A few years ago Model Railroader featured an brief article on a huge H.O. layout located somewhere on the East Coast. Can anyone give me information on where it is and how to contact the owner for a tour? Thank you in advance for your consideration.
It’s called Northlands, it is in New Jersey,check web for info
Not sure how big the one is your referring to, but this one near St. Louis is pretty big too!
http://www.k-10smodeltrains.com/default.htm
open to the public,
Northlandz is a commercial attraction. Its not a club or anything like that. Some huge spectacular bridges and stuff, and a very long walk to see it all, but still may not be what you are looking for.
Greg
There is video under “Layout Visits” on this Model Railroader Webpage titled “Ken McCory’s Penn Central Railroad”. The article was in the December 2004 edition. The Franklin Institute had a layout back in the late 50’s which I visited many times. I visited Northlandz once and do not care to make a return visit. I suspect Yardgoat18 and Gappleg mirror that opinion about Northlandz.
Might even have been the Museum of Science and Industry layout in Chicago
Chicago & St. Louis are not on the East Coast. Northlandz is probably what is being referred to.
For wild feats of imagineering, Dreamlandz - er - Northlandz - is wonderful. As a source for ideas for a home layout to be built and operated like a prototype railroad — !!!
If you can get to Chicago, the layout in the Museum of Science and Industry is a lot more impressive. Plus, you can see the rest of the exhibits. (NYC999 and U-505, for openers.)
Chuck.
Yep, wild and crazy, but totally useless for railroading, awesome to see once.
Did I read here on this forum that the largest club layout in the country is the one in Union, NJ?
That one is open every Saturday to the public.
Thank you gentlemen… Northlandz is the one that Model Railroader featured a while back. Does anyone know the history behind that layout. Did those of you that have visited it found it to be overwhelming? Compared to Disneyland, I feel the same way about DisneyWorld.
My wife and I visited the Virginia Museum of Transportation located in downtown Roanoke last weekend. In addition to a nice collection of steam engines, including the functional J1 Hudson streamliner #611 and something I didn’t expect to see… A Pennsylvania GG1 in it’s original, unrestored maroon livery.
For anyone that might be interested in helping to restore these priceless examples of motive power and rolling stock, I have no doubt that the museum would love to have your help.
Thanks again for your information.
Richard
http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/great_train_story/index.html
Here’s one in Chicago!!!
Richard,
Not to nitpick, but the Virginia Museum of Transportation has an N&W Class J 'Northern" 4-8-4, not a Class L1 Hudson.
It’s also logical to have a GG-1 there, as they operated in Virginia along with all of the other Pennsy electrics.
Dale Latham
Not to nitpick, but neither the GG1 nor ANY of the Pennsy’s electrics operated in Virginia. In fact, I don’t believe the PRR had much if any trackage anywhere in that state.
I agree with tomikawaTT. The Museum of Science and Industry layout is much more helpful for most of us. Northlandz is just too unrealistic, even if it is pretty cool.