wach this movie of the massive layout
I don’t understand the motivations behind this type of layout. It seems like it is an entry into the “Most Toys Wins” contest.
For me it does not satisfy any of my basic needs for model railroading: rail-fanning, switching, yard work, scenery, structures, operations,
It’s just a wind’em up as many as you can and let them go–impressive for about a minute and 17 seconds.
same with me but how big it was and how many trains they had goin’ was what i liked but if they would do “real MRR” then it would be great.
Whats the matter Chip, you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? That layout is incredible, the video doesn’t do it justice I’m sure. If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years while attending shows with my clubs layout its running long trains. People want to see long trains, not watch some guy switch a couple cars. I think that video was great.
I think this is someone’s childhood dream come true. Long trains and lots of them filling a basement with smoke, sound, animation, and lights. I can see from the overhead storage tracks that acquisition is a big part of his hobby. Not my cup of tea, so to speak, but everyone has their own dream and he looks like he got his.
Thanks for sharing
Paul
no problem
i’m glad you guys liked it it was amzing though i mean it wasn’t really a layout it was more or less track with some seniery but it was amzing i thought
With that many trains running and making noise, it could get a little stressful; but can those three rail steam loco’s haul some long trains.
It looks about as exciting and interesting as a conveyor belt.
LOL!
When I had my catalog Internet biz, we had a 110 ft roller conveyor. The kids and I would get into the plastic bins and roll from one end to the other.
You know what? I was impressed. I thought it was pretty neat. I don’t have a problem with it.
Toy trains, yes. Model railroading… probably not. But that’s OK. I’m sure the owner has a great old time with it.
As was said early, this guy is probably living his dream. God bless him for being able to do it.
But I can’t help singing “If I Had $1,000,000” by Barenaked Ladies in my head as I watched it![swg]
It’s certainly impressive and hate to think how much it all cost.
However, it’s probably more for show than anything…when I started out I used to be like that, how many trains as I can and have as many of them to go around as I can but now I wanted more, more realistic operation and more realistic in terms of modelling after prototype.
I am sure the kids and visitors would love it.
But I must say, it’s an incredible collection.
I liked it. If that’s all MTH stuff, I’m impressed! Looks a lot better than most Lionel layouts I’ve seen. SP Daylighter looked GREAT! Wish I had the money he spent on autos.[tup][tup]
I love that stuff, though I model something else. Like the “I like Toy Trains” on RFD network. That was a lot of hot cars on that one train. I am one who is having a dream come true in my later years and I really celebrate anyone else lucky enough to have theirs.
I guess in a hobby, whatever floats your boat is fine. Personally, something that big would be a bit of an overload and probably become rather boring after a while. I like to see my trains more in the context of familiar scenery, realistic settings and not so densely packed. I want my layout to have a purpose - carting freight or people from one site to another, not just dozens of them running around continuously.
But that’s me, and I’m sure whoever built this layout gets just as much satisfaction out of it.
To me, it looked like a display layout in a big train store. In fact, Mulraney’s Trainland, one of the predecessors of today’s Trainworld in New York, had a big layout something like that when I was a kid. Just a lot of continuous running loops, meant to display the products and generate sales.
I bet if OSHA went into that guy’s basement they’d make him wear hearing protectors.
I think this layout is fantastic.
For the life of me I don’t understand why you guys are so against large layouts. If someone is passionate enough to invest and build something large, more power to them. The world would be a boring place if everyone was operating a 4X8.
Nothing wrong with a large layout, it’s just that having 497 trains run at the same time in the same space is way beyond unprototypical.
Large layouts are great; see Hitchcock, Joiner, the Reid brothers, Zane, Armstrong, and many others like those. They’re realistic and beautifully scenicked.
The thing in the video is…well, it isn’t a realistic representation of anything I have ever seen.
That is a classic difference between roundy-rounders and scale model operators.
The roundy rounder gets tired of seeing the same trains after a while and then goes out and buys more, which is great for the economy but soon rips it all down and begins some other hobby and does the same thing.
While the scale operator tries to operate his layout like the real thing and make it look like the real thing right down to duplicating real life scenes in minature.
The OP-Sig Yahoo Groups would have a field day withis layout saying how unprototypical it looks and the trains are making more than one run throught a scene etc, etc.
Personally it would get so boring after a few hours I probably would not go down there for weeks at a time. OH! wait a minute this is just what happens at our club after a Christmas show. The members don’t show up for a few meetings as they are tired of seeing the trains run around in circles for 12 hours straight. BUT the kid just love it!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Nothing wrong with large layouts. The one I’m working on is large for a home layout, but what was presented in the video just was too much for my personal taste. I mean, I like redheads, but too…no,no, that’s not a good analogy. Or beer…nevermind, I think you get my point.