World's largest railroad?

[Derrick Moore]

What is the worlds largest railroad?

[csmith9474]

Model or prototype?

[cacole]

Prototype -- possibly Russia's state-owned railway which extends from Eastern Europe to the Pacific.

Model -- one in Hamburg, Germany is probably the largest, and it is privately owned.

[DigitalGriffin]

Model Public here in the states Northlandz in New Jersey.  http://www.northlandz.com/

Model Private here in the states "Franklin and South Manchester" by Geroge S.  (A real piece of art in of itself.)  http://www.trevinocircle.com/FSM.asp

Prototype Public here in the states: Union Pacific. 

But for the real question: Who's #2? BNSF, CSX, NS?

[Derrick Moore]

Model

[Anonymous]

I believe cacole is correct. I just saw a show on the history channel and I could've sworn they said Russia has the world's largest railway system.  The model RR in Germany (wunderland?) is indeed the world's largest model RR to the best of my paltry knowledge.

That's kind of ironic since like no one models Russian trains.  I've seen one model RR using Russia's as prototype and that was in MRR.

[jecorbett]

Model Public here in the states Northlandz in New Jersey.  http://www.northlandz.com/

Model Private here in the states "Franklin and South Manchester" by Geroge S.  (A real piece of art in of itself.)  http://www.trevinocircle.com/FSM.asp

Prototype Public here in the states: Union Pacific. 

But for the real question: Who's #2? BNSF, CSX, NS?

George Selios' F&SM is certainly one of the best layouts but it is a long way from being the largest. It probably isn't even in the top 100 in that category.

[nbrodar]

One of the largest, if not THE largest, private layouts in the US, is Ken McCory's PRR (or Penn Central or Conrail depending his mood this month) layout in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The largest public layout maybe Northlandz, in New Jesery, or the Museum of Science and Industry layout in Chicago.

Nick

[cmrproducts]

We are never going to come to any real solution on this Whos is biggest thing BUT

If we are compairing layouts by room square footage only then

 

Ken McCorry's layout as listed in MRR - Dec 2004 the layout room is 3162 sq ft

I have been at Kens layout and even operated on it - one large layout and certainly a site to be seen!

 

Bruce Chubb's layout as listed in MRR - Feb 2006 is 3630 sq ft

And I hope to someday get to visit it and hopefully operate it!

 

BOB H - Clarion PA 

 

[Metro Red Line]

 

That's kind of ironic since like no one models Russian trains.  I've seen one model RR using Russia's as prototype and that was in MRR.

 

In Soviet Russia, trains model YOU!

 

[Metro Red Line]

But for the real question: Who's #2? BNSF, CSX, NS?

 

In terms of mainline trackage:

1. UP - 36,206 miles

2. BNSF - 24,000 miles

3. NS - 21,500 miles

4. CSX - 11, 600 miles

[RedGrey62]

Evidently there is a new privately owned layout being constructed in Colorado, Ft Collins area if I'm not mistaken.  I ran into a gentleman in a hobby shop in Omaha a few months ago that was working on the electrical portion (not the layout control itself, the building electricity).  The hobby shop owner knows his dad pretty well and I should be able to get an update in a few weeks when I go home.

 Rick

[Derrick Moore]

We are never going to come to any real solution on this Whos is biggest thing BUT

If we are compairing layouts by room square footage only then

 

Ken McCorry's layout as listed in MRR - Dec 2004 the layout room is 3162 sq ft

I have been at Kens layout and even operated on it - one large layout and certainly a site to be seen!

 

Bruce Chubb's layout as listed in MRR - Feb 2006 is 3630 sq ft

And I hope to someday get to visit it and hopefully operate it!

 

BOB H - Clarion PA 

 

Do you have pics of both railroad layouts?

[G Paine]

We are never going to come to any real solution on this Whos is biggest thing BUT

If we are compairing layouts by room square footage only then

Ken McCorry's layout as listed in MRR - Dec 2004 the layout room is 3162 sq ft

BOB H - Clarion PA 

All of the above model RR have been indoors. Should we let our garden RR friends in on this? Model Railroader ran an article on a private live steam RR, last year I think. It covered a few acres. He even has and uses a snow plow for winter running.

[PA&ERR]

We are never going to come to any real solution on this Whos is biggest thing BUT

If we are compairing layouts by room square footage only then

 

Ken McCorry's layout as listed in MRR - Dec 2004 the layout room is 3162 sq ft

I have been at Kens layout and even operated on it - one large layout and certainly a site to be seen!

 

Bruce Chubb's layout as listed in MRR - Feb 2006 is 3630 sq ft

And I hope to someday get to visit it and hopefully operate it!

 

BOB H - Clarion PA 

 

Both Ken and Dr. Chubb's layouts are multi-deck, so shouldn't we multiply the sq footage of the room  by the number of decks?

-George

[Wdlgln005]

CN is a shortie with only 19,000 miles

It may have the longest wye, the 2,400 mile IC

If you count the Churchhill line north, they may be the only true NA transcontinental! 

[jbinkley60]

I thought the San Diego Railroad Museum at Balboa Park had the largest operating model railroad.

 http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/

 

 

 

 

[PA&ERR]

I thought the San Diego Railroad Museum at Balboa Park had the largest operating model railroad.

 http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/

 

 

 

 

I love that place! When I was stationed in San Diego, I was down there every Saturday. I even got a tour of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern layout by one of the club members.

-George

[Dave Vollmer]

 

That's kind of ironic since like no one models Russian trains.  I've seen one model RR using Russia's as prototype and that was in MRR.

 

In Soviet Russia, trains model YOU!

 

NICE!!!  But, sadly, so many of the younger folks here won't get that.

[MAbruce]

Don't forget the N-trak layouts.  Their national conventions bring together hundreds of modules.  As an example, I can lay my hands on information about their 2004 Chantilly convention that had over 70 scale miles of main line track and 100 more miles of branch lines. 

[usersatch]

 

That's kind of ironic since like no one models Russian trains.  I've seen one model RR using Russia's as prototype and that was in MRR.

 

In Soviet Russia, trains model YOU!

 

 

Good one!!!

[cudaken]

 May not be the worlds largest but K-10 train's in Maryville IL has a good sizes layout. Best part is it is only 2 miles from me.

 I have been told the details of the bench but don't have them handy. Bench is 60' X 80' aand still growing. It is not a club track, but Ken does let his customers work on it and run there trains.

 If you live with in a 2 hour drive well worth the vist.  Do a keyword search and you will find his site.

                       Cuda Ken

[Bob Hayes]

If we stay with model railroads, would you believe 25 real miles?

Bob Hayes

 

[Anonymous]

This site says it is the largest HO layout in the world.

I love visiting that site, simply amazing. 

 http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/data/cms/en/510/

 

Also check the weekly reports. 

[Boiler-man]

The worlds largest model railroad is the Train Mountain located in Oregon.

http://www.trainmountain.org

[J. Edgar]

 

That's kind of ironic since like no one models Russian trains.  I've seen one model RR using Russia's as prototype and that was in MRR.

 

In Soviet Russia, trains model YOU!

 

NICE!!!  But, sadly, so many of the younger folks here won't get that.

even sadder is the fact those that DO get it are aging themselves....................and yea i get it

[don7]

Canada's CN Railroad as indicated by the Canadian Encylopedia is indiated as North America's largest railroad, with 50,000 km (30,000 miles) of trackage. This includes of course the Grand Trunk subsiduary.

[route_rock]

Have no fear of us aging cold war era guys. Ole Vlad will be letting the younger kids here know what we mean soon enough from the looks of it.

[twcenterprises]

That's kind of ironic since like no one models Russian trains.  I've seen one model RR using Russia's as prototype and that was in MRR.

Well.......

I expect that, since there is virtually no information or photos available about it, it's unlikely any interest will develop.  The only thing I've seen any real information about the Russians is the Decapods, and most of those ended up as American prototypes.  I further expect that, if information and photos became available, along with suitable models, more modelers would take an interest in Russian RR's.  It's no surprise that information and photos are unavailable since the Russian Gov't was very secretive during the cold war and thought anyone taking pictures was a spy.  They also didn't release any info/pics thinking that spies could use them in some way.

Brad

[MidlandPacific]

Actually, the majority of the Decapods were shipped to Russia - and the Russians liked them so much that when the U.S. offered to provide newer locomotives during the Second World War, the Soviet government rejected the offered design and asked us to duplicate the original Decapods instead.  Trains had an article a year or two back about one of them, delivered in 1944, that's still running in Ukraine.  Classic Soviet engineering decision - and it somehow strikes me as entirely likely that it was made in the course of a thirty second conversation between Stalin and Lazar Kaganovich.