Top: The monorail took five years to make. The track runs 299 feet, 9 inches, and is supported by 36 pylons. Public transportation officials, take note: the total cost of materials for the project, including train, track, and hardware, was $4,070.07, or about $13.58 per foot. Pedersen points out that a mile-long track would run just under $72,000.

Middle: Pedersen working on the track in August 1997. After experimenting with different methods and materials to make curved sections of track, Pedersen settled on using laminated plywood, which he soaked in the family swimming pool to make it easier to shape. He says it was difficult to maintain the curved shape when he drilled the sections together.

Bottom: An early concept drawing from 1988. Pedersen started sketching plans for a backyard monorail in 1969 when he was a junior in high school. His father nixed the idea, though, so he had to wait until he had his own house to build one. He started construction on the monorail in 1996.

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