Scale Model Railroading

How small is the world’s smallest model railroad? 1:35,200 scale to be exact. The entire layout measures 1/8″ x 1/4″. The modeller, David Smith, calls is a Z scale model of an N scale layout, meaning it’s a model of a model. The train is actually carved into the top of a section of plastic tubing connected to a small electric motor. The motor turns the tubing in a round slot in the layout, giving the effect of the train actually moving on the track. Pretty ingenious, but just thinking of buildin that makes my eyeballs hurt.

This clip is from the BBC show called Top Toys, in which Top Gear’s James May counts down the greatest toys. Number one of course is the model train set:

A highly detailed railroad layout built by Pop’s Custom Model Railroads.

The “Scenic Model Railroad” at Smoky Mountain Trains located in Bryson, NC. High level of detail with this layout, including a working playground and sawmill. Check out the light board at the 2:20 mark.

This video is a collection several how-to shorts into chapters that give you techniques on modeling a real-life railroad in miniature.

A nice video of the East Bay Model Railroad Museum layout. Looks to be a huge layout in multiple gauges.

This video shows the operating of a set of custom designed operating gates, including the mechanisms beneath the layout.

This is a great video of a working model of the the McMyler dumper used in Jersey City, NJ on Pier 18. The dumper is a featured attraction on the Garden State Central Model Railroad Club layout in Asbury Park, NJ. The model was featured in the April 2009 isuse of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. Full hoppers are pushed up the hill on the right and into the dumper. The dumper picks the car up and flips is upside down to dump out the coal. Then it rights and lowers the car. When the next full hopper is pushed into the dumper, it forces the empty car out and down the kick-back track to the empties yard.

This is an amazing basement layout. It’s nice to see a local TV station recognizing the work of a fellow modeller.

This video is hilarious. Just don’t let your kids watch it. They’ll never look at Thomas the same again!