ModelTrain
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Hidepon Works turbine train: small enough to be adorable, big enough to ride
Well, don't ever knock Japan for not considering absolutely everything. The home to some of the world's biggest, cleanest and fastest trains is also home to one of the most minuscule, but unlike those toys you'll unwrap during the holiday season, this bad boy actually serves a bona fide purpose. Designed and showcased by Hidepon Works, the contraption you see above is actually a gas turbine-powered model train, and while it's small enough to bring a smile to your infant's face, it's large / powerful enough to actually get a conductor from one location to the next. Only problem? Paying for the railway infrastructure.
TrainPlayer
TrainPlayer is a model train layout and modeling tool for people who are really into model trains. You can download (i.e. purchase) a variety of track layouts, or even design your own with the accompanying TrackLayer, and then run your trains. The graphics are relatively simple; it's not really a game but rather a design tool "for the evolving railroader -- one who stares at track plans and dreams of an empty basement."There are several editions of TrainPlayer for Mac from $29.95 to 79.95 and a demo is avaiable.[Via MacNN]
Rig of the Day: HyperCard and model trains
We like this one a lot. Flickr user rudolf_mittelmann has posted a nice shot of his PowerBook Duo 280c running a custom-built HyperCard stack that controls the train you see zipping past. Classic Macs running classic software to complete atypical tasks make us happy."PowerBook Duo 280c" posted by rudolf_mittelmann. For the month of April, the theme for our Rig of the Day will be "Vintage Macs" in honor of Apple's anniversary. If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. Let's see your vintage Macs (Apples and Newtons, too)! We'll select an image every day to highlight.
