The homemade roller coaster
Filed under: Fun & activities, Weird but true, Toys & games
So what do you do if you're really into roller coasters, but there aren't any nearby? Well, if you're Jeremy Reid of Oklahoma, you go ahead and build one of your own. While in college, Reid decided to build himself a wooden roller coaster in his parents' backyard. The single-passenger car climbs seventeen feet into the air and then drops down a fifty-four degree angle, reaching a top speed of twenty miles per hour. Riders experience gravitational forces ranging from -0.2G's to +3.5G's.The finished coaster stands as a testament to his determination and ingenuity and as an unconventional entry on his resume -- leading to a job with a company that designed and built roller coasters. "What I did was make a video of what I'd built and I sent that to eight coaster companies," said Reid. "Those types of companies get a lot of people interested in roller coasters and riding roller coasters, but I was one of the few with actual engineering experience."
Be forewarned, however, if you're thinking of building something like this for your kids. While the total cost was less than six thousand dollars, the project did use almost three thousand board feet of lumber, seven thousand nails and screws, and four years' time. I think I'll stick to taking the kids to one of the four big amusement parks we're lucky enough to have here. If you're not so lucky, well, good luck with building one and send us pictures when you're done!
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