Just saw some videos from the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg. It says that it is the world’s largest train layout. Their website is http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com. Has anyone ever been to it? Would you fly from LA to Germany to see this?
Bruce LA
I would, in a heartbeat. Just because it is an amazing set up to simply enjoy…[:D]
Bruce LA,
If You have the time and money,go for it, Would make a great vacation and there is more to see than just that. I was there last year. My second wife has relatives there. She was born in Austria,I had no problem,with a language barrier…
Cheers,
Frank
I too would go if I had the bucks to spare. The film footage is incredible, I can easily imagine myself spending an entire day there.
I keep telling my son that I’m going to drag him with me. I had 3 years of German in high school,30 years ago. Between high school and college,he has 6 year…my own personal translator for everything except ordering a beer…I can do that myself! [:D]
Yup, the only model railroad display that has a working airport, with iron birds that actually take off and land therough low-altitude pea-soup fog. Must have good IFR gear… (The birds actually ascend or descend through curtained openings in the ‘sky,’ supported on rods from below.)
I couldn’t see traveling halfway around the world just to visit a single exhibit, no matter how fascinating. If I had other reasons… Unfortunately, my family ties in that directon never survived WWII, and my previous visits (mid-1950s) left me unimpressed. So, I’ll settle for enjoying other folks’ You-Tube videos.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
No, I wouldn´t [swg] Just because I live about half an hour´s train ride from it [swg]
While not a model railroad in our understanding, it is certainly, IMHO, the best display layout I have ever seen. You can easily send an entire day, in faxct, two days, there and you still won´t have seen all that amazing detail.
Aside from Miniatur Wunderland, the city of Hamburg is worth a visit. There are lots of things to see and to do. Of cause, no Bavarian castle, no Lederhosen, no mountains, but there is a lot more to Germany than that.
If anyone is pondering to come to Hamburg, drop me a PM, I can help you work out a tour.
I sincerely hope, that someday, I can build, & run, to the level that they do…
I know we see the perfect side, but we do that too…
I’m less shy about that (showing the bad sides), but I know I have room to grow…
However, I am a staff of one, they seem to an impressive workforce behind them.
I really do respect their efforts & acheivements, & as said, I hope to be able to grow to model in that caliber someday…
To answer the question from the OP; Yes, I would go in an instant, -when there is spare ‘coin’ that is not promised to some other Loki, freight cars, or a 1000 detail parts, that I think I just gotta have…
ha hah…
Hi
Glad you like my layout Oh how I wish that was true[:'(]
A lot of what they have done could in a small way be done on our home layouts it would take some deep thought and a bit of patience and ingenuity but it could be done.
I guess I will have to save some more money to get there but I would go tomorrow if I could.
A lot of the video’s look very impressive, it must be one heck of a control system they have to keep it all running smoothly.
But I would be flying from down under to Germany
regards John
Miniatur Wunderland is certainly no secret around here, but it is absolutely brilliant. I can’t see making a special trip to Europe just to see it, but if I were vacationing in that part of the world, it would certainly rate a long visit. For a little more depth on the layout, it is featured in James May’s Toy Stories, Episode 6 (Hornby), amd it’s owners / creators figure prominently, both in that episode and in James May’s Great Train Race; as helpers in the first case and friendly competition in the second. At last check, both were available on Youtube.