Not that impressed

Scenic work looks OK, some nice cameos, size, - could be the largest, but I feel it's let down by unimaginative track work, long dead straights, regimented curves, spacing between tracks too great.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2598219/Train-lover-builds-Britains-largest-indoor-model-railway-3-000ft-long-28-trains-features-scenes-world.html

For me it's a big trainset with scenery!

Also only 28 trains in that much space and that spread over UK, European and Japanese outline,

Some may say that's sour grapes on my part, however if one is going to put in that amount of work and expect eople to pay to see it I feel that there is considerable room for improvement

Having had a quick look at it Mike, I'd agree with you.  There's nothing there that compares with even the average that we get on here and, when you start to compare it with our best, it fails miserably.

As you say, some of the scenery is OK (but even most of that looks toy-like) but the whole thing is let down by terrible trackwork.  A scene with track running around the outside of it - no real effort made to integrate the railway into the countryside - it's a totally separate entity.

Yep I agree - biggest maybe but not the best.

When I saw it one of my first thoughts was."Just think what one could do with that much space in N gauge".

I also think mixing locations like that is a bit strange, I could understand maybe with a modular layout as the builders of each module would aim for their own chosen theme.

There's a link in the article and it's actually more than one model railway layout, there's a slot car layout, a Lego world and a Dolls world, among others.

Thinks it's really just a big tourist attraction for Norfolk, after all if the Queen is out, where you gonna go for cup of tea and slice of cake?



Ed

There is nothing scratch built, all bought and plonked down. No weathering as far as i can see.Would not go see it, waste of money, why when i can come on here and see a great deal of better layouts by far.
Shame he spent 3 years and all that money for what a giant train set with ready made buildings etc and a roundy roundy track, nah not for me i am afraid.


Phill

Everything straight out of the box, not a model railway just a monstrous ugly toy train-set, knocked totally out of sight by the likes of Pendon - sorry not impressed with such rubbish.

Even the farmers Land Rover has RAF roundels and number plates. Not impressed at all. Seen better at our local show, and some of those are rough.

I was hoping for so much more. It's just flat and boring.

However have you guys seen Homepage | Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg

Amazing ang gets better each week

:roll: wonder if the Japanise section was sponsered by kato …..

Anyone remember the old rail riders world that used to be in the old tea rooms at York station ? :hmm

I remember it well Dave. :thumbs

It only closed down 2 or 3 years ago.  It wasn't bad but these large public layouts are struggling against the likes of Pendon.  They're fine if you're a wealthy enthusiast but need a shed load of visitors to make it a sensible business proposition.  I've promised myself a trip to Minatur Wunderland before I die …………..:roll::roll::roll:

I remember a couple of years ago when on another forum they asked for help in setting up,builders,carpenters,modellers etc.I see Bodgit and Leggit applied.

I'm not impressed either.


Petermac wrote: 

  I've promised myself a trip to Minatur Wunderland before I die …………..:roll::roll::roll:

There's a joke there somewhere.

Thanks for the link but I agree with the majority, it does not look as if care has been taken in giving the whole thing the look of authenticity!
When I was a boy of 11 I was taken to see what was advertised as the biggest model railway in the UK in Eastbourne.
By my boy standards it was massive but not something that has remained in my memory!!
Regards, Peter.

[user=1033]Spurno[/user] wrote

……………………


Petermac wrote: 

  I've promised myself a trip to Minatur Wunderland before I die …………..:roll::roll::roll:

There's a joke there somewhere.

Don't know what you mean Alan ………..:shock::shock::shock:

These responses have made me quite angry and I think you are all missing the point somewhat. It's not a "model railway' and is intended to be a tourist attraction as far as I can make out. If it gets families in to see it and youngsters aspiring to have their own train sets, who may also in time be interested enough to become modellers then I'm all for it.


You can't compare this with Pendon. I go there a lot and it is a Museum, superbly modelled in great and accurate detail to educate people in a way of life that's nearly a century old.


There are a lot of high horses being ridden in this thread. :sad:

[user=1365]petercharlesfagg[/user] wrote:

Thanks for the link but I agree with the majority, it does not look as if care has been taken in giving the whole thing the look of authenticity!
When I was a boy of 11 I was taken to see what was advertised as the biggest model railway in the UK in Eastbourne.
By my boy standards it was massive but not something that has remained in my memory!!
Regards, Peter.

I think by mentioning it you will find it did stay in your memory.

Got to agree with Nick, I do think you are being rather harsh chaps.

It is what it is, a tourist attraction.

When you consider it costs over £30 for a family of four to get in, Mum and Dad aren't going to be happy if after five minutes the kids start saying 'can we go now'!

Don't really think many young children would be looking for how accurate a building or loco is made, or whether a scene looks exactly like a specific part of the countryside.

It will be more lots of thing happening, trains moving around etc.

Maybe it is just a large collection of train sets, but that's probably all it's intended to be and if it stirs an interest in modelling for a a few young visitors, then surely that's all to the good.


Ed

Well, I took a look and for what it's worth, it is a childhood dream ! I just asked my boys to have a look and their response was 'Cool !' and 'Awesome!'… To a child it is worth something ! My eldest boy (8) pointed out the fairground rides and also the Tardis in one of the pics, again thinking it would be great to have such a large layout. These layouts, as Nick has said, is what draws the younger generation into the hobby. Ok, it may not be to 'exhibition standards', but do kids really care ? They are only interested in colours, lights, speeding trains, everything I bet this layout has to offer ! Afterall, children don't care if a railway crossing signpost on a OO/HO gauge layout is 4mm thick, painted the wrong colour, do they ??

How many of us grew up with The Rev. W Awdrey's 'Railway Series', and look where we are today… ;-)

Cheers, Gary.

It took Nick to apply some lateral thinking here…………….:oops::oops::oops::oops:

As a "toy train" and children's attraction, it's probably very good.  As a "model railway", the earlier comments (from modellers about another model), are quite valid.

Gary's kids said it was "cool" so for them, it does it's job.

In days of yore, we bought our train stuff from "toy shops".  These shops now really do sell just "toys" - not the finely detailed models we buy.  That's probably why genuine "model shops" are now few and far between.  "Our" shops simply don't cater for the masses and there are not enough of us to keep many such "specialist" shops going - particularly with internet shopping available to us all.

It was headlined as a "model railway" and I suppose, in the absence of another description, that's what it is but it's not a "model railway" that impresses railway modellers like us.  But then, as Woody said, it's not supposed to !!

If kids like it then that's great but I'd still cough a bit if it cost £30 to go in ………………….

I take back much of what I said Woody as I reach for my humble pie ……………….:cheers

All these large commercial, yes the one in Germany is impressive, big, crowded, and out of the box, they all remind me of the ones that used to be at Colchester Zoo, and Beauleiu Motor Museum - both were identical.