eub | Larrys homemade funicular

http://www.pfranc.com/projects/funic/funic.htm

My track is made of 6 inch wide "C" steel channel spaced 33 inches apart. It starts at the upper deck of my house extending down to the river at a 45 degree angle. The car has four small wheels that ride on the track with 4 more wheels that run on the inside of the rails to keep the car centered. On top of the car I built a redwood platform 6 feet square with hand rails to match the existing deck of the house.

The idea was to build it to blend in with the deck so well that visitors would not know they were standing on a moving platform. Then when everyone was "loaded" looking at the view, I'd say to them: "Would you like to go down to the river?". It was a lot of fun until this one man totally freaked out - I thought he was going to have a heart attack, so I no longer just push the button anymore. I now explain that this part of the deck will jump and then descend slowly down a track when I press the button, giving the uninitiated a chance to off load. Some people like surprises and others truly do not, to my surprise.

I will be very sad at the gradual disappearance of this sort of site from the web.