The world's smallest working train set... it's the size of a fingernail.

Measuring a tiny eighth of an inch by quarter of an inch, this carefully crafted piece of engineering is the world's smallest working train model.

The five-carriage train, which is 35,200 times smaller than a real train, nips around an oval route even taking in a ride through a tunnel on its three-quarter inch track.

Created by New Jersey train enthusiast David Smith, the miniscule model was built using nothing more fancy than a craft knife and a steady hand.


Part of 55-year-old David's larger model train set at his home in Tom's River, the tiny locomotive was completed two months ago.

'This model train set is going to be part of the larger train set I have at home,' says David.

'I am creating a fictitious village called James River Branch and this model train is going to be placed inside the model shop I am building as part of the re-creation.

'It is going to be a model train village inside a model, so it is very post-modern.'

Powered by a standard two-inch-long rotating motor head and carved out of moldable plastic, the model train cost David just over £6 to make.

'The motor can be bought from K-Mart or any hobby store in America,' says David.

'There is a slight optical illusion with this train model though.

'There are no tracks and the train and carriages are carved out of plastic stuck atop the motor.

'This gives the impression of a train following the oval track.

'But, still, it is impressively small.'

With James River Branch still under construction, David has yet to install the tiny model train inside the model shop in his model village.

'To get a sense of scale you have to remember that the River Branch project is being built to the scale of 1-220,' says David.

'It has taken up two-and-a half-years of my life and is going to be very impressive once it is finished.'

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Amazing Giant Hand Buried in the Atacama Desert

It looks like the extremity of a giant man, buried by a monumental sandstorm. In the wasteland of Chile’s Atacama Desert, 75 km to the south of the city of Antofagasta, a strange and unexpected sight confronts the eye: four fingers, a thumb and part of a palm, emerging from the sand. Set against the azure sky, this surreal giant hand is of course not made of flesh but stone. Called “Mano de Desierto”, or “Hand of the Desert”, it is a piece of art that grabs those who see it like no other.
The work of Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal, the massive sculpture rises 36 feet in the air atop a base made of iron and cement. The piece was constructed at an elevation of 3608 feet above sea level on the virtually rainless plateau of the Atacama Desert – the driest in the world. Yet despite its isolated and arid location, vehicles regularly pull up and people pile out to take in the desert artwork – a must stop for those travelling along the Panamerican Highway since its inauguration in 1992.
After studying philosophy and art at the University of Notre Dame, IN, and theology at the Università Gregoriana Pontificia in Rome, artist Mario Irarrázabal trained under the German sculptor Otto Waldemar. He first exhibited his work in Chile in 1970, using the human figure to express themes such as injustice, loneliness, sorrow and torture. The exaggerated proportions like those evident in the “Hand of the Desert” are seen to emphasise human vulnerability and helplessness.
You might think such an exceptional sculpture was one of a kind, but hands are a recurring subject in Irarrázabal’s work. “Monumento al Ahogado”, the “Monument to the Drowned”, is an earlier and more well-known sculpture completed by the artist in 1982 consisting of five fingers partially submerged by sand on a beach in Punta del Este, a popular resort town in Uruguay. Similar sculptures were also created by Irarrázabal in Madrid in 1987 and Venice in 1995.
Yet despite these other works, the hand rising from the Atacama Desert retains its own mystique, perhaps because of the barren landscape on which it stands. Graffiti sometimes besmirches the colossal structure so it must occasionally be cleaned, but otherwise “Mano de Desierto” is well-preserved and will likely stay that way for years to come. Who knows? This uncanny monument to the human form may well remain long after we are gone from this world.

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Giraffe and goat form unlikely friendship when kept in same enclosure

They'll always have a very different outlook on life.

But even though Gerald the giraffe is rather lofty and Eddie the goat is more down to earth, they are the perfect pairing.

They have formed an unlikely bond after Eddie was placed with 15ft Gerald as a short-term solution to keep the giraffe company at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol.
Three years on the pair are as close as ever. Keeper Sammi Luxa said: 'They hit it off straight away, and Eddie has proved to be a great companion for Gerald.

'They bonded from day one and you can always see them running around the enclosure chasing each other.

'They are a real hit with our visitors - outside of the zoo nobody has ever seen anything like this before. We just thought it was normal for a giraffe and a goat to get along so well.

'Although Gerald eats off a raised platform and Eddie grazes from the floor, they like to be close to each other when they eat.

'Gerald even lets Eddie get his nose in the trough first.
'They are always together and they really are best mates despite the obvious height difference.

'One of the zebras they live with called Zebedee can be a bit of a bully sometimes and often chases Eddie.

'But he soon turns tail when Gerald steps in a shoos him away - he is a very loyal giraffe to Eddie.'

Gerald arrived at the zoo as a two-year-old in 2006 and was expected to be quickly matched with a female.

But when the zoo found it difficult to find him a mate, they put Eddie in his enclosure to prevent him becoming lonely.
Ms Luxa told how the pair are often affectionate with each other, particularly during the Summer months.

She said: 'When it is warmer Gerald often bends down and licks Eddie on the head.

'Eddie then climbs onto Gerald's neck and gives him a cuddle.

'Whenever the public come and visit the animals, the pair always go to see them together.

'It would be good if we can get a female giraffe for Gerald but there can be a lot of red tape to get through.

'I think Eddie will be ok if Gerald gets a mate moved into the enclosure. He isn't really the jealous type, but you never know.'

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14 Awesome and Creative Bloody Designs

Collection of bloody designs that you can use to spice up your home decor or play pranks on your friends.

Bloody Bathroom Mat

Bloody Coffee Mug

Bloody Shower Curtain

Bloody Chairs

Bloody Bookmark

Bloody Business Card

Bloody Dinner Plates

Blood Puddle Pillows

Bleeding Candles

Bloody iPhone Case

Watchmen Bloody Doomsday Clock

Bloody Lamp

Bloody Kitchen Knife

Bloody Table

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12 Awesome and Bizarre beds in the world

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7 Bizarre Bugs with Human Faces

These mini warriors have pretty smart warfare defences. Shield bugs, or stink bugs, have glands in their thorax (the part between the head and the abdomen) between their first and second pair of legs that produce a foul-smelling liquid, which is used for defense and released when the bug feels threatened.

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Awesome peacock feathers Art

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