Track has a tubular steel spine, connected to the inside edges of tubular steel running rails. Supports are large tubular steel posts. Trains are held on the track by wheels above, below, and outside the running rails.
Gives a very smooth ride, and allows the design of long, fast, and twisted track layouts.
The difference between the Looping Roller Coaster's powered launch and the LIM Launched Roller Coaster's launch is that the train will pass through the station for the Looping Roller Coaster allowing for multiple circuits, which is not true for the LIM Launched Roller Coaster. Another difference is that Steel Coasters can have a lift hill with chain lift later in the ride while the LIM normally cannot have chain lifts.
In OpenRCT2, both coaster types can be made to either pass through the station or not pass through the station.
The first and second games have different roller coaster train designs.
In Real Life
The Looping Coaster closely resembles the coasters designed by Schwarzkopf and Hopkins. This track type is also useful for making shuttle roller coasters like the popular Shuttle Loop model manufactured by Schwarzkopf.