Ever since I was a kid I have admired toys that were nothing less than working models of real machinery. I mentioned this before in my post on the scratch built railroad crane. This is one of the aspect of the live steam hobby that is appealing. Miniature steam engines can be made from the same materials as their full size counterparts-- in some cases replicating full size machines down to each individual nut and bolt.
Today's model is not steam-- instead I bring you a working model of an internal combustion engine. This model is made in germany of CNC machined parts. As a desktop curiosity this toy is one of the coolest things around. It runs on butane or propane. To run the engine you simply open a small gas valve and spin the flywheel. The engine roars to life-- occasionally shooting small blue flames from the dual exhaust pipes. It uses a piezo igniter to provide a charge to a miniature working spark plug. To get a closer look at this miniature working piece of engineering set your throttle to full and visit the Maier Internal Combustion Engine in the Machinery Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.
Full steam ahead...
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