C. Baker
Judge Roy Scream Six Flags Over Texas 1980 William Cobb & Associates
Leviathan Canada's Wonderland 2012 Bolliger & Mabillard
Magnum XL-200 Cedar Point 1989 Arrow Dynamics
Mamba Worlds of Fun 1998 D. H. Morgan Manufacturing
The Mighty Canadian Minebuster Canada's Wonderland 1981 Taft Broadcasting
Millennium Force Cedar Point 2000 Intamin
Nitro Six Flags Great Adventure 2001 Bolliger & Mabillard
Phoenix Knoebels' Amusement Resort 1985 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Predator Darien Lake 1990 Dinn Corporation
The Racer Kings Island 1972 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Racer 75 Kings Dominion 1975 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Roller Coaster Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach 1932 Erich Heidrich
Rollo Coaster Idlewild Park 1938 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Screamin' Eagle Six Flags St. Louis 1976 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Shivering Timbers Michigan's Adventure 1998 Custom Coasters International
Tornado Adventureland 1978 Frontier Construction Company
The Voyage Holiday World & Splashin' Safari 2006 The Gravity Group
Wildcat Lake Compounce 1927 Dinn Corporation
Wild Beast Canada's Wonderland 1981 Taft Broadcasting
The Wild One Six Flags America 1986 Dinn Corporation
Wild Thing Valleyfair 1996 D. H. Morgan Manufacturing
Yankee Cannonball Canobie Lake Park 1930 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
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