If you don't have the space for all of the tools, or would rather start off
with something a little more straightforward - then consider buying a Marble Run
or Ball Run toy. This way you don't have to learn a not of new things, but
instead just follow the directions, and follow your imagination!
Notice that the spacewarp has a helical lift, and the chaos tower
has a nice long chain lift. You decide.



I would recommend either toy shown here, but there are many ball run toys
on the market. The one at the top is a Spacewarp. This is the toy that started
it all for me 10 years ago. The toy at the bottom is a Chaos Tower. The frame
can be up to 6' tall, and with two sets, even taller. All you have to do is supply
your ideas in an infinite number of combinations.

Brands you can look for:
Skyrail - Haba - Scalino - Cuboro - Quadrilla - Mindware

We bought our son a Chaos Tower for Christmas, so I would get to play with it... : )
I mean, so that I could help him play with it...
I'll post some pictures on this page when we get something built.
So for, though, it's a very nice set and I highly recommend it
for anyone who wants to make an rbs without all of the expensive
tooling and space.