Building a Backyard Roller Coaster: The Thrilling Story of Will Pemble
Summary
In this article, we follow the remarkable story of Will Pemble, a roller coaster enthusiast who built a roller coaster in his backyard. With little information available on how to build a roller coaster, Pemble had to figure it out through trial and error while ensuring safety. He has since built five roller coasters, including the latest, the Gold Bos, which is made of steel and located in his Northern California home. The speaker discusses the challenges of building a backyard roller coaster with an inversion, specifically a loop or a barrel roll. They explain that the force on the rider and the track can be dangerous and uncomfortable, and that it takes a lot of labor to build.
Table of Contents
- The Thrill of the Ride
- Ensuring Safety
- Challenges of Building a Backyard Roller Coaster with an Inversion
- Building a Backyard Roller Coaster: Tips and Recommendations
The Thrill of the Ride
Will Pemble’s roller coasters offer a thrilling ride with steep drops, banked turns, and camel humps. The latest coaster, the Gold Bos, lacks an upside-down inversion, but it still provides a thrilling experience. The slow lift hill gives riders time to reflect on their choices before experiencing the thrill of the ride.
Ensuring Safety
Pemble and his collaborator have used math and physics to ensure the coaster’s safety, including testing with a crash test dummy. Adding an upside-down loop presents challenges, including centripetal acceleration and the need for a small radius loop due to the coaster’s limited height. Safety is a top priority for Pemble, and he advises anyone building a backyard roller coaster to go slow, do the math, be careful, and know when not to ride it.
Challenges of Building a Backyard Roller Coaster with an Inversion
The speaker discusses the challenges of building a backyard roller coaster with an inversion, specifically a loop or a barrel roll. The force on the rider and the track can be dangerous and uncomfortable, and it takes a lot of labor to build. The new section of barrel roll track was fitted after the first drop, and the center of gravity of the rider is low, causing the head to whip around and creating a lot of energy.
Building a Backyard Roller Coaster: Tips and Recommendations
Pemble recommends designing a roller coaster with an inversion in mind from day one. He advises anyone building a backyard roller coaster to go slow, do the math, be careful, and know when not to ride it. He also suggests having a crash test dummy like “Todd” on hand.
Conclusion
Building a backyard roller coaster is a challenging and rewarding endeavor. Will Pemble’s story is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and safety. Whether you’re building a roller coaster with an inversion or a simple thrill ride, it’s important to take your time, do your research, and prioritize safety.
