Model railways your thing?

Skybird · 10-19-07, 07:34 PM

This, they say, is the biggest model railway in the world, scale 1:87 (H0), placed in a hall of 3000 m2 in size:

http://www.loxx-berlin.com/en/index.html (English). Check "Pictures and Videos" and switch between both categories.

German (slightly bigger website): http://www.loxx-berlin.com/de/index.html

The model railway is located in Berlin, has just moved to a new, greater location at Alexanderplatz, and gives an image of a miniaturized Berlin in scale 1:87. In order for a new A380 model to be presented (animated during taxing and take-off !! ), the whole airport section had to be reconstructed, due to the weight of the new model.

It has been on German TV repeatedly, and I once saw it years ago, in real life. It is a giant monster. The control centre now has over 50 computer terminals. Total length of all cables build into the model installation is over 70 km, all cables needed to control it all are 700 km. They construct all models and buildings themselves, and all trains needed manual reworking and constant maintenance due to the constant use, they also built vacuum-cleaner trains and camera trains. 400 trains simultaneously running. 5 km of railway tracks. 55.000 figurines, 1200 buildlings, and countless moving cars and trucks and airplanes. Manual workers for example spend up to 3 weeks to equip a single model truck with up to 300 mini-LEDs. For full operation, a staff of 40 people is needed.

For the recent moving to a new location, 240 huge truckloads were needed.

NiclDoe · 10-19-07, 07:37 PM

Very cool stuff and i have some train hobbies so this is cool.

Chock · 10-19-07, 07:44 PM

Wow! that's so cool! What's not to like? I thought every bloke liked playing with trains!

Gotta love the tiny model of the couple getting it on in their flat next to the railway line, adds a whole new meaning to 'Going like a train':rotfl:

Chock

U49 · 10-19-07, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

This, they say, is the biggest model railway in the world, scale 1:87 (H0), 3000 m2 in size:

There is another crew in Hamburg ...
and each few month for the last years the other one claimed "NOW I am bigger" ... this stuff is ...***erased***

But their work is outstanding great! I will visit both within the next 12 month!

Skybird · 10-19-07, 07:53 PM

Ah, so Hamburg is for real, I did not remember if I mixed it up in my memories, or if there really was a second monster railway in Hamburg.

they have a 30 min video on their site (Berlin), exclusively from the perspective of their camera trains running over the compelte setting. It currently is not active, but it is a good idea to chekc back every week if they have uploaded it again. the link is the last in "Videos". Saw it once on TV - fascinating, and like travelling in real life!

U49 · 10-19-07, 07:57 PM

I just checked for the webpage of those guys: http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/
(Hamburg folks)

Something still on my todo list

It's perfect fo a weekend trip: Hamburg -Berlin is under 1,5 h by train
Saturday: first city, sunday: the other one

August · 10-19-07, 07:59 PM

The only thing i don't like about it is it's way too clean. Looks like the team that built the layout needs a good weathering person.

Skybird · 10-19-07, 08:13 PM

From the installation in Hamburg:

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/an...fahrt/aktuell/
These are videos of cameras installed on the trains.

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/an...ystem/aktuell/
These are two videos of cameras mounted on cars.

NiclDoe · 10-19-07, 08:30 PM

Skybird your making me drool over my new keyboard with this stuff.

August · 10-19-07, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

From the installation in Hamburg:

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/an...fahrt/aktuell/
These are videos of cameras installed on the trains.

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/an...ystem/aktuell/
These are two videos of cameras mounted on cars.

That is very cool!

TteFAboB · 10-20-07, 03:11 AM

Where's my Godzilla costume?

Skybird · 10-20-07, 04:48 AM

While we are at it, Kujo has released the successor to MS train simulator, named "Rail Simulator". Originally planned to be released by Microsoft, it now comes under the EA label. Graphics look fine:

http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=h...%3Dde%26sa%3DN

http://www.simhq.com/_commentary/all_037a.html

Too bad for me, I have half a dozen of german route-addons for TS, for all the routes that I know from real life, and rail station that I happen to have used often, plus nice packages focussing on Berlin subway and city railway. It will take years until these get all replaced, so I am doomed to stay with Train simulator much longer. Don't play TS often, though, only when getting home sickness

.

Since all this build-a-world-stuff is always a festival of imagination, it isn't that bad, though.

My grandfather had build a model railway in his cellar, a Minitrix, mounted on a plate of size 4,5 x 6,5 meters. It was very huge, considering that the models are much smaller than H0. He had to break a wall to build the thing into the neighbouring cellar as well (the house is ours). He built the landscape and everything else all himself and alone, and constantly changed it, over roughly 16-17 years. the control podest had switches for over 200 points, around 50 switches for special functions and light effects, and 7 transformer boxes. I never was in model railway building myself, but as a kid i loved to stand and watch of course (controlling it all was not possible due to lacking knowledge of the layout and switches).

What happened to it, you ask? A tragedy. the marriage was not happy, and was pure war. After he died, my grandmother took an act of final revenge and did not even try to get an interested customer, she called some craftsmen, let them separate it with saws, and had them taken it away with the garbage.

Well, what to say. I have had my problems with both of them after having become old enough to understand some things from the past.

Not even a single photo survived. You would have loved the sight! Since it was a much smaller scale than H0, it really was HUGE.

Jimbuna · 10-20-07, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TteFAboB

Where's my Godzilla costume?

LMAO :rotfl:

sunvalleyslim · 10-20-07, 03:50 PM

Always liked Lionel trains and their scale "O" better than HO.........

NiclDoe · 10-21-07, 12:44 AM

the largest Lionael makes is the G gauge which i have. I also have the O guage Blue Comet the one that was in NJ where I live.

10-19-07, 07:34 PM	#1
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,637 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Model railways your thing? This, they say, is the biggest model railway in the world, scale 1:87 (H0), placed in a hall of 3000 m2 in size: http://www.loxx-berlin.com/en/index.html (English). Check "Pictures and Videos" and switch between both categories. German (slightly bigger website): http://www.loxx-berlin.com/de/index.html The model railway is located in Berlin, has just moved to a new, greater location at Alexanderplatz, and gives an image of a miniaturized Berlin in scale 1:87. In order for a new A380 model to be presented (animated during taxing and take-off !! ), the whole airport section had to be reconstructed, due to the weight of the new model. It has been on German TV repeatedly, and I once saw it years ago, in real life. It is a giant monster. The control centre now has over 50 computer terminals. Total length of all cables build into the model installation is over 70 km, all cables needed to control it all are 700 km. They construct all models and buildings themselves, and all trains needed manual reworking and constant maintenance due to the constant use, they also built vacuum-cleaner trains and camera trains. 400 trains simultaneously running. 5 km of railway tracks. 55.000 figurines, 1200 buildlings, and countless moving cars and trucks and airplanes. Manual workers for example spend up to 3 weeks to equip a single model truck with up to 300 mini-LEDs. For full operation, a staff of 40 people is needed. For the recent moving to a new location, 240 huge truckloads were needed. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 10-19-07 at 07:56 PM.

10-19-07, 07:37 PM	#2
NiclDoe Grey Wolf Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In the Air or hiding from Black Swans Posts: 760 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Very cool stuff and i have some train hobbies so this is cool. __________________ The Crazy Wolf

10-19-07, 07:44 PM	#3
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Wow! that's so cool! What's not to like? I thought every bloke liked playing with trains! Gotta love the tiny model of the couple getting it on in their flat next to the railway line, adds a whole new meaning to 'Going like a train':rotfl: Chock __________________

10-19-07, 07:53 PM	#5
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,637 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Ah, so Hamburg is for real, I did not remember if I mixed it up in my memories, or if there really was a second monster railway in Hamburg. they have a 30 min video on their site (Berlin), exclusively from the perspective of their camera trains running over the compelte setting. It currently is not active, but it is a good idea to chekc back every week if they have uploaded it again. the link is the last in "Videos". Saw it once on TV - fascinating, and like travelling in real life! __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

10-19-07, 07:57 PM	#6
U49 Grey Wolf Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: D/Niedersachsen Posts: 777 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I just checked for the webpage of those guys: http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/ (Hamburg folks) Something still on my todo list It's perfect fo a weekend trip: Hamburg -Berlin is under 1,5 h by train Saturday: first city, sunday: the other one __________________ SH3 battle capability upgrades: GWX2.0, JSGME2.0, SH3Commander 2.7, SH3Gen 0.8.2, TorpDamageMod 2.0, OLC GUI 1.1.5 Awaiting combat readiness for GWX2.0: SH4 effetcs for SH3, SH3Weather 1.5 Following development of: www.subwolves.com Realism: 90%

10-19-07, 07:59 PM	#7
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,202 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	The only thing i don't like about it is it's way too clean. Looks like the team that built the layout needs a good weathering person. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

10-19-07, 08:13 PM	#8
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,637 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	From the installation in Hamburg: http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/an...fahrt/aktuell/ These are videos of cameras installed on the trains. http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/an...ystem/aktuell/ These are two videos of cameras mounted on cars. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

10-19-07, 08:30 PM	#9
NiclDoe Grey Wolf Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In the Air or hiding from Black Swans Posts: 760 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Skybird your making me drool over my new keyboard with this stuff. __________________ The Crazy Wolf

10-20-07, 03:11 AM	#11
TteFAboB Admiral Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2,247 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Where's my Godzilla costume? __________________ "Tout ce qui est exagéré est insignifiant." ("All that is exaggerated is insignificant.") - Talleyrand

10-20-07, 04:48 AM	#12
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,637 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	While we are at it, Kujo has released the successor to MS train simulator, named "Rail Simulator". Originally planned to be released by Microsoft, it now comes under the EA label. Graphics look fine: http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=h...%3Dde%26sa%3DN http://www.simhq.com/_commentary/all_037a.html Too bad for me, I have half a dozen of german route-addons for TS, for all the routes that I know from real life, and rail station that I happen to have used often, plus nice packages focussing on Berlin subway and city railway. It will take years until these get all replaced, so I am doomed to stay with Train simulator much longer. Don't play TS often, though, only when getting home sickness . Since all this build-a-world-stuff is always a festival of imagination, it isn't that bad, though. My grandfather had build a model railway in his cellar, a Minitrix, mounted on a plate of size 4,5 x 6,5 meters. It was very huge, considering that the models are much smaller than H0. He had to break a wall to build the thing into the neighbouring cellar as well (the house is ours). He built the landscape and everything else all himself and alone, and constantly changed it, over roughly 16-17 years. the control podest had switches for over 200 points, around 50 switches for special functions and light effects, and 7 transformer boxes. I never was in model railway building myself, but as a kid i loved to stand and watch of course (controlling it all was not possible due to lacking knowledge of the layout and switches). What happened to it, you ask? A tragedy. the marriage was not happy, and was pure war. After he died, my grandmother took an act of final revenge and did not even try to get an interested customer, she called some craftsmen, let them separate it with saws, and had them taken it away with the garbage. Well, what to say. I have had my problems with both of them after having become old enough to understand some things from the past. Not even a single photo survived. You would have loved the sight! Since it was a much smaller scale than H0, it really was HUGE. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 10-20-07 at 05:01 AM.

10-20-07, 03:50 PM	#14
sunvalleyslim Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, Ca Posts: 1,142 Downloads: 267 Uploads: 0	Always liked Lionel trains and their scale "O" better than HO......... __________________ Crew member/ decommission member TM2(SS)(SD) 3/68-7/70 DIESEL BOATS FOREVER USS SEGUNDO (SS398)

10-21-07, 12:44 AM	#15
NiclDoe Grey Wolf Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In the Air or hiding from Black Swans Posts: 760 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	the largest Lionael makes is the G gauge which i have. I also have the O guage Blue Comet the one that was in NJ where I live. __________________ The Crazy Wolf

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