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The largest model railway in the world Locked

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  • Member since
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The largest model railway in the world
Posted by martin67 on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 4:42 PM

Hi all,

see this little movie about the largest model railway in the world, the "Miniatur Wunderland" in Hamburg/Germany. I've been there and it's absolutely exciting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACkmg3Y64_s

Anybody who will ever come over to Good Ole Europe should see this amazing layout.

Cheers,

Martin

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 7:57 PM

Not the first time this has been brought up.  Probably won't be the last.

For this retiree, living on a strictly limited budget, Miniatur Wunderland is kind of like Antarctica.  I know it's there, but it really doesn't interest me.  As for largest, the Russians once built a 4-14-4 so they could claim to have the world's largest rigid-frame steam locomotive...

Chuck (Former statistician modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in a double garage)

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Posted by Steven S on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 8:07 PM

tomikawaTT
As for largest, the Russians once built a 4-14-4 so they could claim to have the world's largest rigid-frame steam locomotive...

Chuck (Former statistician modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in a double garage)

 

Here's an article about it.

http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/russ/russrefr.htm

From the article...

the AA20 was a complete disaster. It spread the track, wrecked every set of points it passed over, and derailed almost every time it moved.

 

Steve S

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Posted by Bigstormgirl on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 8:56 PM

Thank you for posting this.  I would love to see this is person!Big Smile

 

Cindy

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Posted by Graham Line on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 1:49 PM

MW is interesting for its size and some of the creative technology they use.

What is the largest accurate representation of a real railroad that's been built?  I'd guess it's the La Mesa club's Tehachapi, but there are probably others, like RPI's NEB&W (OK, it's freelanced, but prototypically).

Is Northlandz still around? It's big.

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Posted by BroadwayLion on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 2:02 PM

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by joe27 on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 2:31 PM

This is a new video of this layout showing the newest features. This, like all layouts is a work in progress.

 

Joe

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Posted by Motley on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 3:41 PM

Welcome to 2003. Seen it, saw it, did it, done it....

Michael


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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 3:46 PM

As far as I know Northlandz is still kicking.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
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beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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Posted by rogertra on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 5:11 PM

Largest model.............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Y A W N.

Toy trains, not model railways/railroads.  Model railways/railroads operate.  Toy trains run around in mindless circles.

 

 

Cheers

Roger T.

Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com

For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/

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Posted by CTValleyRR on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 5:18 PM

rogertra

Largest model.............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Y A W N.

Toy trains, not model railways/railroads.  Model railways/railroads operate.  Toy trains run around in mindless circles.

Thanks, Roger, for that holier-than-thou opinion and characterization.  Perhaps a new thread, entitled, "You're not a REAL model railroader if..."  Then again, we've been over that tired ground many, many, times before as well.... even more often than Miniatur Wunderland and Northlandz have been brought up here.

A model is a representation of reality, whether actual or imagined.  The method of operation on a given layout does not distinguish between a model and a toy.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that it's amusing when a new member comes running in with the his amazing "discovery" that the old hands have seen a couple of dozen times, but that's no reason to put anyone down.

Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 5:39 PM

rogertra

Largest model.............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Y A W N.

Toy trains, not model railways/railroads.  Model railways/railroads operate.  Toy trains run around in mindless circles.

 

 

YAWN

Thanks for the great news, o wise one.

Next time try to imagine what it must be like to see something of that scale for the first time...instead of being an old curmudgeon...

Debbie Downer.....

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by Odie on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 5:42 PM

 

Must be a Canadian thing to come on here and be ignorant and condescending. Maybe they are just all grumpy that it is wintertime 11.9 months of the year.

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 6:12 PM

Odie

 

Must be a Canadian thing to come on here and be ignorant and condescending. Maybe they are just all grumpy that it is wintertime 11.9 months of the year.

This has nothing to do with nationality..more to do with being a Debby Downer.....

signed Canadian who lives in London Ontario CA.....

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 6:13 PM

Seen it before, but always fun to see it again.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by ChadLRyan on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 6:26 PM

I am always impressed with the amount of talent it must take to create something on that large of scope. It is much more than I will ever want to do.

Another one of the Minatur Wonderland that is really neat (IMHO) is the Airport addition, truely amazing.

About the only Large Layout I have personally visited was the one in Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry. And yes, I thought that was pretty incredible too. One thing that helped, was that they did not run everything at full throttle, they ran them at slower speeds, which added to the effect for me.

Chad L Ryan
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 7:45 PM

I must be one of the few in here who has seen this layout in person - not only once, but 4 times so far. It is a joy to watch this "Wunderland" grow. The amount of detail is amazing, may be a few too many gimmicks, but that´s OK.

The guy who said "Yawn" to it probably has never seen it and is not familiar with European train operation, so his comment lacks any foundation.

EDZ
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Posted by EDZ on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 7:54 PM

Just the maintainence on it must be a lot of work.  Engines running 10hrs a day, 365 days a year probably need custom motor installs or something like that.

"We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."  -Aristotle

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Posted by rogertra on Thursday, December 1, 2011 1:10 AM

Odie

 

Must be a Canadian thing to come on here and be ignorant and condescending. Maybe they are just all grumpy that it is wintertime 11.9 months of the year.

No, it's because I have taste and am not easily impressed.   Just because something is big doesn't make it impressive.  Big is not better.

Northlandz, or however it's spelt, and all the others are just oversized toy train sets.

And where I live we do not have winter 11.9 months of the year.  Now you're showing your ignorance.

Cheers

Roger T.

Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com

For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/

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Posted by rogertra on Thursday, December 1, 2011 1:17 AM

Sir Madog

The guy who said "Yawn" to it probably has never seen it and is not familiar with European train operation, so his comment lacks any foundation.

You're correct, I've never seen it in person, just on YouTube and wasn't impressed by that either.

European train "operation"?  Do you mean prototypical train operation, or model railway "operation"? 

Either way, "operation"  doesn't involve trains mindlessly running laps over numerous circles of track through various unconnected scenes, no matter how large the circles are.  Toy trains on the other hand do run around in mindless circles.

And you are correct, I am not familiar with European train operation as I come from the UK and do know how UK railways operate.

I guess many people are easily pleased.

Cheers

Roger T.

Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com

For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/

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Posted by rogertra on Thursday, December 1, 2011 1:27 AM

CTValleyRR

Now, I'll be the first to admit that it's amusing when a new member comes running in with the his amazing "discovery" that the old hands have seen a couple of dozen times, but that's no reason to put anyone down.

I never put anyone down, just Wunderland, Northlandz et al.

You may be impressed by these commerical tourist attractions but I'm not.  What's wrong with that?

Because I don't agree with the masses and go ga ga over a big toy train set does that makes me wrong?

If everyone else can express their opinions in favour of these tourist traps, why can't I express the opposing view?  Or is everyone supposed to toe the party line?

Cheers

Roger T.

Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com

For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/

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Posted by Odie on Thursday, December 1, 2011 3:25 AM

rogertra

 

If everyone else can express their opinions in favour of these tourist traps, why can't I express the opposing view?  Or is everyone supposed to toe the party line?

 

Nobody gives a rip if you have an opposing view on here...it is when you come on here and act smug about it.

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Thursday, December 1, 2011 6:43 AM

@rogertra:  You are just showing your rough side. Why do you have a hate on for something that has brought a lot of kids into this hobby?

In a way all locomotives go around and around-they go to a destination--get turned around/run backward/get stuck on the wrong end of--a train and back they go. I have a point to point with interchanges at both ends here..and guess what? My locomotives STILL go around to the other side of the layout.

Where is your sense of wonder? The first time you laid eyes on a trainset--did you get all crabby that it was not REAL??

Deal with it--Grump  

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, December 1, 2011 6:57 AM

rogertra

Largest model.............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Y A W N.

Toy trains, not model railways/railroads.  Model railways/railroads operate.  Toy trains run around in mindless circles.

 

Grumpy

Alton Junction

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, December 1, 2011 7:01 AM

World's Smallest Working Model Train Layout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKXYdzH0DKA

Laugh

Alton Junction

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Posted by ChadLRyan on Thursday, December 1, 2011 7:12 AM

richhotrain

World's Smallest Working Model Train Layout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKXYdzH0DKA

Laugh

YesYes

Chad L Ryan
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Posted by blownout cylinder on Thursday, December 1, 2011 7:17 AM

richhotrain

World's Smallest Working Model Train Layout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKXYdzH0DKA

Laugh

But it goes round and round!!!LaughMischiefLaugh

Great piece of work that!!!Thumbs Up

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by MAbruce on Thursday, December 1, 2011 8:20 AM

rogertra

 

If everyone else can express their opinions in favour of these tourist traps, why can't I express the opposing view?  Or is everyone supposed to toe the party line?

I don't think anyone is saying you can't have an opposing view or that you have to toe a party line.  It's just that you could have been more polite about it.

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 1, 2011 9:50 AM

This thread has deteriorated into a member bashing affair. Even if I don´t share this member´s view, it is time to be fair and move on to more fruitful topics.

This thread will be closed now.

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