Interview with automaton-maker Matt Smith of Fourteen Balls Toy Company

The Woodworking Projects & Plans site features an interview with British automaton-maker Matt Smith of Fourteen Balls Toy Company. Smith started in the 1980s working in collaboration with one of the other great names in contemporary automata, Paul Spooner. Working on his own now, Smith continues to make ingenious, humorous automata. He accepts many large commissions for public spaces such as the one shown here. In the photo above, the artist poses next to a piece titled The Gun Factory at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which features five different scenes and numerous figures in motion.

According to Smith, his pieced titled The Boneshakers (above) may be his favorite. The automaton depicts three skeleton cyclists being chased by a dog. In turn, each skeleton spins its heads to see if the dog is still in pursuit.

See more automata by Matt Smith on the Fourteen Balls Toy Company web site.

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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The Wunderland - wolrd's largest model railway in Hamburg, Germany

Several people have been kind enough to send me a link to this video of a HUGE model railway. Though millions have already seen it, I think it's appropriate to post it again here in the name of completeness. So, just in case you somehow missed it, prepare to be amazed by The Wunderland.

From the video description:

The Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg, the largest model railway in the world, and one of the most successful tourist attractions in Germany. On the 1,300 square meter layout, more than a thousand trains, aircraft, cars and ships move about. A wonder of the world in miniature.

The Miniatur Wunderland includes an incredible level of detail. There are entire sections of the model that depict an airport, Switzerland, Scandinavia, America, Germany, Austria, and various regions in the Alps. Plans to add sections depicting Italy and France are underway.

Believe it or not, this is a model and NOT a photograph of an actual airport. Incredible.

You can find a lot more information at http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com. Readers of The Automata Blog might also be interested in the English section of their forum that deals with various aspects of model building and The Wunderland itself.

[ Thanks to Charles, Jarva, and others! ]

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The worlds largest and most detailed model railway

Check out this incredibly detailed and ambitious model roalroad. To call it a "model railroad" though is kind of insufficient because it depicts so much more that trains. Simply incredible.

[ Thanks Will, Bill, and Thomas!]

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Neil Hardy automaton with changing scenes!

Check out this exceptional multi-scene automaton by Neil Hardy entitled Survival of the Fittest. The ebay seller bought it directly from the artist some 12 years ago and has to let it go.

From the ebay description:

It has recently been restored to full working order by Neil in his workshop, but unfortunately I can no longer keep it. There is no reserve and the starting price is less than I paid for it more than ten years ago.

It is 16" high, 14" wide (including handle) and 12" deep - a large piece!

See the video for how it works - the piece is run from a large geneva wheel which steps through the four endangered species before opening the double doors in the body of the piece to reveal a rather less endangered one.

It's a brilliant piece - effectively 5 works in one - and as cunning and delightful as any contemporary automata.

Here is the full ebay listing for this Neil Hardy automaton with changing scenes.

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