Snowzilla in Mattapan
The MBTA uses a Korean War-era jet engine mounted on a train to keep a short section of the Mattapan line clear of snow.
Transportation
Rings of Saturn
I can’t say I’m convinced of the viability of this amusement ride concept by Thomas Casey, however I’m entranced by the model version that he shows off in this video.
Smugglers caught with weed-flinging catapult
My pal Alan Dove has thoughtfully suggested that these guys might’ve done better to build themselves a trebuchet.
Aerial tram- and cable-ways
Low-tech magazine is back with another well-written and thoroughly-researched article from Kris de Kecker, this one covering the history and evolution of elevated-cable systems for hauling cargo and people. As always, Kris’s updates are informative and inspirational. [Thanks, Blake!]
Self-balancing pogo stick
“iHop” is a toy robot that can hop. It uses two independently actuated arms in order to simultaneously hop and balance in the lateral plane. The “sagittal” plane is stabilized by torque applied to the two drive wheels (note that the wheels are, for the most part, stationary due to the lack of disturbances about […]
Monster Krupp bucket excavator eats stray bulldozers
Stumbling upon these photos was a strange moment for me. I’ve been playing Borderlands recently, and it had never occurred to me that the monster excavator from the video game might’ve been based on a real-world machine–a real-world machine which, just by eyeballing it, looks like it might actually be bigger than the video game version. Dark Roasted Blend has a good article with lots of deets on the monster machine.
Worlds smallest solar movie theater in a trailer
I’m often surprised how much one can fit inside a trailer. Check out this deceptively accommodating movie theater crammed into a recycled 1960’s era travel trailer. It’s solar powered and comes complete with ticket booth, concession stand, and seating for eight adults.
