Large Scale Central

World's biggest "G scale" railway?

General Discussion
#41

Holy crap, Do I feel Poor ! I have a barrel layout compared to that .

#42

Well, we seem to be at an impasse about the largest Garden Railway. What about the largest indoor large scale railway…?

#43
Ken Brunt said:
Well, we seem to be at an impasse about the largest Garden Railway. What about the largest indoor large scale railway..........?
Swissminiatur would be the largest Garden Railway IMHO. If the question was "who operated the most trains" it would be an entirely different answer. Everything I've seen is very impressive.......regardless of who is larger or best. Not to cloud the issue......but how many acres did that railway out west have that was built in the flood plane that the state was trying to get removed? Might be the largest in area. Pretty large scale too. Ralph
#44

Well, to me it is more important that the railway captures the intended theme i.e. a huge railway with a mish-mash of different “themes” along with a hotch-potch of rolling stock (different eras, different scales) doesn’t turn my crank. Not anymore than using European building styles on an NA layout or NA buildings on a European layout.
Those “discrepancies” just don’t look right to my eye. Never mind that someone changed the signs to conform to NA or EU. Mind you I also raise my eyebrows when I see Alpine themed layouts with structures that obviously belong in the flatlands.

#45

I think the dutch site has more trackage

I guess if prototypicality is the issue you’d want to look not just at the number of linear feet (or meters) of track, but at the way it was laid out. Is 2000 feet of tight R1 curves better than 1000 feet of long mainline? I’d say no. Would a freight yard with less track but more prototypical lengths be preferable? I’d say yes.

Now if the dutch and the Swiss would submit a track plan…

We need some categories

  1. Most track. pure linear feet (looks like Maduroban wins here)
  2. Most prototypical track–most like 1:1 operation, whether “operation” means a big mainline or a yard.
  3. Most prototypical scenery–one of those subjective categories, where there’s room for cheating by the soviet judge… Maybe a better way to put this would be “most thematically consistent”

Special category: most yodelers

#46

Take a look at www.entertrainmentjunction.com in Westchester OH

#47
Michael Schwab said:
Take a look at www.entertrainmentjunction.com in Westchester OH
Now that's pretty damn kewl..........;) It's on the way to Ric's too..........;)
#48

Uh oh! There’s a new contender! Look out Holland

“Each train car – and there are over 1,200 of them! – is about the size of a loaf of bread.”

Bonus points for bragging about the numbers and the food imagery

Minus 10 points for being indoors

I see it’s supposed to open today

Raises some interesting questions about the G scale market–how much of what goes on never makes it into the forums?

Who got the order for 1,200 freight cars? For 90 locomotives? There’s a long list of volunteers–recognize any names?

and of course there’s the crucial question, the core central question of all G scale–track power or batteries?

#49
mike omalley said:
Uh oh! There's a new contender! Look out Holland

“Each train car – and there are over 1,200 of them! – is about the size of a loaf of bread.”

Bonus points for bragging about the numbers and the food imagery

Minus 10 points for being indoors


I would say minus five from the ten for not stating if it is a standard loaf or Wonder loaf…

Can anyone confirm/deny yodeling?

#50

I think the Judges need two categories, Commecial (Public Park) and Private as in back yard. Most of the sites in Europe are public parks. Yes, they are quite nice and well done with all the details you could ever want and there are trains running but no operation. Please note that Joe Public does not want to see operation just trains running by his position! I have been to the site in Holland, but it was like 1988 or so so I don’t remember alot. And the pictures are buried!

I am an operator and that is what I look for in a railroad. I know several of the local members who are runners and have very nice layouts witn lots of track and routes.

Paul

#51
mike omalley said:
Terry A de C Foley said:
BTW - not wishing to labour the point, but I noticed a marked lack of MOUNTAINS, 20 FOOT LONG SHIPS, PORTS AND HARBOURS, FUNICULAR AND CABLE CAR MOUNTAIN RAILWAYS, and a few CITIES on the US sites....and the little matter of over thirty thousand figures on the Swissminiatur site....

tac


It’s all about the trains, pal. Don’t try to work the refs with figures and scenery. Anyone can lay 2.4 miles of non-working track. Well, actually, not anyone can. But the judges are trying to figure out how many yodeling 1:25 heidi figures equal one mikado, and I can tell, you, it’s going to take a lot of yodeling and tiny dutch windmills to stay on the leader board.

I’m sure this response sounded amusing and witty in your mind when you composed it, but it was quite grating when I read it. Certainly out of keeping with everything else you’ve written recently. I suspect Terry was offended by the tone.

I also think you have changed the rules here. You asked for the largest railway. To me, that means either the most track or the greatest overall area, but not necessarily the greatest number of trains running. You appear to have dismissed the European sites because they feature extensive detailing and realistic (European) operation.

Cheers

#52

Sounded pretty amusing and witty in my mind, too.

#53
Ken Brunt said:
Sounded pretty amusing and witty in my mind, too.
It was funny. I believe TAC didn't realize Mike was poking a little fun. Ralph
#54

I thought he would take it as funny and I meant no offense. He left before I wrote that anyway–it wasn’t that post that caused him to leave

I think that’s right that the idea of public facility vs private has to be considered. Fairplex, the Swissminiatur, the Entertrainment place in Ohio–anyone at the grand opening?–are commercial sites. Private sites seem more interesting, because they’re the record of a private obsession grown to disturbing proportions and I want company

#55
mike omalley said:
..................

Private sites seem more interesting, because they’re the record of a private obsession grown to disturbing proportions and I want company


Well Mike, you came to the right place! :lol: :lol:

#56
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
mike omalley said:
..................

Private sites seem more interesting, because they’re the record of a private obsession grown to disturbing proportions and I want company


Well Mike, you came to the right place! :lol: :lol:

I’m pretty sure most of the commercial sites probably started as a private obsession :lol:
Ralph

#57
Ralph Berg said:
I'm pretty sure most of the commercial sites probably started as a private obsession :lol: Ralph
A magnificent example of this would the Romney, Hythe & Dimchurch Railway. Now that's large scale!

Cheers

#58
Ralph Berg said:
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
mike omalley said:
..................

Private sites seem more interesting, because they’re the record of a private obsession grown to disturbing proportions and I want company


Well Mike, you came to the right place! :lol: :lol:

I’m pretty sure most of the commercial sites probably started as a private obsession :lol:
Ralph

So did the BNSF!