The worker is part of the mechanism: Bing’s little sawyer

Bing’s sawyer is more than a figure placed beside a tool. His jointed arms hold a large frame saw over a log on a trestle, with a connecting rod running down towards the drive beneath it.

The museum identifies the piece as an Antriebsmodell: an accessory made to receive power from another model, such as a small steam engine. Belts and pulleys allowed a model engine to drive workshop scenes and machinery. The linkage here turns the drive into the sawyer’s repeated stroke.

The decoration gives the worker a checked cap, moustache and green apron. The log, trestle, saw and figure all share a small green metal base.

The museum dates this example to the 1920s or 1930s. Which driven accessories have you connected to a model steam engine?