MINIATURE TRAIN SETS
History of scale standards
Comparative sizes of the most common modeling scales
The first model railways were not built to any particular scale and were more like toys than miniature representations of the full size prototype. Eventually, the authenticity of models grew and benefits of standardization became more obvious. The most significant and the most basic area of standardization was the model track gauge. At first, certain gauges became de facto standards in hobbyist and manufacturer circles. While the first unofficial standard gauges made interchangeability possible, the rolling stock were still only a rough approximation of the full scale prototype.
Eventually the unofficial or manufacturer specific scale standards became more established and were adopted by various model railway standardization bodies such as NMRA and MOROP. However, despite of existing scale and gauge standards they were very often poorly implemented in design and manufacturing processes with commercial manufacturers before the World War II. The conformity to scale standards grew strongly in the 1950s and 1960s when many new model railway accessories manufacturers were born and to whom the standard conformity was vital.
For most standardized model railway scales, the nominal scale reduction ratio is not applied systematically to all the components of a scale model railway, and normally the standards give scale specific design guidelines for all the scales they cover. Reliability of operations requires that certain parts be made oversize. A typical example is the wheel flanges, which must be proportionally higher in smaller scales to ensure that lighter and smaller models do not derail easily as they would if universal flange proportions were used in all the scales. For instance, a Z scale wheel flange as defined in the NEM standard should be about 9% of the scale nominal standard gauge (6.5 mm/0.256 in), whereas the same standard gives only 5% for 45 mm (1.772 in) standard gauge I scale.
While standards that put the emphasis on operational reliability satisfy most users and the industry, certain groups of dedicated hobby modellers who were dissatisfied with the scale inaccuracies in the name of reliability have developed alternative scale standards where prototype proportions are maintained to the extent possible. These alternative standards are called finescale standards. Finescale standards are very much restricted to discerning hobbyists since, by definition, finescale model railways are generally less reliable and more expensive to manufacture, which makes them unsuitable for mass-production products.
[edit]Mixing of scales
It is possible to use different scales of models together effectively, especially to create a false sense of depth (referred to as "forced perspective"). Scales close to each other are also hard to tell apart with the naked eye. An onlooker seeing a 1:43 model car next to a 1:48 scale model train might not notice anything wrong, for example.
Some common examples of mixing scales are:
- a foreshortening technique using N scale (1:160) model trains in the background (distance) with H0 scale (1:87) in the foreground.
It began as a distraction in a hobbyist’s basement, but the world’s biggest model railroad is now anything but. Here's a look inside the world's largest model railroad. It boasts more than eight miles of track and features more than 100 trains, as well as almost 400 bridges and took some 16 years to complete. Northlandz, in Flemington, New Jersey, is scaled down but its anything but small-scale. The spectacle contains more than 3,000 miniature buildings in cities and villages, 50,000 trees and 40-foot bridges spanning huge canyons.
LIfe's work: It took creator Bruce Williams Zaccagnino 16 years to finally bring his dream of Northlandz--the world's biggest model railroad--to life It is the brainchild of owner and creator Bruce Williams Zaccagnino, who not only built the 52,000 sq ft building in which it is housed but also painstakingly designed and handcrafted almost all of the uncannily lifelike scenery. 'There's nothing like it,' he said. 'Visitors come out saying it's one of the Wonders of the World.' Or at least one of the wonders of the Northeast Corridor.
Urbane: City skylines, sure, but the New Jersey attraction has more to offer, as well
Spans: Northlandz boasts some 400 bridges for its model trains to cross A look inside the world's BIGGEST model railroad
Swiss Alps? No, its Northlandz, the world's largest model railroad in Flemington, New Jersey
Steady stream: Visitors, 2,000 came on its busiest day yet, to Northlandz see many of the world's biomes represented, including this alpine waterway
Ingenuity meets ingenuity: A pit mine is seen in the 52,000 facility
Famous clientele: Many visitors take in the sights of Northlandz each each. Sometimes they're even famous: Pee Wee Herman, Neil Young, and Joe Piscapo have all stopped by
BEHOLD! What began as a hobby in a man's basement has become Northlandz--the world's biggest model railway in Flemington, New Jersey
Precarious! Buildings look over steep cliffs in Northlandz. There are over 3,000 such buildings in the giant model. Bruce loved model trains as a kid but it wasn't until he was married that he started to build models in his basement. His hobby got so out of control he then added five extra basements to his home to house his collection until he finally raised the money to create Northlandz. He says he has sunk 'several million' dollars into the project, which has been open to the public since 1997. 'I worked 18 or 19 hours a day, seven days a week, non-stop,' Bruce said. He said the attraction is recognized by Guinness World Records as the biggest of its kind on the planet.
Ex-SPAN-sive: Forty-foot bridges span 30-foot canyons in Northlandz
Altitude: The tallest peaks in Northlandz clock in around 30 feet
Serpentine: 50,000 feet, or 8 miles of track, wind around Northlandz
Bridge and tunnel: There are about 400 bridges and trestles throughout the giant model railway
Perspective: Northlandz' many spans are even more impressive when viewed from below. It has even attracted several celebrity visitors - including famed model railroad fan, rocker Rod Stewart, and Neil Young, who went to the attraction in disguise. 'We didn't even know he was there until the next day,' said Bruce. Stewart and other stars signed a special 'celebrity wall' inside the exhibit. The path through the exhibit - spread across 16 acres - is almost one mile long.
Cross-section: This view shows the range of environs the Northlandz' 100 trains crisscross for delighted spectators.
Intricate: Northlandz, like any self-respecting town, has a theme park complete with roller coaster and other rides
People: There are lots of mini-people in Northlandz and they depend on the trains. Visitors are told at the beginning it will take at least two hours to make their way through the whole thing. And as astounding as his Northlandz is, Zaccagnino isn’t the only train enthusiast dedicated enough to single-handedly create a locomotive tourist attraction. Just this past weekend, Elaine Silets of the Greater Chicago area opened up her personal 10 acres of model train-filled estate gardens. She does so once a year as a charity event and this time around she greeted about 6,000 visitors.
Evolving: Zaccagnino began Northlandz some 35 years ago. It started in his basement and eventually moved to its own building where it continues to evolve
World inside a world: Northlandandz' citizens take in the sights along with the bigger visitors to the New Jersey attraction
Richard Scary eat your heart out: A busy train yard hints at Northlandz frenetic daily life Elaine Silets is a train lover like no other. Not only did she make a career out of building model train displays but her expansive estate is an homage to the locomotive. And over the weekend, Silets did something she does but once per year: she opened up her gardens to the public and something like 6,000 curious train lovers descended on her home. With 10 acres of gardens, waterfalls, lakes, trestles, bridges, and replica towns and pastoral scenes, her Glorée & Tryumfant Garden Railway in North Barrington, Illinois, it’s no wonder they call her the Train Lady.
Elaborate: About 6,000 visitors got a chance to view Elaine Silets' elaborate, train display-covered estate outside Chicago Saturday. Silets began her new life as the Train Lady after her beloved late husband Harvey’s law career took off, leaving her in search of a hobby. That hobby became Huff & Puff Industries, a company that designs and manufactures model railroads for home and garden displays. Huff & Puff’s work has been seen in the Nieman Marcus Christmas book, in the lobby of Chicago’s Hancock Center, and in Tiffany & Co. window displays.
Serious business: Silets (pictured) turned a love of trains into a famous business that creates high-end train displays, one of which even appeared in Chicago's Hancock Center lobby
Expansive: The ten acre Glorée & Tryumfant Garden Railway features Japanese gardens, waterways, topiaries, and seemingly endless displays, all with model trains chugging through year round
Intricate: Miniature people even populate the model train worlds But Silets’ biggest accomplishment is her own garden display. Eleven model trains chug about the lavish gardens all-year round. The half-inch G-scale trains ply a Japanese water garden with waterfalls, a pond garden, rose gardens, a Snoopy topiary built especially for Silets’ grandsons, and other floral landscapes. Also open to the day’s visitors was the private train museum on Silets’ propertyThe Harvey M. Silets Memorial museum was built in honor of the Train Lady’s husband, a famous attorney who once represented Jimmy Hoffa. The museum is a scaled down replica of Greater Chicago that has 16 trains of its own, a drive-in movie theatre, and other transit-related exhibits like elevated trains and subway trains.
'I live in heaven': A train traverses a Japanese waterscape in Silets' expansive gardens that she calls heaven
Durable: There are many water features in Silets' gardens. The trains that chug over and around them run all year round
Down to business: Though Silets (left) has plenty of personal passion for her trains, they are also her business. Huff & Puff Industries (right) creations have appeared in Chicago's Hnacock Center, Tiffany's window displays, and on the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, NBC, CNN, CBS, FOX, NBC, the Travel Channel, and PBS
Choo-choo: Silets preoccupation, before it was an occupation, began when her husband's law career took off, leaving her with time on her hands For visitors, the once a year opportunity was well worth the $10 entrance fee. ‘It was fun,’ young Ethan Sparks told the Barrington Courier-Review as he reluctantly stepped off a replica Hogwarts Express train, inspired by the Harry Potter film and book series Visitors continually thanked Silets for inviting the public onto her estate. ‘I always feel like Queen Elizabeth for a day,’ Silets said. She even offered tips on how to create one’s own Glorée & Tryumfant Garden.
In Memoriam: Elaine Silets, known as the Train Lady, maintains her huge, locomotive gardens in part as a memorial to her late husband Harvey, a lawyer who once defended Jimmy Hoffa
High flying: Like the bustling metropolis of Chicago, which is close by, Silets' garden has elevated trains as well as purely terrestrial ones ‘I tell everyone it’s real easy,’ she said. ‘All you need is to live here 40-plus years, and buckets of money.’ ‘I’ve lived here 44 years now,’ Silets clarified. ‘There was almost nothing here — the pond was here and a shabby, 1,000-square-foot house.’ And no matter how much her home and gardens are appreciated by visitors, Silets seems to love it all the most. ‘I live in heaven,' she said. 'I do. Isn’t it beautiful?' Proceeds from Saturday’s event will go toward providing scholarships to promising artists who hope to attend the prestigious Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan, of which Silets is an alum, but who don’t have the financial ability. | See the astounding $3.5 million home with a scale model railway you can ride over bridges and through tunnels on the 19-acre estate
A unique home in Oregon is guaranteed to appeal to kids of all ages, as it has a fully rideable railroad, complete with bridges, tunnels and a trainyard, that fully encircles the 19-acre estate. The astonishing property, described as a 'Railway Resort', is also on sale. And at just $3.5 million, this feat of model engineering might well be worth it. Inside the house in Sherwood, just south of Portland, Oregon, there's another model railway at a much smaller scale. Scroll down for video
Train-lovers paradise: The incredible property, on sale for $3.5 million, has a rideable scale model railway that encircles the whole property
Engineering feat: The railroad has bridges and tunnels carrying the tracks around the estate
Locomotives: Two of the engines used on the model railroad
Birds' eye: An aerial shot shows the size of the property - and model railroad The house itself is very well appointed, with four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a games room, large workout area and a covered deck with a hot tub. But the most amazing aspect of 18055 SW Seiffert Road is definitely the train-lovers paradise in the landscaping, outhouses and barn outside. The fully functioning and scale railroad passes through tunnels and over high bridges as it wends its way through the 19.67 acre estate. There's a station, a miniature railyard and store that all service the train network, perfect for entertaining grandchildren - or grandparents.
More! Inside the house in Sherwood, just south of Portland, Oregon, there's another model railway at a much smaller scale
To scale: The railroad also features a miniature yard
Over and under: The line features tunnels as well as bridges
Outside space: The property features a covered outside deck with a hot tub The Zillow listing for the property describes it as a 'legendary Property - globally acclaimed and masterfully engineered... regarded as the finest railroad of its kind.' 'Lending itself to the imagination while presenting endless possibilities, you'll find beautiful landscaping, gardens, pasture, arena, views, spectacular outbuildings and shop, and main house that's been fully remodeled with precision to frame this railway resort,' it continues. Incredibly this property has already been on the market since July 2013. The home, built in Cape Cod style, was first built in 1930, but the actual house is not the first thing that comes to mind with this railway resort.
Fuel: A view inside one of the trains
Desirable: The house itself has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms
Never bored! The house also has a games room with a pool table
Fun: The ride would be perfect for kids of all ages
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One track mind: Train lover builds Britain’s largest indoor model railway which is 3,000ft long, has 28 trains and features scenes from around the world
With more than 3,000ft of railway track and 28 trains, this spectacular display is thought to be the largest indoor model railway in Britain. The exhibition, dubbed 'Wroxham Miniature Worlds', was created by train enthusiast Sean Green, 45, and his 23-year-old son, Robert, in Hoveton, Norfolk. It features incredibly detailed scenes from across the world - from the glorious British countryside to the busy streets of Japan.
+27 Spectacular: With more than 3,000ft of railway track, this display is thought to be the largest indoor model railway in Britain. Above, the Japanese section of the track
+27 Incredibly detailed: The exhibition, dubbed 'Wroxham Miniature Worlds', was created by train enthusiast Sean Green, 45, and his son, Robert, 23. Above, the European part
+27 Life in the countryside: It features 28 trains and incredibly detailed scenes from across the world - from the glorious British countryside (pictured) to the streets of Japan
+27 Idyllic: It has now been opened to the public for the first time - and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Above, cattle in the British countryside
Different countries: Mr Green said he was delighted to have fulfilled his life-long dream of opening a model railway display. Left, trains in Britain and, right, cars in Japan It has now been opened to the public for the first time - and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Mr Green, who operates a coach travel company, said he was delighted to have fulfilled his life-long dream of opening a model railway display. 'The collecting bug is a gene that some people just have,' said Mr Green, who spent three years creating the display. 'I have collected all sorts of things over the years, but like all collectors, there is never enough space.'I have seen big displays in Europe but nothing like it open to the public over here. I have always said there should be one, then thought why can’t we do that?’
+27 Amazing: 'I have collected all sorts of things over the years, but like all collectors, there is never enough space,' said Mr Green. Above, the European section of the track
+27 Having fun: 'I have seen big displays in Europe but nothing like it open to the public over here,' he added. Above, a ferris wheel and rollercoaster in a European theme park
+27 Camping: Most of Mr Green's track features idyllic scenes modeled on rural British life - including campsites and a village fete complete with an ice cream van (above) Miniature figures: There are cattle grazing as farmers tend to their field (left), a village fete complete with an ice cream van and a number of miniature cars (right)
+27 Picturesque: However, the amazing display also features scenes from other European destinations. Above, train tracks are pictured over a Japanese river with tug boats
+27 On holiday: Eagle-eyed visitors will even be able to spot two campers having a bust up in a field over which pitch to take for their campervans. Above, campers chat Most of Mr Green's track features idyllic scenes modeled on rural British life - including churches, local pubs, village greens, open countryside, campsites complete with tents and campers, and miniature cars and trucks. There are cattle grazing as farmers tend to their field, a village fete complete with an ice cream van and a number of quaint market stalls. There is also a miniature cricket club called Skaledale, featuring players and a sleepy crowd of observers snoozing on deckchairs in the sun. Eagle-eyed visitors will even be able to spot two campers having an argument in a field over which pitch to take for their campervans.
+27 Proud creator: Mr Green (pictured), who operates a coach travel company, said he was 'incredibly proud' to have created the country's largest model railway display
+27 Incredible display: A 260sq-ft part of track is modeled on Japan (pictured) - featuring a bullet train whizzing from the city, past fishing villages and into the countryside
+27 Stunning: Mr Green said he hoped the attraction would both help others share his passion for model railway and inspire other collectors. Above, a Japanese train station
+27 Realistic: This part of the track shows a busy Japanese town, including miniature cars, tall office buildings, trees, streetlights, tram lines and even road markings
+27 Detailed structure: 'The space we have here is incredible. We hope to attract around 40,000 visitors a year,' said Mr Green. Above, another view of the Japanese town Record-breaking: 'We are incredibly proud to have created the country’s largest model railway for the public to enjoy,' he added. Above, a Japanese town and train station However, the amazing display also features scenes from other European destinations - with trains chugging over snowy mountains, complete with ice skaters, pretty villages, castles and fairground attractions. And a further 260sq-ft part of track is modeled on Japan, featuring an authentic bullet train whizzing from the city, past fishing villages and out into the countryside. Mr Green said he hoped the attraction would both help others share his passion for model railways and inspire other collectors. 'The space we have here is incredible. We hope to attract around 40,000 visitors a year,' he said.
+27 Pretty: In one European destination, railway tracks are pictured amid snowy mountains, complete with ice skaters, pretty villages, castles and fairground attractions
+27 Walking in the snow: People stroll in the snow outside a cottage in the European part of the railway display, which also features British and Japanese sections
+27 Fulfilling a dream: 'There has always been a shortage of things to do in the Norfolk Broads when it rains,' said Mr Green. Above, a display showing a detailed German town
+27 Typically English: 'Because we are indoors I hope the tourists will come and see what we have created here,' he added. Above, a local English pub with boats and benches ‘There has always been a shortage of things to do in the Norfolk Broads when it rains. Because we are indoors I hope the tourists will come and see what we have created here.' He added: ‘We are incredibly proud to have created the country’s largest model railway for the public to enjoy.’ For more information on Wroxham Miniature Worlds, visit wroxhamminiatureworlds.co.uk.
+27 Emergency: Mr Green spent three years creating the speculator display with his son, Robert. Above, fire engines and onlookers attend a scene in a German town
+27 Under construction: He said the 'collecting bug' was a gene that some people just have. Above, a construction site in Germany, featuring a crane, tankers and cones
+27 Water fun: The display has now been opened to the public for the first time - and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Above, a lake in Germany | The town of Elgin Park isn't located in a state, it is a state of mind within the town's creator and photographer Michael Paul Smith who has faithfully recreated the mid-century America of his youth using super accurate model cars and landscape and with the help of a little camera magic. By placing models in just the perfect way in front of the well-preserved historic New England structures in his actual town of Winchester, Massachusetts, Smith is able to create photographs convincing enough to fool Norman Rockwell with a $250 camera. The collection, all of which is on his website and Flickr is so perfect in part because of the quality and accuracy of Smith's collection of hundreds of model diecast cars and trucks, which he uses instead of people in each scene. He blends the model cars and the sets he builds into real life backgrounds, and the result is the fictional--though entirely believable--mill town of Elgin Park. 'I’m creating a mood, something familiar in the viewer’s mind,' Smith told the New York Times.
Nostalgic: Michael Paul Smith has been building and collecting models for nearly 30 years and he's used them, and some photographic magic, recreate the the mid-century suburbia of his youth
Realistic: Smith's fictional town is called Elgin Park, and it exists only in the mind and photos of its creator. But thanks to uncannily real model looking models, the town is transporting
Perspective: By placing his models in front of real life backdrops in just the right way, Smith is able to create the illusion of a fully realized world frozen in the 1950s and 60s
Yesteryear: Helping Smith create his perfect town is his extensive collection of models cars and trucks, whose realism transfers into Smith landscapes Talented: Not all of Smith's compositions utilize real backdrops. Some use only model sets built by Smith, whose lost list of former occupations includes museum display designer advertising art director Photographer creates uncanny 50s US town with models
Popular: The popularity of Smith's Flickr account, which he uses to post all his photos, went from virtually nonexistent to hundreds of thousands per day in 2010 as users began to share his fascinating work
Picturesque: Also helping Smith create Elgin Park are the well-preserved old buildings of his actual town of Winchester, Massachusetts
Foothills: Though a New Englander now, Smith's imaginary town is based on the Allegheny steel mill town of Sewickley, Pennsylvania where Smith grew up
'Elgin Park is not an exact re-creation of Sewickley,' says Smith, 'but it does capture the mood of my memories'
'I don¿t put people in my photos,' Smith said in 2010. 'I want viewers to put themselves into the scenes. I¿m creating a mood, something familiar in the viewer¿s mind.'
One of the many pleasant streets in Elgin Park, whose name originates from the deepest recesses of Smith's mind. 'One day, it just hit me,' he said
Smith uses trial and error to create the optical illusions in his photographs. 'It¿s all by trial and error,' he told the New York Times. 'Moving a set around, watching how shadows fall.'
'As a teenager, I was a car enthusiast for the design, not so much the horsepower,' he says. He's adding to his extensive model car collection, but there are still many more unique shots to be had
Low tech: As for special effects, Smith insists he uses Photoshop only as a way to add filters that make his photos appear more dated
'Our past is a powerful draw, and in so many ways we try to capture it in order to explain it to ourselves,' he says |
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