Handcar Regatta

Peruse a majority of the race teams entered for 2009 Great Handcar Regatta:

Regatta Railcar Racers

The fanciful mechanical concoctions to be witnessed this year will amaze, astound, and, with Lady Luck’s serendipitous caress, inspire too The People in attendance! Huzzah!

Engineers’ Arcade Gallery
The Engineers’ Arcade also has updated photographic depictions, featuring:

• Hennepin Crawler by Krank-Boom-Clank
• The Screaming Vortex by Andy Graham
• Shefield’s Fantastic Pump Trolly
• Two Penny by Todd Barricklow
• Wonkatania by Uff-Da-Loompas

More race team documentation is sure to arrive subsequently.

Far above and beyond most any tinkerers on the this mighty globe are the Mentor hackers, François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice, behind the astonishing mechanical works known as Les Machines de l’Ile.

In their own eloquent words:

The Machines de l’Ile is an extraordinary artistic project like you’ve never seen before. …it is a blend of the invented worlds of Jules Verne, the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci, and the industrial history of Nantes, on this exceptional site of the former shipyards.

Not to be missed is this dedicated group’s intention to revive street theater and grandiose spectacle out into the public sphere for people to interact with and enjoy. Furthering this notion of public display is the open nature of their atelier (workshop) and building process. Their gorgeous designs and prototype pieces are available for public viewing and tours within the large former shipyard space where they build.

The fascination of their technical and aesthetic wizardry is revealed by mounting disbelief and awe when viewing each and every photograph that can be found. Each image is more fantastic than the last!

Perhaps the crowning achievement so far is The Great Elephant:

This gigantic animal, 12-metre high by 8-metre wide, lives in the largest warehouse. When the majestic animal goes out for its walk, it is like architecture in motion departing a steel cathedral. The 49 passengers on board embark on an amazing journey on the Ile de Nantes. Each time the pachyderm goes out, it is a unique spectacle for everyone to enjoy.

These outstanding tinkerers are not resting upon their laurels yet! New and amazing projects are constantly in motion.

Examples are The Future Machines including:

• The Marine Worlds Carrousel
  Rising nearly 25 m high and measures 20 m in diameter. It features 27 moving underwater creatures on three levels: the ocean floor, the depths, and sea and boats.
• The Heron Tree
  This steel tree 45 m in diameter and 28 m high will be topped by two herons. Visitors will be able to take a circular flight on the bird’s wings and walk from branch to branch in the amazing hanging gardens.

Indeed, the world is a better place for the genius and beauty of Les Machines de l’Ile.

Artist and mechanical maestro, Todd Barricklow, is well into production on his rail-sled type vehicle that may otherwise be called an “Idita-Railcar” for its sled dog style configuration.

See it in the Engineers’ Arcade!

The Long Now Foundation have devised the Mechanicrawl event along the San Francisco waterfront to showcase hidden mechanical astonishments of San Francisco’s yesteryear.

The date is this Saturday, July 12th, 2008, from 3pm to 8pm. The distance from Pier 45 to The Exploratorium is 2.38 miles and includes free bike parking along the route.

The uniquely stupendous attractions include:

• The Exploratorium
  Famed interactive exhibits on science, art and human perception
• The Long Now Museum
  Eight foot high mechanical planetarium, a “walking bearing”, the Equation of Time Cam, a sphere of solid tungsten, a microetched language archive and more
• Musee Mecanique and its Steam-Powered Motorcycle
  See turn of the century automata including San Francisco’s own “Laffing Sal”, mechanically operated musical instruments, a rare steam powered motorcycle, classic video games from the 70’s on and much, much more
• San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Fresnel Lens
  Working exhibits of block and tackle, capstans to load and unload cargo, a giant Fresnel lens and more boat lore and mechanical ingenuity await you at this waterfront park
• SS Jeremiah O’Brien Steam Engine
  This massive [3 stories tall!] engine room of one of the last few Liberty Ships, many of which were made here in the Bay Area, was used as the engine room set for the Titanic movie!
• USS Pampanito’s Mammoth Mechanical Torpedo Computer
  The USS Pampanito diesel electric submarine has recently completed a renovation of its Torpedo Data Computer, one of the most complex electro-mechanical computers ever put into service
• The Wave Organ
  The Wave Organ is an acoustic sculpture constructed in San Francisco Bay by the Exploratorium
• Burning Man Artwork
  The route will also feature various remarkable mechanical and steam projects as seen at Burning Man

The recent reigning monarchs of the Hacker / Doer / Artist movement combining arts, technology, modification, and good old-fashioned fun is found in the rising star called MAKE Magazine and their sister publication, Craft. Both are headquartered just next door to winsome Santa Rosa in Sebastopol, CA.

Knowing a kindred spirit when they see one, the goodly folks at MAKE have decided to join our illustrious cause to rouse and stimulate the Northern California populous with a copious dosage of ARTISTIC AND MECHANICAL WONDERS! Let us call it “Play-ticipation!”

Plans are to bring their modified MAKE: Fire Truck, originally acquired from the stately continent of Europe. In addition, demonstrations of multifarious projects and contraptions are to be displayed for the tutelage of our fair youth and the enlightenment of all generations.

The Handcar Regatta is set to shatter the shackles of humdrum human perspectives and nurture the tender germination of creation for both young and old. Those who would abandon The Great Handcar Regatta are base charlatans and unfit for the modern-today!