shakirfm
Train of thought
My GrandDad picked up this magnificent piece of engineering in miniature from (then West)Germany in 1958.
It has survived an uncountable number of inquisitive and eager little hands which (quite understandably) never tired of its novelty and charm.
It runs on 12V DC (The power adaptor works to this day. It has a knob for speed control and a polarity reversing switch for direction change) fed to the tracks and picked by 2 spring loaded contacts on the underside.
The motor is an open coil surrounded by magnets which drives a worm and wheel (explains the amazing torque!).
The only thing that's plastic is the outer shell.
There are 2 small lights in front (minuscule incandescent bulbs, no more than 3 mm in diameter. LED's were unheard of in those days) The faster the train goes, the brighter they become.
The motor hums in a way that makes it sound like the faint horn of an actual locomotive. Intentional or not, it really adds to its charm.
Brings back memories of summer holidays spent with the track set up on the floor on a carpet, miniature houses and railway crossings, miniature advertising billboards along the track (Yes. I actually drew my own billboards on pieces of cardboard and propped them up using broomsticks.I was actually jobless enough to do something like that-a long time ago) and bridges and tunnels made of cardboard shoe boxes...
and of course, the hotwheels cars crossing the tracks just in the nick of time :)
Train of thought
My GrandDad picked up this magnificent piece of engineering in miniature from (then West)Germany in 1958.
It has survived an uncountable number of inquisitive and eager little hands which (quite understandably) never tired of its novelty and charm.
It runs on 12V DC (The power adaptor works to this day. It has a knob for speed control and a polarity reversing switch for direction change) fed to the tracks and picked by 2 spring loaded contacts on the underside.
The motor is an open coil surrounded by magnets which drives a worm and wheel (explains the amazing torque!).
The only thing that's plastic is the outer shell.
There are 2 small lights in front (minuscule incandescent bulbs, no more than 3 mm in diameter. LED's were unheard of in those days) The faster the train goes, the brighter they become.
The motor hums in a way that makes it sound like the faint horn of an actual locomotive. Intentional or not, it really adds to its charm.
Brings back memories of summer holidays spent with the track set up on the floor on a carpet, miniature houses and railway crossings, miniature advertising billboards along the track (Yes. I actually drew my own billboards on pieces of cardboard and propped them up using broomsticks.I was actually jobless enough to do something like that-a long time ago) and bridges and tunnels made of cardboard shoe boxes...
and of course, the hotwheels cars crossing the tracks just in the nick of time :)