Huh, I'd always assumed the ball simply closed a circuit when it rode on the rails, and that's how it knew when to turn the magnet on and off, with suitable del

Huh, I'd always assumed the ball simply closed a circuit when it rode on the rails, and that's how it knew when to turn the magnet on and off, with suitable delays. It does seem to me you could still do it that way, but it'd probably be more difficult.