There is a prototype for everything... (worldwide, I guess)

[SwallowAngel]

Was casually browsing through YouTube when i stumbled across... this?

 

 

And because there was no fitting thread, I thought it was time to start one.

 

It looks like somebody just put their whole train collection in a row to show it off...

[Beaver]

Quite possibly the world's shortest working railway.

 

 

It's at the preserved slate mines at Llechwedd, up in Ffestiniog country. Tours of the deep levels go up and down on the yellow funicular car just visible at bottom left. Downward passengers board on one side, upward passengers alight on the other, passing opposite ends of a 2ft gauge wagon used as a storage bin for the safety helmets.

 

However, the two paths aren't quite close together enough for people on both sides to easily reach the helmets. So the wagon moves back and forth half it's own length along the scrap of track, picking up helmets from people coming up and carrying them over to the people going down. The red motor at top right operates a winch to move the wagon, the ropes visible between the wheels.