Are the original coasters still alive?

Carl's widow Veta owns the rights to the Coasters name. Leon Hughes, the last surviving member of the original Coasters, died of natural causes on March 1, 2023, at the age of 92.



Yes, several of the world's truly historic roller coasters are still "alive" and operating in 2026. The absolute title holder is Leap-the-Dips at Lakemont Park (Pennsylvania), which was built in 1902 and is currently 124 years old. Another notable centenarian is the Scenic Railway at Luna Park in Melbourne, Australia, which opened in 1912 and is the oldest continuously operating coaster in the world (as Leap-the-Dips has had periods of closure). In the UK, the Scenic Railway at Dreamland Margate (1920) and the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (1923) also remain in service. These "original" woodies are carefully maintained as National Historic Landmarks; they offer a unique "side-friction" or "brakeman" ride experience that lacks the steel-track smoothness of 2026 mega-coasters but provides an irreplaceable sense of early 20th-century thrill and mechanical history.

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As of January 2023, the oldest running roller coaster in the world was Leap the Dips, located in Lakemont Park, Pennsylvania (USA), which was opened in 1902. Meanwhile, the world's second oldest coaster, Scenic Railway, opened 10 years later in Melbourne, Australia.

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