A railroad section car or handcar operated by the up/down strokes of a central hammer by a crew of one or two. It was originally used for maintaining railroad right of way on unoccupied tracks. The model is occupied by two hand-carved and clothed figures with the appropriate tools. Moving the pump handles operates the car’s wheels, which are suspended slightly above the track.
Birk Petersen created a vast array of projects over his lifetime, ranging from miniature engines to hand-cranked animations and more. He built functional miniatures like a 1/3 scale Gatling gun or a 1/4 scale Case steam tractor, but he also built mechanical creations for the fun and enjoyment of his family. When Birk passed away in 2015, his family graciously donated over 150 items from his collection for display at the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum, where they are currently on display. We thank the Petersen family for sharing his extensive collection, which demonstrates the broad interests and many talents of Birk Petersen.