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The coaster shown at right is the '' Texas Giant '' at Six Flags Over Texas . It is consistently rated by coaster enthusiasts as one of the best wooden roller coasters in the world. Designed by Curtis Summers , the ride opened in 1990. WOODEN VERSUS STEEL Wooden roller coasters provide a very different ride and experience from Steel Roller Coaster s. While they are technically less capable than a steel coaster when it comes to inversions and elements, wooden coasters instead rely on an often rougher and more "wild" ride as well as a more Psychological approach to inducing Fear . Their shaky Structures and track, which usually move anywhere from a few inches to a few feet with a passing Train , give a sense of unreliability and the "threat" of collapse or disregard for safety. Of course, this assumption is purely mental and wooden roller coaster supports and track systems are designed to sway with the force. If the track and structure are too rigid, they will break under the strain of the passing train. Like steel roller coasters, wooden roller coasters usually use the same three-wheel design, pioneered by John Miller . Each set of wheels includes a running wheel (on top of the track), a side friction wheel (to reduce side to side movement known as "hunting") and an upstop wheel (beneath the track to prevent cars from flying off the track). Some wooden coasters, such as Leap-The-Dips , do not have upstop wheels, and are therefore known as Side Friction roller coasters. As a result, the turns and drops are more gentle than on modern wooden roller coasters. Scenic Railway roller coasters also lack upstop wheels, but rely on a brakeman to control the speed. The debate rages as to which type of coaster is better; wood or steel. This is unlikely to ever be settled, however, because each category distinguishes itself from the other in a number of ways, in addition to also providing a substantially different and unique ride. DECLINING POPULARITY Once a staple in virtually every Amusement Park in America, wooden roller coasters appear to be on a slow decline in popularity for a number of reasons. First of all, amusement parks clearly see the cost benefits of building a steel roller coaster from the start. Steel roller coasters, while requiring a larger initial "down payment" for the ride at the beginning, cost much less in ongoing maintenance fees throughout the years of operation. Wooden roller coasters, on the other hand, require large amounts of devoted funds annually to keep the ride in operating condition including regular re-tracking, track lubrication, and support maintenance. Wooden coasters are also becoming less marketable in today's media-driven Advertising world. Superlative advertising in which the "biggest," "tallest," or "fastest" ride is what brings in crowds often cannot apply to new wooden roller coasters, especially since a large majority of Record -holding rides are steel. Amusement parks are always looking to add attractions which can be presented in commercials and ads as incredibly tall, fast, or extreme; thus discounting many wooden roller coasters (as time has told, bigger is not always better in terms of wooden roller coasters). EXAMPLES OF WOODEN ROLLER COASTERS
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