Gearfuse

I knew a kid named John Kirby growing up in grade school who was both a redheaded outcast and a model train enthusiast. John was really into those fucking trains. He’d build sets, wear a conductor hat and all kinds of fucked up shit. He’s the kind of guy who’d drop $7.49 a piece on these miniature arcade machines from J & C Studios. Standing at 1.75-inches tall, the amount of detail put into each unit is incredible. You can actually see the dots on the Pac-Man screen!

Of course, only retro arcade units are available. No Mortal Kombat here, folks.

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You’ve simply got to watch this entire video of a model Maglev train that’s powered by liquid nitrogen. It gets colder than 183 degrees C (361.4 degrees F) and encounters no resistance. Give it a push on a track and it’ll fly around it perfectly until the liquid nitrogen runs out. I just find it fascinating to watch a model train hover around a track 6mm above it. Watch the above video as my words cannot do science justice.

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With less than one week to go before the 2008 Olympics begin, China has opened up a “super high speed” bullet train to bring athletes and fans back and forth to events in Beijing and Tianjin. Reaching a top speed of nearly 220mph, the new rail line will cut the travel time between the two cities in half.

Construction on the line took over three years and cost a whopping $3.1 million, but first class tickets are still cheap– it’s $10 for first class and $8.40 to go coach. America’s fastest train is Amtrak’s pitiful Acela service, which runs from New York to Boston. Acela has a puny top speed of only 150mph and costs nearly $200 to ride. Epic fail.

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Though it’s not the first vehicle designed to ride on abandoned railroad tracks, the RailRunner is certainly the best looking. Using the power of pedaling, this two-seat vehicle can take you up and down town. Need more room? A 4-seat version is indeed available.

The wheels closely resemble Skyway Tuff II wheels that were used on many BMX bikes back in the 1980s, so I’m assuming they can take some abuse. Slowly, but surely, a few groups of Railriders are meeting up throughout the US to fly down tracks and enjoy the rush. I’d love to give it a try, though I’d be scared shitless if a train horn was heard in the distance.

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