Northlandz is a joke.

[Pruitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Robert Knapp

...and I may go again in the future.
Bob K.

Don't waste your time, Bob. I went six or seven years ago and, allowing it the parody of life it really is, thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I went again last year and was every bit a s thoroughly disappointed. The longest trains are three cars, and quite a few of the loops don't even run trains anymore. Scenery isa cracked and broken in quite a few places. Debris has fallen to all the low spots, and no one even bothers to clean it up.

Until they close down for awhile to refurb everything, it isn't worth a fraction of what they charge.

[Anonymous]

As a wannabe 'serious' modeler I'm not impressed with Northlanz, but if my family were driving thru NJ and my 7yr-old daughter knew it was nearby, she'd be BEGGING to visit the place! Her young mind hasn't had enough time to become jaded and critical, unlike her ol' man...[B)]

[ereimer]

i haven't been , if i ever find myself in NJ with a couple of hours to kill i'd probably go for a look . seems a shame to me though that someone would spend the kind of money this must have cost , and continues to cost for maintainance and replacement parts and not build an operating model railroad . as long as it works as a tourist attraction i guess it's doing it's job , and we can't really judge it as a model railroad since it was never meant to be one

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ARTHILL

I would love to visit. I also like House on the Rock and his collections. I don't see Northlandz as a joke but as one person's attempt at large. I love the bridges. I love the tongue in cheek. We all play with trains, and he is big and expensive. Three story mountains impress me. As a rich man's toys go, it is a good one. We went to see the model of "The Chinees warriers" and the Forbidden City near Houston. It was impressive if you took it for what it is. I do think I make better trees than he does.

Art, funny you should mention "House on the Rock", because all the time I spent reading and responding to this topic, I was thinking of that place. It is one of the strangest collections of stuff I have ever seen. Many times while wandering through it's maze of galleries, I got some pretty creepy vibes. Mondo Bizzaro!!! and on a grand scale.

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones
If they have so much cash, why not custom weather some BLI or Atlas locos and operate them? I'd be much more pleasant to watch and enhance the overall experience.

Probably because, if the trains were weathered, the public would comment, "Geez, why doesn't he clean those trains once in a while!" The old Lionel layouts never ran weathered engines or rolling stock, so the public would be highly unlikely to even understand what it represented on a model railroad, were it present. You can't view something like Northlandz and evaluated it from a model railroader's perspective.

As to those "crappy" Mantua engines running on the layout, they have all been rebuilt and remotored for thousands of hours of trouble-free operation. They are much heavier than any BLI, most Atlas, or similar "modern" locomotives, much more sure footed on the tracks and much less likely to derail. There's a lot to be said for "old" technology if you want to keep things running! I think that quite a few Mantua's are also used on the spectacular City Bank Christmas layout in NYC, for the same reasion.

CNJ831

[AggroJones]

For a layout that large and dramatic looking, I'm shocked they run such crappy trains on it. One would expect to see some well weathered, detailed stuff rolling over those spectacular bridges. Nope. Its like tyco, mantua, and other crap.

If they have so much cash, why not custom weather some BLI or Atlas locos and operate them? I'd be much more pleasant to watch and enhance the overall experience.

[2c]

[ARTHILL]

I would love to visit. I also like House on the Rock and his collections. I don't see Northlandz as a joke but as one person's attempt at large. I love the bridges. I love the tongue in cheek. We all play with trains, and he is big and expensive. Three story mountains impress me. As a rich man's toys go, it is a good one. We went to see the model of "The Chinees warriers" and the Forbidden City near Houston. It was impressive if you took it for what it is. I do think I make better trees than he does.

[cmrproducts]

Isn’t Nortlanz just a big layout that goes round and round. Similar to about 90% of the home layouts shown in most of the model magazines and Videos/DVDs and talked about here on the forums.

If the home layout owners like roundy rounds then Northlanz is right at the top of the list!


BOB H – Clarion, PA

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jrbernier

I think you have to understand what it was built for - Public entertainment! It has nothing to do with scale model railroading. It is hard to make a comparison to what you or I want to do. A few years ago, some freinds visited and looked at my model railroad. The usual comments/questions were:

o - Why is it 'slow', can it go faster?(and these are adults).

o - Why do I have stub end spurs(should I not have the tracks connected on each end)?

o - We know of this guy who has operating log loaders/giraffe car/etc....

o - Are you going to add more 'loops' so you can run more trains?

These were all fair questions: The visitors are thinking in a different 'box', and they are looking at this as entertainment. After all was said and done, they loved to see the layout. What 'we' have to understand is that 'our world' is far different than what their expectations are. A few of these 'visitors' have been over later and start to grasp what I am doing, but it takes time fo this stuff to 'soak in'!

Jim

Thanks Noah!

Jim, you have a perfect grasp of the situation. Northlandz wasn't built for model railroaders. It was built for the general public, who know little or nothing of our hobby. Can we do better? Would we do better? Of course, but in it's own special way, Northlandz promotes our hobby.

If even one child comes away with a lasting impresion about trains, we all win.

The display that I built was not exactly what I wanted, it was what I knew I could sell. Though as a business it ultimately failed, as a concept it was highly successful, attracting well over 100,000 people the first year.

Now that I'm working in my basement, with no pressure to produce, I can do what I want.

No offense to Stuckarmchairing, because on a modeling level I agree with him, but when you understand the BIG PICTURE, Northlandz ain't so bad. The people at Kalmbach understand this, and are willing to devote editorial space to get the word out. There are people promoting our hobby, and at minimum, they deserve acknowledgment in our world, if not our direct support.

[emdgp92]

I stopped at Northlandz on the way back from the 2003 PCRRHS convention in Connecticut . Yeah, some of the scenery was a bit crude...but we must remember that it's aimed at a different type of "audience." The average viewer sometimes doesn't appreciate the 'fine details" that we're used to.

[Noah Hofrichter]

I'll back up Elliot's comments about the HO layout at the Museum of Science and industry in Chicago; I've been there and it's great.. For those of you who say you don't like the toyish look, the MS&I's layout is nothing like that. While the trains may be going in a loop, it's one big loop, it doesn't really double back on itself, and there are sidings represented, with non-moving trains in them. Things like a lumber mill, flood coal loader, intermodule port, ect. And the scenery is really good. This layout is much more realistic than Northlandz, or at least it looks better than the pictures I've seen of Northlandz.

Noah

[Anonymous]

Gee, this is a tough crowd. [:)] Although I've only seen the layout via TV (HD), put me down as one who likes it. I enjoy seeing lots of trains running at the same time.

How else would you do it and still maintain a minimal operating staff? I suppose if you have a Disney type skills and a budget to match you could come up with a computer controlled layout would be fun for the public to watch.

I've been to open houses on operational type layouts when they had only one train at a time running around. If you don't have enough people there to run it, it can be awfully boring.

Bill

[jrbernier]

I think you have to understand what it was built for - Public entertainment! It has nothing to do with scale model railroading. It is hard to make a comparison to what you or I want to do. A few years ago, some freinds visited and looked at my model railroad. The usual comments/questions were:

o - Why is it 'slow', can it go faster?(and these are adults).

o - Why do I have stub end spurs(should I not have the tracks connected on each end)?

o - We know of this guy who has operating log loaders/giraffe car/etc....

o - Are you going to add more 'loops' so you can run more trains?

These were all fair questions: The visitors are thinking in a different 'box', and they are looking at this as entertainment. After all was said and done, they loved to see the layout. What 'we' have to understand is that 'our world' is far different than what their expectations are. A few of these 'visitors' have been over later and start to grasp what I am doing, but it takes time fo this stuff to 'soak in'!

Jim

[Anonymous]

$13.75 for adults to get in, might be a little steep after looking at the pictures of it on there website.

[Leon Silverman]

In case nobody noticed, I suspect that that reported $9 million were donations from New Jersey based manufacturers. When I visited Northlands, the door to the control room was open. I saw rows and rows of MRC powerpacks. If you assume that the track is also Atlas. MRC, Atlas, Mantua. These all are, or were, based in New Jersey.
I agree with the sentiment expressed here. This place would not warrant a second visit from me. On ther other hand, If I am ever in San Diego again, I would want make a return visit to the model railroad club in Balboa Park .

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roger Traviss

Ah, but Northlandz was (is) a Model Railroader advertiser, therefore it deserved coverage and you must go visit, even if it is a piece of crap.

[:0][:0][:0]

[Anonymous]

Obviously no one took the time to watch the Northlandz segment of the free DVD.

They're looking at a huge expansion in the near future.

[CNJ831]

I suspect rrandb is the only one to understand what Northlandz actually is. It has never claimed, nor been portrayed to be, a realistic model railroad. No where I've seen does it say that Northlandz is meant to in any way rival the Franklin & South Manchester. It is a model train display open to, and intended for, the general public. As rrandb also indicates, it is rather along the lines of the old Lionel, Christmastime, major store window displays of the 1940's and 50's that held shopping crowds and kids spellbound. Huge by any standards and to the general public seeming truly awesome, in that sense it has fully realized its goal.

CNJ831

[cwclark]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lotus098

What is it?

northlanz is this big ho scale model railroad in New Jersey that's like a mile long and three stories high...it's a very strange layout with lots of tongue in cheek scenery and grandious mountain ranges with massive train bridges that practically stack on top of each other...a lot of purists (including myself) don't and can't appreciate places like this..there's no meaning to the madness..no industries or switching...the trains just run in loops with no final destinations...it's not what you would call a prototypical railroad...just a mass of contineous running trains...I believe they run up to 300 trains at one time...personally I don't like layouts like northlanz because I like railroads that have a since of meaning where trains run on a fast clock, have way bills and a sense of order, but it is an oddity, probably because of the massive size of the layout ...chuck

[cacole]

Well, just the fact that it's a "Tourist Attraction" should have been enough of a clue -- a mini-Disneyland setting.

[Soo Line fan]

At $13.75 a head and with a restaurant stop, he might be laughing all the way to the bank.

Jim

[Big_Boy_4005]

I guess this falls into the catagory of "bigger is not necessarily better". I haven't visited, and really have no plans to. My only exposure has been through the MR article a few years back. I did come away with that "cheesey" impression.

For those who want to see quality work in HO, the "new" layout at the Museum of Science and Industry should be more to your taste. Again, I've only seen it in the pages of MR, however it IS on my "to do" list. The old O scale layout was pretty impressive in it's day also.

As much as I am into realistic railroad modeling, there is nothing wrong with roundy round displays, if they are done well. A couple of great examples are The Choo Choo Barn, and Roadside America, both in Pennsylvania, and both featuring Lionel Trains.

The truth is, it is very challenging to try to make a lot of trains run continually for a public display. So, in that regard, there is something to be said for Northlandz accomplishment. I know, because my layout was once featured in MR. See my profile for more information.

[rrandb]

It sounds an awful lot like you were describing a classic Lionel layout that could have been found in many department store windows for many years. This a toy train layout. I do not beleive it has ever been represented as a "realistic layout" only the largest. The only one here that is under an "illusion" was you if you thought you were going to see a "realistic layout".. There is very strong evidence that you are in fact a rivit counter if you were not able to enjoy Northlandz for what it is. When you are able to do better then you will be in a position to criticize this one mans life work. AS they say in Missiouri " SHOW ME" and I am sure the world will beat a path to your door and we can count your rivets to see if you got it right to our satisfaction??? [?] [2c]

[Anonymous]

Wicked photos on the website....
I would almost imagine the "California Raisins" to come out and do a dance with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and a whole bunce of Claymation classics.

Or, in post-modern terms, I think Northlandz inspired some scenes from Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings ... Star Wars at least.

[rolleiman]

http://www.northlandz.com/

I'd like to see it someday but am not going to make a special trip to do it..

stuckamchairing, Weren't you the one a couple weeks ago complaining about all the Useless threads?? and yes, I chose to perpetuate this one..

Jeff

[twhite]

Okay, maybe I'm dangerously out of the loop, but WHAT and WHERE is this Northlandtz that everyone's talking about?
This inquiring mind wants to know.
Tom [?]

[bogp40]

It's not a piece of crap. I saw it years ago, not knowing that it is a whimsical, Dr Seus like attraction. Yes, I was disapointed, expecting something more on the lines of a true model RR. Even my young children 8-10 yrs, at the time, said that the scenery looked like it was thrown on and spread with a shovel. Something of this huge scale probably was done with a large mixer and shoveled on anyway. About 8-10 years ago, MR did an article on Northlandz. I feel that they should have mentioned that it is quite a comical- non prototype tourist attraction. This way I would have known what to expect. It is still worth seeing, and I may go again in the future.
Bob K.

[Budliner]

are we spoiled with the fine detail and when we see older products they just look unrealistic I to have seen garden trains and was shocked at how fake they look just dont get the nice life like look of some brass ho or katos
we need better larger (if I was railroad baron)

[Anonymous]

Ah, but Northlandz was (is) a Model Railroader advertiser, therefore it deserved coverage and you must go visit, even if it is a piece of crap.

[trainboyH16-44]

I thought that while over the top, it was very impressive. The huge mountains, incredible bridges, and lots of track. It's a tourist attraction, there to please the general public. But aren't they the ones with all the cars that move, interact and such?