A few solid days in the shop. I have made some good progress, with only a couple of setbacks. This photo show the view down the chute of the beetle's throat.
Here, some of the initial stretches of track are in place. Lots of trial and error during this process.
On the right side of this photo is a round flange. This creates a very nice whirlpool effect for the marbles as they pass through. Lots of spinning and then a drop.