What started out as a 14-granite tall half hill thing I made just for fun quickly turned into the start of a small coaster of some sort. I made all of this in one sitting as quietly as possible. I haven’t done something like that since Gargoyle. Anyway, you’re probably wondering what happened to my nice rug and why I’m using a flowery one now. The short answer: bed bugs. I’d like to take a moment to warn you, forum, about bed bugs.
Spoiler
Now, I’ve lived for 7 years in a roach-infested house. Things were so bad that I ended up hating roaches. I love bugs and spiders. I even love wasps - though I’m terrified of those - but roaches were the only thing I disliked until the totally not cursed year of 2020. Roaches are predictable idiots, as they’re easy to find and run to draw attention to themselves when they would’ve been safer not moving. Bed bugs are smart. They know how to hide and stay hidden until you’re fast asleep. To get rid of them, you must throw away everything but what you can’t live without. You must wipe down everything you own. You must have your house’s temperature be turned up to like 150*F for 8 hours or so. If just one bed bug is missed, the infestation will return. It is so much worse than roaches, spiders, or even wasps. Bed bugs are hitchhikers and any time you go out, you might unknowingly pick them up. There is nothing you can do to stop them from infesting your house. It’s just bad luck if you get them - and, remember, forum, it’s 2020.
This’ll just be a quick coaster named ToxiCaterpillar. I have a story behind this, but I don’t plan on revealing that story until I can get started on the much larger multi-inversion invert Toxic Butterfly. You’ll understand why if that day comes.
I only have a little over a week to build, film, and demolish this. Updates will be once per day unless something keeps me from building.
Good luck on the coaster! Hope you can make all the daily updates!
Thanks! I love writing scary stuff. I’m meeting the daily updates so far.
M’kay. My train is still outside waiting to be cleaned so I’ll be using a 2 car until then. I don’t have many X-ties left for now, but I will keep on building the structure regardless.
Overview.
The drop will twist and turn some as it dives. It’ll be tight, so this will be subtle.
Shaping isn’t the best, but that’s okay because it matches 2020.
This is where the first element will be: a cutback or insanely steep overbank turn. After this will be another 180* element and then either a small hill or two, or a simplified lagoon roll.
yup 2020 is a bit of a shit one lmao! corona, me being vulnrable in the uk so ive been indoors not working for 4 months now, no gym for 6 months, all equipment out of stock so haven't been able to work out for that full 6 months other than a few push ups, but im used to power lifting and body building stuff so its just not the same, and my grandad is in hospital atm. 2020 sucks lmao. im just thinking that things will get better and ill win the lottery one day lmao.
Back with another update. More pieces have been cleaned. Not enough to finish this, but enough to make an update.
Here’s the funky drop.
An overview of the drop.
An overview including the overbank turn. Yes, I know that pullout really should be wider, but I have my reasons for keeping it so tight.
Working on the overbank reminded me of working on Ningen’s steep overbank. It doesn’t make it yet with a 2 car train, but it definitely will with a 6 or 5 car train.
Tonight began the theming.
Tomorrow begins the execution of my plans. Even though this coaster will be ‘small’ it will be themed a bunch.
I know I’m going to get questions about the structure in the second to last image, and I’ll address that because I planned for it to be in the shot in the first place. That’s my K’nex lap desk. I love it. Sturdy and allows the laptop to breathe freely, allowing for infinite computer use.
Edit: The 2 car train actually makes it now, but I'm still going to add more cars since it's based on a caterpillar.
Comment… if you want.
Edit: I have a verbal update but since it's not important enough to be another post IMO I'm just editing this one instead. No, the coaster isn't cancelled. Something interesting has just come up: I have my 6 car train now. The lift hill only allows for 3 cars because anything more won't make it over the top. I'm not going to make a second chain dog because of the tight elements and how it might scrape against the tubing, which I remember happening when I experimented with a second chain dog a few years ago.
I'm going to use a counterweight system to get the train to clear the lift. It's going to be like a launched lift hill, just not as fast. I've done some math and have made a tower on the top of the lift hill that will house a pulley system with a clutch and a release string for when I start filming. Which will be soon. The station will be a quick one, and I'll try to make it interesting. Really, I just have to worry about being able to film it since I can easily do all of the fancy editing in college.
It's good to see someone returning! This looks interesting and I like the funky-ness of it. I feel like it might just be easier to build in a pre-drop so that the train will easily clear the crest of the lift, but the counterweight system is a very creative solution.
It's good to see someone returning! This looks interesting and I like the funky-ness of it. I feel like it might just be easier to build in a pre-drop so that the train will easily clear the crest of the lift, but the counterweight system is a very creative solution.
Heh heh heh, yeah, ‘returning’! I ended up not needing a counterweight system after all. Thx btw, Fried.
Looking good so far! Sorry to hear about the bedbugs, nasty little buggers they are...
Thx. Yeah. The devil’s ladybugs.
Wow, between the theming and the extra launch/lift idea, you've got your work cut out for you! Hope you can get it all done in time.
Literally had just enough time to take it down before leaving for college.
Not much to say at this point. I’ve been meaning to make this post sooner but, strangely, universities value educational stuff over plastic doohickeys even though I never told them about ToxiCaterpillar.
Lovely build, this is a really cute coaster! Very caterpillar-esque too, particularly with that little wiggle on the first drop. I'm impressed with the amount of track you managed to cram into such a small space. The overbanked turn looks great as well.
I’ve been meaning to make this post sooner but, strangely, universities value educational stuff over plastic doohickeys
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