World's smallest working train set measures 1/8 inch x 1/4 inch — or so it would appear

True.

Here's an October 24, 2009 Telegraph story about the 1:35,200 scale model (above) built by New Jersey model train enthusiast David Smith.

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World's smallest working model train set unveiled

At 1-35,200 scale to the real thing, the five-carriage train travels around an oval route including a ride through a tunnel.

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

Mr Smith, 55, from Toms River, said: "This model train set is going to be part of the larger train set I have at home.

"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 postmodern"

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

"To get a sense of scale you have to remember that the River Branch project is being built to the scale of 1-220," Mr Smith added.

"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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From Geek.com, more about the back story:

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World's smallest train layout is incredibly tiny

From large size electronic arcade games we go to the other extreme of proportion to very small train models. And when I say small I mean, very small, like make-your-eyes-cross small. What I am talking about is a train model layout created by David Smith that is actually an N-Scale model that goes into a Z-Scale model layout. For those of us that don’t speak model train lingo, we are talking a combined scale ratio of 1 to 35,200. Now that’s small.

When you watch the video [top], you might be saying to yourself, “How in the world did someone build model trains that tiny?” Well, if you keep watching the video the trick is explained that it isn’t really tiny trains circling a miniature track at all.

The trains you are watching are actually made from notches on a flexible tube that has been colored with a silver sharpie to represent a passenger and fitted over a small gear motor. This tube has fitted inside a layout that has been created from several pieces of styrene, the thickest part measuring only .060-inches.  Then by using smaller pieces of styrene, squadron putty, and additional sharpie colorations, the layout was made to look like a complete train model landscape with mountain, tunnel and tiny buildings – just on an incredibly small scale.

Now, some of you model train enthusiasts may be complaining that this is not an actual train layout with working miniature trains. Well, I won’t argue with you there. But you have to admit that David Smith is very ingenious for even coming up with this tiny train illusion.

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From Hack a Day:

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This train layout is so small it nearly defies photography as much as it defies expectations. Built by model railroad enthusiast David Smith, this is a model of a model: an N scale (1:160) layout inside a Z scale (1:220) world!

Of course with this being Hack a Day you know there’s going to be some shenanigans involved. Pause the hi-def YouTube video [top] at the 0:50 mark and see if you can puzzle it out first. The remainder of the video and David’s project page reveal how this all works, and it’s no less amazing even with the trick exposed. Check out his other ludicrously small mechanical wonders as well!

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[via Milena and Retro Thing]