Largest layout

This is a big layout :-

Gainsborough Model Railway

as is this one :-

Southport Model Railway Village

"Keith J Patrick" wrote

Over 20 years ago I was invited to buy the surviving stock from what had been advertised as the 'Largest OO-scale Model Railway in the World'. It was situated close to Gwinear Road station in Cornwall and occupied a very large garden area.

I've no knowledge of the area covered, but can say it was very large!

John.

Totally irrelevant to the topic in question, but there is a HO layout in Hamburg which is really really really huge. It is also very well done, not just plstic kits dumped down. They seem to have modelled everything from Kiruna south to the Alps, plus some of the USA.

It may not be in the UK, but, this working model railway covering an area of

2,500 sq. feet.this must be one of the largest model railway in the British Isles

The Fry Model Railway at Malahide Castle, near Dublin

Wilson

Sounds like a man after my own heart (but with skills I can only dream of). That one might even be worth the radiation dose, bad air, DVTs etc of a flight to Dublin!

Many thanks - Inner man refreshed

Mike

Does that exclude the Thomas and Friends layout?

In message , Wilson.R.Adams writes

Interesting. Both of these sites have a picture of part of the layout, but one appears to be a mirror-image of the other.

No, nothing excluded, but I was just wondering what the largest 'privately constructed' layout is, or was, rather than one constructed as a permanent exhibition where one has to pay to enter, or i.e. Fleischman's built to advertise that companies products.

The Fry layout could be included (a wonderful visit if you are near Dublin) as it was initially privately constructed. I was thinking more of ( I can't remember the name now) a layout built on the South Coast near Deal, which filled two nissen huts (not the motoring variety)

Unless they've built an actual layout, it was simply a series of unconnected dioramas that were used like individual sets.

Seem to remember visiting a big one in Scotland many years ago, although my memory is not clear it seemed pretty big when I saw it. I also think there was one, possibly on the South Coast somewhere, that claimed to be the biggest, but that again was a long time ago. What about Bekinscot (not sure of the spelling and on dial up so Im not going to check), that was pretty big in terms of square feet, not sure how much track though as it is really a model village.

Regards

Mike

There used to be one on Poole's Town Quay in an old building there. The building has since been sold and converted to a night club I believe, but the layout was dismantled and part of it re-built at the nearby Compton Acres, who, I believe, are planning ultimately to build something bigger.

I suppose the likes of Retford and Leamington Spa (both featured in the latest BRM) would be candidates?

How big is Leamington Spa ? Retford, size I am not sure about, but must be the best part of 100' on it's longest axis. Many layouts are built as 'entry paying attractions' but what I was trying to get at is one mans work, or perhaps a group. From the cine film I have, the Norris layout was extensive, and although he was what we would have termed in those days a 'cheque book modeller', it was built for his own consumption. Another 'O' gauge layout that was quite large was (or is) the Bromford and High Peak. I am not, of course, suggesting that large is necessasarily beautiful, as some of the recent 'diaorama' layouts produced are exquisite, but what interested me was .... how far would somebody go to fulfill a dream. A while ago, MRJ featured an LMS based layout (not Camden Bank but the Hemel Hempstead area... 4 track main line) which I think was 100' long. It's in Australia so I don't think we'll ever get to see it. Unless you know different of course !!!

Tempted to suggest Switzerland

:=)

but its not in the UK !

At what point is a model railway a model railway ? For example is the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch a model ? If so, at 1/3rd scale and 13.5 miles long, it would be equivalent to over 40 scale miles. Or about 1/2 mile long in 4mm scale.

Then the criteria of size ? - Length of running lines ? - Area modelled ? - Time taken to construct :-) ?

- Nigel

Isn't there some kind of limit beyond which it becomes model engineering?

A model railway is never finished?

The one in Exmouth is very large and claims to be the largest oo guage in the world:

ROB

According to Wikipedia, it was in the Guinness Book of World Records in

2004!

That's based length of beard isn't it? ;-) (I suspect body warmers are included in the calculation somewhere too)

Or properly started....... damn Templot - it's too easy to make changes :-)

Richard

Try this one on for size: