World's biggest layout, Hamburg?

Thanks for the pointer. Fantastic video of an amazing layout. Think I'll have to pay it a visit.

Andy C

I wonder if it's finescale?

I was in the Metro this morning. All that catenary.

Kevin

Cheered me up that did - Thanks!

Mike

I visited it in Summer 07. They were still working on the (20' tall) Alps scene. :)

It is spectacular, remember who its target audience is. My grandson (1 and a bit at the time) though it was wonderful.

From a modellers viewpoint, a few things stood out. Firstly, the reliability. No derailments, no uncoupling, everything worked. The workshop would bring a tear to a scratchbuilders eye. And the helix that just went on and on and on ....

Definitely worth a visit, even with the delay on entry.

Steve Magee Newcastle NSW Aust

Plus tunnels and enclosed stations!

Have you seen the facts page for the final layout in 2014 ?

Leased Floorspace 6,000 m=B2 Model Area over 1,800 m=B2 Construction Areas 10 Track Length approx. 20,000 Meters ( to scale that's about 11,000 miles ?) Trains approx. 1,300 Wagons 15,000 over Longest Train 14.51m Signals 1,900 Switches 4,000 Computers 64 Lights over 500,000 Buildings and Bridges 6,000 Figures 300,000 Cars 10,000 Trees 330,000 Work Hours approx. 850,000 Staff 170 Construction Cost approx. 15,000,000 =80

I like the bit in 'Our Philosophy' " ...... For us, people are more important than money. People and employees aren=92t factors and figures in our balance sheets, but unique individuals with different qualities and characters ..... "

With all the technology they used for the world record for the longest train ever run on H0 tracks ie laser levels etc I wonder if they compensated for part of the track being in the shade and the other in sunlight ?

Chris

I saw a US "N" layout on YouTube with a freight train with 5 locos and 136 freight cars - approx. 1 scale mile long. CN freight trains run daily near my house with 2-4 locos and 160 cars.

Thank you Martin, dec' point in wrong place, but it has been a long day :-)

Chris

If only all companies could ditch the "Human Resources" culture in favour of the old "Personnel." It was a great pity that they all acted like a lot of sheep, to place their people in the same category as equipment, furniture etc. I guess it made it easier for them to hire and fire, if they are simply reduced to numbers. Sorry for the OT rant but it's a real hobby-horse of mine.

No apology needed. One of the companies I worked for used to use the 'threat' of involving 'Human Resources' all too often. Like most accountants, 'Human Resources' are a waste of space, time & money.

It will be a long time B4 a piece of 'equipment' can build a layout like that, it would also need to be programmed with a sense of humour ( no accountant would allow that ! ).

Years of experience now count for little ... they would rather reinvent the wheel again and pay someone a fat bonus.

That is one of the reasons why model makers / hobbyist are frowned upon as they take a pride in their work, 'even' if it's 'just' the right lettering on a station sign.

Chris

It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of fight in the dog.

If only all companies ditched "personnel/human resources" completely, the savings would be huge. Keep a consultant (proper one, not a contractor) on hand for problems and get managers to actually manage their staff (bit a shock, I know - many couldn't cope and would need replacing with real leaders).

If you don't think that's sensible, find out just what the recruitment process is at your work and ask recent recruits just how exactly HR contributed to the process, other than just being there and asking the odd pointless question. And look to see what proportion of meeting rooms are booked by HR and what each meeting actually achieves that couldn't be solved by a chat at the coffee machine. Subject the department to the same costs/processes audit that Engineering or Production or Sales have to go through.

HR has become (apart from a standing joke) a self-perpetuating drain on scant resources - like Health & Safety, if there is no problem they will create one to justify their existence, to the point where other employees have no respect for them due to constant interference and lecturing on matters that are not work related (i.e. messing with staff's lifestyles).

Sorry to rant, but I believe managers should manage, and be empowered to do so.

Cheers Richard

For my part, I'm well out of the rat race, though I saw it quite well established by the time I left. No argument from me over managers managing, though I guess you need someone to oversee company policy towards their staff.... yes staff... rather than the horrible term people. Especially necessary, with all the employment legislation now in place and you don't really want all your competent managers wasting their time, keeping up with the law.

ATB Andy

A local man who worked for Peugot for 19 years before they shifted production to eastern europe was told when he applied for a new job he was now "too set in his ways" and they needed someone who was "more flexible" ie: changed jobs every five minutes. The journalists who reported the story were also told by their employer that their jobs efectively no longer existed but they could reapply for their old jobs back, listing which other tasks they were qualified to undertake.

Do you see a pattern emerging?

(kim)

Before retiring I worked for GPO/The Post Office/Royal Mail/Parcelforce/Consignia (pick any name, they all applied at different times). I was lucky and avoided this problem but I had many colleagues who "reapplied" for their jobs on regular occasions. One friend was told somebody else was better qualified. The somebody else got the job and then embezzled a large lump of dosh.

Even further off-topic but may be of interest? A friend who recently retired from the Post Office with a tiny occupational pension had his pension credit cut off completely without any explanation by the DWP. After he complained to his local MP it was restored but at a much lower level than before and the DWP sent a letter to the MP claiming my friend had failed to inform them of an increase in his Post Office pension. After severeal internal investigations a tape-recording was discovered of the phone call in which he did inform the DWP of the increase. The DWP have since admitted in writing that they were totally wrong and he was totally right but refuse even to apologise. I'm not a expert in civil cases but have advised my friend to sue the DWP for defamation and libel on account of the letter they sent to his local MP. He is currently taking the matter up with Citizen's Advice.

(kim)

Very interesting. I'd like to know how that one comes out. I'm sure their guidelines don't tell them to cut money off without first contacting the recipient,

Exactly. Do you want your best engineering/design/sales/etc people spending their time reading up on things like the exact rules and regulations for maternity leave, or the legal requirements for small print in job adverts?

It seems a bit like the arguments we used to hear that IT departments shouldn't exist, because everyone should learn to fix and program their own computers. Or saying that managers could do their own filing and photocopying

Managers SHOULD be the one group of people who you can turn to if there if there is a problem you can=92t fix, but most managers there days can=92t do the job and are there, supposedly, to manage people.

My former employers went =91procedure=92 mad so lets hope the =91young rising stars=92 of the future can have an original thought.

I was told of one incident where one of our contractors staff was working away and the new middle manager started to tell him how to do his job. As the middle manager was lifted off the floor by his jacket lapels the contractor told him to be quiet or to go away ( or words to that effect ).

I like layouts with a bit of humor etc. ( like the couple in the corn field ) or even the odd private joke built in. Ones that spring to mind are the ghost of a train spotter still plying his hobby from the comfort of the graveyard or the two lads sitting on a wall watching the loco=92s, one wearing an Everton top , the other a Liverpool one.

Chris

It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of fight in the dog.