5 of the World’s Greatest Model Railways
Discover some of the longest model railways in the world.
1. Wunderland ‘“ Hamburg ‘“ Germany
This model railway took 500,000 working hours and is stretched over 4km² with plans to increase this to 6km² in 2014. The model rail track runs for 9km at a cost of 7.3 million Euros.
http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com
2. Loxx Model railway
Named Loxx after the German word Loks meaning locomotives. This model railway took over 200,000 labour hours to create and has 4.15km of track.
Check out the Loxx railway in action with this video:
http://www.loxx-berlin.com/en/home.html
3. Gainsborough Model Railway
This is described as one of the largest model railways in ‘O’ gauge and it depicts the East Coast Main Line from London King Cross (UK) to Leeds Central. The rail track runs for 0.8km (1/2 mile) and requires at least 10 operators for it to run successfully.
http://www.gainsmodelrailway.ik.com/
4. Toggenburg Model Railway
This is Europe’s largest type ‘O’ model railway and is situated in the town of Lichtensteig in Switzerland.
Toggenburg model railway boasts 1.2km of track on an area of 500m squared.
http://www.modeltraintoggenburg.ch/
5. Northlandz Model Railway
Northlandz is the world’s largest miniature railway and took 25 years of dedication which is clear from looking at the photos. It has 8 miles of track and what is even more impressive is that it has over 4,000 buildings and 1/2 million trees!
6. Sierra Pacific lines by Pasadena Model Railroad Club
The Sierra Pacific lines has 30,000ft of hand laid steel track and is the largest ‘HO’ model railway in the world. This model railway was started in 1940 and from end to end it takes a train one hour to complete the route.
O-Scale Layout
The pastime of building and running model railways has been around at least since the turn of the 20th century. In the beginning model railroading was primarily for children and the trains were built with that in mind. The earliest model railroad layout were O-scale, which are a bit larger than the typical trains older children and adults focus on these days when they do elaborate model railway layouts.
That said, the actual definition of the O-scale is not really standardized, and American and British model trainers each have slightly different specifications. In fact, Soviet and other European countries also had the own particular versions of the O-scale. This meant that trains and accessories don’t always match up if they are bought in other countries or from different manufacturers.
Over the last twenty years there has been an effort to standardize the scale so that it would truly be to scale. The earlier O-scale layouts were not true to their 1/48 scale.
This is important because the recent focus of model railroading is on accuracy and interchangeability. This means you may be able to use the products from different companies in your O-scale layout. In the past the British used a slightly different O-scale for their trains which were more for adults. With the new improvements in the O-scale, these differences might disappear.
The O-scale layout has a very long and convoluted history, but things are getting a little easier for the model railroader who demands a true standard to get behind when starting out on the adventure of railroading. Perhaps it will spawn a new generation of Internet international railroading where trains, buildings, landscapes and props could be traded across the ocean. It would certainly allow a greater range of choice in products if there were truly an international O-scale layout standard.
Model Railway Layout
There are as many model railway layouts as there are model railway enthusiasts, and then some! There are model railway builders who create replicas of real world track layouts that are perfect down to the tiniest detail. And there are others who make a model railway layout that only exists on the train table. Both ways are fine: there’s enough room for every design when it comes to model railroads.
There are a number of retailers selling accessories for every scale train layout. You can buy trees, buildings, automobiles, even people that are made for a certain scale model railway layout. You can even order custom made accessories built to your exact specifications.
But you can also build your own landscaping for your model railway layout, and there are some model railway hobbyists who wouldn’t have it any other way. You can, for instance, build your own berm on either side of the tracks using Styrofoam, a grater, glue, paint, and pieces of board to put it on. Did you know that you can create a realistic pond by cutting out wax paper and painting it? The smooth surface gives it a realistic look.
A pebble makes a fine mountainside boulder, and you can imitate cultivated fields with dry coffee grounds (smells nice, too!). You can even make your own trees using steel wool for the canopies and bits of wire for the trunk and branches. Realistic snow is not always easy to make. Some people use talc, and some people make snow that looks realistic, but actually forms a solid layer on the scenery. This, of course, produces less of a mess. To do this, you mist the scenery you want snow on with water, then sift small amounts of white gypsum cement over it. If you keep doing this in thin layers: mist/sprinkle/let dry several times, you can get a realistic looking snow scene.
The most important thing when building your model railway layout is not to be afraid to try something new. You may not be great at making papier mache mountains yet, but with practice you could become an expert.
How to Get Started Building Model Train Layouts
The ride home from obtaining your first model train layout and accessories is an amazingly slow journey if you’re itching to get home and start running model trains. Fortunately, there are enough train enthusiasts that obtaining the things you need to build a model train layout is not difficult. But the steps of how to get started building model train layouts actually begin before you start setting up.
You need anything from a clear tabletop to an entire room for creating your model train layout. For little N-scale or Z-scale models, a generous tabletop is enough for a fairly elaborate layout. For larger models, like O-scale and G-scale, more room will be necessary. The place you choose for your model train layout needs to be dry, fairly clean, and have adequate electricity. And you need to choose a location where people won’t trip over electrical cords.
If you want to be practical about it, you should set up your scenery first and then add the tracks and trains. This way you’re less likely knock trains and tracks askew when adding mountains, buildings, or other features. Realistically, however, most model rail enthusiasts are more interested in getting those tracks put down and actually running the trains on them.
If you are not sure what kind of layout to create, there are dozens of websites with suggestions and instructions on exactly how to replicate a certain layout. If you plan to create a model railway layout as a replica of an actual rail line, you might start with photos from Google Earth. Joining a train enthusiast web forum will hook you up with other model railway builders, most of whom will be happy to share their expertise and tips with you. One of the greatest rewards for all your hard work building model train layouts will be sharing it with others who are just as excited about it as you are.
Model Train Track Layouts
Making and planning model train track layouts is one of the most fun aspects of train collecting, and is one of the reasons this hobby often lasts for a lifetime. You could never run out of changes to make to a train layout! There are numerous websites devoted to train lovers who write about and post pictures of their model trains. Video upload sites like YouTube have countless videos of model trains in action. These sites are not only entertaining, but they can also serve to inspire, and they’re great places to find people who can answer just about any question concerning model trains and model train track layouts.
For some model train enthusiasts, one scale of model train just isn’t enough! Some may have a little N scale or HO scale indoor layout, but also have a large G scale layout running through their garden outdoors. While most train hobbyists have one or two scales to which they are more devoted, they can appreciate the beauty and functionality of the other scales, too. There is nearly infinite scope for model train lovers to indulge in the great fun of making model train track layouts.
While some enthusiasts have entire rooms devoted to model trains, others may only have a table-top display that has to be put away when company comes over. There is room for every level of train collecting in the world of model train hobbyists. It is a passion that transcends nationality, geography, race, or gender, and sharing model train track layouts is a big part of the experience.
There are dozens of websites where people can share model train track layouts through pictures, videos, and text. These sites are great sources of information and help for things like designing for the sharpest curve your particular model can make without derailing. Collecting, designing, and running model train tracks are very enjoyable aspects of the hobby for most people, second only to the fun of sharing the experience with others.
Model Train Layouts
Model train layouts can mean anything from simple ‘found’ pieces like Matchbox cars set up to surround a Lego toy train to amazingly realistic landscape and built-to-scale buildings in elaborate, complex designs. The great thing about model train layouts is that you can make them a little at a time, changing and modifying as you go.
The most popular scale model railroads, O, HO, N, and OO (in the UK) have accessories that are widely available and don’t have to be custom made. In addition, there is a growing cottage industry of software used for designing model train layouts and printing simple fold-together building designs onto card stock. For those who go for the most realism, there are custom model railroad artists who make very realistic, perfectly scaled architectural and landscape features for the most demanding model railway enthusiasts.
This is not to say that Lego model train layouts are in any way inferior. Now that an entire generation of Lego train enthusiasts has grown up and has more disposable income for such pursuits, Lego trains are very popular among adult model train hobbyists. The beauty of Lego train sets is that the bucket of Legos that a child has grown ‘too old for’ is suddenly a source of building materials for model train layouts. The fact that Lego model trains are sturdy enough to stand up to years of use is one real advantage to choosing such a set for a child who is a beginning model train enthusiast.
Whether a model train lover wants perfect scale and realism, or whether he or she wants the fun of running trains, with scenery ranking less importantly, there are plenty of other like-minded train enthusiasts all over the world. Because when you get down to it, one of the most fun things about having model trains is sharing them with other people who appreciate them.
How to build 2mm Model Railway Layouts (Q and A)
First what does a beginner do to start getting into 2mm model railway layouts?
- The 2mm Scale Association website (www.2mm.org.uk)
- A booklet called “The Beginner’s Guide to 2mm Modelling” from the 2mm Scale Association.
And you’ll pretty much have to join the 2mm Scale Association to get the bits you need to make the model.
If you are quick off the mark, you could sign up for a day-long tutorial on getting started in Oxford in December
Can I use Steam or use a diesel shunter?
Its slightly harder for both DCC and 2mm in that there are not many easy to convert small N steam locos around. Would a Farish 04 diesel be acceptable; its a bit easier to convert ?
If happy with a bigger locomotive, a new Farish class 37 runs excellently, converts to 2mm very easily, and has a DCC decoder socket inside it.
If you are willing to build your own locos (or assemble 2mm kits) then steam is practical.
I want to do the inglenook layout like the one above, and I think I want to go straight to DCC because of the better slow operation it allows (is this correct?)
Yes in my experience. Clive Road runs extremely well under DCC, I was using it a few weeks ago with its current owner.
But DCC won’t hide basic mistakes; track needs to be level and clean. Locomotives need to pickup from all their wheels, etc.
But I don’t yet know enough about 2mm – what exactly is different in scale – everything? Do I need to get 2mm specific everything? Or just the gauge?
Depends how pedantic you get about scale. Officially 2mm is 1:152, whereas British N gauge is 1:148. If you are a total purist you will therefore build all your stock to 1:152. However, most modellers I know use a mixture, at least when starting out.
At a minimum you will be:
1) Building your own model railway layouts, or commissioning someone to make it for you (not expensive, around £15/turnout from the track builder I know).
2) Rewheeling N rolling stock, a simple matter of removing old wheels and dropping in
new ones.
3) Converting N locomotives. In some cases the wheel tread can be turned to a 2mm profile and the back-to-back adjusted. This tends to work better for diesels, though is possible for some steam locomotives.
Optionally, you will be:
4) Building finescale kit rolling stock; either for items not available commercially, or because you think the finescale item looks better than the commercial one (eg. contrast Stephen Harris kit mineral wagons with any plastic ones, and appearance wise, the Harris ones win. But they cost more and take time to assemble).
5) Building finescale locomotives. There are a handful of complete 2mm scale locomotive kits, the majority being North Eastern prototypes.
6) Changing the couplings on N stock to something smaller and capable of remote operation. The Clive Road pictures will show DG couplers which are opened by an electromagnet below the baseboard, once open the wagon can be propelled into a siding and left behind. There are numerous coupling options with various pros and cons.
For the DCC side, you just need a decent chip in your locomotives. Suggest you buy either Zimo 620 or CT Elektronik DCX74 or DCX75. They run really well with small motors at low speeds. If picking a DCC (or analogue) controller for such a simple layout, then don’t go overboard on keys; you’ll only have one or two locomotives so won’t need to select from a thousand ! Feeling good in your hand is the critical issue; there are quite a few decent and not overly expensive options.
> Finally, what books/resources can I go off and read and then get going I don’t yet even though what sort of stuff I should be putting on an inglenook, as I do want it to be realistic, so don’t want to just go off and fo my own thing, if it is unrealistic and not what such siding would be used for.
In some respects you are starting from the wrong position; the Inglenook concept was a “trainset” shunting puzzle. If looking for a prototype, you need to dig around to find a small siding or industrial yard of about that arrangement and work up from it. In steam days before Beeching, there were many on minor branch lines (I can think of half a dozen within 8 miles of my home in rural Suffolk).
Alternatively, look at more modern items such as loco stabling and refueling points.
Model Railway Track
Track pieces for model railways are designated by their ‘gauge’ which is the distance between the rails. For example, the popular HO scale train has track that is 5/8′ or 16.5 mm wide, and the scale of the rolling stock is 1:87.1.
When you plan a model railway track layout, you need to be familiar with ‘loading gauge.’ All it means is the space required on top of and on either side of the track so that the train doesn’t knock over anything. You can test this simply by adding your largest cars to the track and noting their outside dimensions, particularly as they go around curves.
If you have a model train with a pantograph on top, you need to account for the height of the pantograph when it is fully extended. (A pantograph is a metal device on top of a train that collects electricity from overhead lines. They are used on electric trams and electric trains.) You also need to account for any loads that your cars will be carrying. Do they stick out to the sides or above?
As for track layouts, much will depend on what locomotives you want to use and how fast you want the train to go. Generally speaking, the faster you want your train to go, the larger the turning radius you need on curves. Otherwise centrifugal force will cause it to derail. If you want to run locomotives that aren’t pulling cars, you need to adjust the turning radii depending on how powerful that locomotive is. If it is powerful enough to go really fast when it’s by itself, it will also require a larger turning radius to keep from derailing.
You may not give much thought to the gauge of track for your layout, but simply buy track made for the scale, such as HO. That is fine. However, there are narrow gauge purists who set up narrow gauge tracks to mimic some of the narrow gauges that were used in the early days of railroads. It’s just more proof that with model railways, the possibilities are endless!
Model Train Layout Plans
The near-universal use of the Internet has been a great means for model train enthusiasts to ‘meet’ others and share descriptions and pictures of model train layouts and model train layout plans. Whether you run trains for the fun of making them go through all the twists and turns of track successfully, or whether you have created a replica of a real train line or town, there are plenty of people all over the world who share your vision.
click for bigger version
Model train layout plans can easily be shared over the Internet. Whether hand-drawn and photographed, or created with the aid of design software, there is an entire world of model train hobbyists sharing their layout plans online, and who are glad to discuss them in chat forums. Making layout plans has come a long way in recent years due to great improvements in computer graphics capabilities.
A simple search on Google using the words model train layout software produces over 2 million matches! You can find professional-level design software, open source software, and free downloads for model train layout design software. (Always remember to be careful who you download software from. Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software at all times.)
But you don’t have to have software to design model train layouts. After all, people were designing model train routes decades before computers became common enough and powerful enough to help out. And sometimes an idea comes to you when you’re not near a computer and the best you can do is sketch out a rough design on a paper napkin or in a memo book.
Every model train lover has had ideas for layouts that were inspired by unusual things. Creating model train layout plans is an art in itself, whether it is done by hand on paper, or with the assistance of a computer.
Model Steam Layouts
Model steam layouts encompass small electric locomotives that are made to look as if they’re emitting smoke all the way to ‘live steam’ layouts that are big enough for people to ride on. ‘Live steam’ refers to trains that are actually powered by steam rather than just made to look that way.
‘Live steam’ enthusiasts are interested not just in the great mechanical choreography of a train track layout, but also in the use of actual steam power, like the very first trains used. While model steam layouts that can be ridden on are expensive and take up plenty of space, there are also smaller ‘garden railways’ that cannot be ridden on but cost much less and take up much less space.
Live model steam layouts are especially popular in the United States, the UK, and Australia. The late Walt Disney had a small steam train around his home, which inspired the narrow gauge railroad at Disneyland. The largest live model steam layout is Train Mountain in Oregon, USA. It has more than 25 miles of 7 ½ inch tracks! The Finnish Railway Museum in Hyvinkää, Finland has a similar (7 ¼ inch) track and runs on live steam that is propane fired.
But model steam layouts that actually run on steam aren’t always convenient or practical. That’s why many scales of electric trains have simulated steam for their model steam locomotives. These have an electric coil inside the smokestack. When a few drops of a certain type of oil are dropped into the smokestack and the train is started, the coil heats up enough to cause the oil to make little puffs of smoke. This is plenty realistic for many young steam train enthusiasts (and their parents!).
Steam locomotion is how the first trains ran, and even now, over a century later, steam locomotives are just as fascinating for train collectors the world over.
