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.
The Beginners Guide to Model Railway Trains
Here’s a simple guide for anyone wishing to get involved with Model Railways.
Before you jump into purchasing the track, trains and accessories it’s worth doing a little bit of research first.
Free Resources
The following websites should be bookmarked:
http://espee.railfan.net/clubs.html (Find your local model railroad club)
http://home.centurytel.net/pitch/home/link_page/howto.htm (Great layout information)
http://www.naisp.net/mfischer/m_train2.htm (Some great N scale layout ideas)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_scale (Get some background info on N scale)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OO_gauge (Get some background info on OO scale)
Other Resources
Whilst the Internet does contain a lot of free resources ‘“ it will save you a lot of time if you purchase, or check out from the library, the following books:
The Professional Approach to Model Railways
and subscribe to the following magazine:
Subscribe with Amazon here
Decide on a Layout
Use the books, websites and magazines to find a layout you like.
A good tip is to use graph paper to first sketch out the layout. It is far less expensive to make errors on graph paper rather than when you’re using plywood and track! I often make hundred off errors whilst in the layout stage which have required only an eraser to fix rather than spending hours removing track.
What board material should I use?
Once your layout is perfect on your graph paper you now need to decide what board to use. The main options are plywood, MDF and softboard such as Sundelia.
MDF and Plywood
Benefits: Very Strong
Drawbacks: Both need powered tools to cut them
Sundelia
Benefits: Can cut with a sharp knife.
Drawbacks: No strength which makes fitting Point Motors difficult
I would personally go for using MDF but if using power tools would be a problem then please go for the soft board option.
Remember the Frame
Remember that all boards will require a softwood timber frame (2×1 inch).
How do I add hills?
To add realism to your base board you will want to have rolling hills – in order to add these contours you will need to add layers of green pulpboard (the stuff used under laminate flooring). A craft knife can be used to carve round curves between the layers.
Trains and Track
A cheap way to purchase trains and track is to purchase a ’starter’ kit:
N scale starter kits- http://www.bachmanntrains.com (A good selection)
OO Scale starter kits – http://www.hornby.com/sets-123/category.html (Range from £40+)
What controller should you use?
Digital controllers are now very cheap and are far easier to use than analogue systems, as only two wires are used to feed the track. Remember not to loop the track back on itself or you will cause a short circuit. Digital controllers also allow a number of trains to run on the same track.
- The Dcc 135 from Hornby is a nice first choice.
- You could also have a look at the selection available from Bachmann trains: http://www.bachmanntrains.com
My last piece of advice to budding model railway enthusiasts would be to keep your first layout simple and – above all – have fun!
