Russian HO scale layout

[jbsmith]

This video looks at a Russian HO scale layout.
It's attention to detail is amazing, well done.
26 minutes long, worth a watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7I_z6k-MOY

[bobwrgt]

ONE WORD   "FANTASTIC"

[trainmainbrian]

WOW.... & the guy has a hole employee network working on the Layout.. I really liked the Girl working on the scenery She can work on my Layout anytime... VERY NICE RUSSAN LAYOUT....

[Desertdweller]

This is absolutely fantastic!  Possibly the best ever.

I think all the readers of this site owe it to themselves to watch this video.

Les

[jbsmith]

I just watched it again, this time I spotted what looks like an ALCO RS5 ?

near the end of the video, going into a roundhouse stall.

at 25:43 on the timer

[rogertra]

I just watched it again, this time I spotted what looks like an ALCO RS5 ?

near the end of the video, going into a roundhouse stall.

at 25:43 on the timer

No such thing as an "Alco RS5"  Do you mean an Alco RSD-5?

The Russians built copies of several Alco designs, the RS-2 and RS-3 and RSD-5 among them.  Not sure about the RS-1.

Sorry but I didn't bother to watch the whole video, big display train sets that just operate trains running around in circles, like Wunderland for example,  do nothing for me.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Skarloey Railway]

It's very impressive, and unlike some of these massive layouts, the modelling is high standard. But I'm, with Rogertra on this. It doesn't move me because it's so impersonal.

That said, if he's got any jobs going....

[Jerrys HO]

Very impressive layout. Beautiful scenery and animation.

This is what brings most people such as me into model railroading. I have always loved trains and after seeing my first museum layout I was hooked.

Although many of us were not fortunate to grow up with a family member that worked on the railroad or lived close enough to a yard area to watch the switching activities, I respect the modeling that others such as Roger,Skarloey and others do as they are also special in their own way.

Roundy round or point to point operations all should be enjoyed as they are all modeling.

Jerry

[Desertdweller]

This thing really blew me away.  After reading these comments, I was moved to ask myself "why?"

The creator said the layout was not intended to be a model railroad.  It was intended to be a representation of typical and identifiable parts of his nation.  The trains were there to provide action to the scene, as apparently were the moving vehicles.

There was a high ratio of scenery to track, something typical of real life.  There were lots and lots of mini-scenes that do not relate to the railroad.  Not only do the vehicles move, they pass each other.
Lots and lots of people, doing the things people do.  The filming of historical movies allow a chance to represent other time periods.  The whole thing was a bit overwhelming.  I am very impressed.

Would I build a model railroad like this, even if I could?  No.  My idea of an ideal model railroad is one on which I would operate the trains, or at least a train.  I want to be the engineer.  This does not reduce my enjoyment of this model one bit.

The European ideal is to have automatic train operation, to give the viewer the sensation of watching a real railroad in operation.  It is much like a museum display.  These are very enjoyable as details are found and picked out.

This fellow has fulfilled what many of us have as a hobby fantasy.  His crew are very gifted persons.  I really appreciated seeing this.

Les

[Skarloey Railway]

Well, aside from needing to confess that I'm an ex-modeller and have been for many years, despite architectural modelling as a career for a dozen years, I don't see that the "European ideal is to have automatic train operation", certainly, it isn't the British ideal not what I've seen of Continental European modelling.

Both the British and Continental European modelling that I've seen and read of is much less focused on operation than in the US. Instead it focuses on creating a scene in which the railway moves, with the result that track to scenery ratio is much lower than on most US model railroads I've seen via the web and magazines. Consequently, that Russian layout has, from my perspective, a very high ratio of track to scenery, whereas a model like Pempoul http://tinyurl.com/Pempoul is much more typical of European practise with a single station and plenty of open space (albeit Pempoul is unusual in that everything except the rail and the wheels is scratch-built) and not much in the way of operation.   

The differences in approach between US and UK model railways/railroads intrigue me. Perhaps a difference is that in the US model railroad operation is done with the intensity of team sport, whereas in the UK it has the intensity of a nice cup of tea.

[J3a-614]

I can't say I know much about Continental European modelling, but I can say an operation like Pempoul reminds me very much of a shortline or branchline operation here.  Branch operations and shortlines are rarely high-pressure affairs, and often don't really have much in the way of "operation."  Yet there are people who love smaller locomotives and the railroads they ran on, including narrow gauge stuff.  Heck, how many trains a day did Rio Grande Southern run after 1940 or so?  Yet RGS is a favorite of the narrow gauge crowd.

[rogertra]

I think that UK model railways, as that's what I'm famliar with and can speak about, are not so into "operation" as we in North America are for several reasons.

1)  The UK model railway is usually way smaller than the typical North American railroad designed for operation.  Your typical UK "scale", Vs toy train set model railway, will have one station, usually a single track branch terminal, that sees a two or three coach, non-corridor passenger train arrive and depart about once per hour on a busy holiday weekend.  This passenger train will be drawn by an 0-6-0T or a 2-6-2T or perhaps a 2-6-4T.   If it's a GWR model, then the 0-6-0 tank with be an 0-6-0PT.  For variety, they will include the "London Through Train".  This is The big passenger train of the day.  This will be drawn by a tender engine  Say a 4-6-0 or even a light 4-6-2 if modelling the Southern Railway or region.  There will be a daily goods (freight) probably drawn and a 2-6-0.  There will be no car cards and way bills and the goods wagons (freight cars) will just be spotted in logical places in the good yard (freight yard).  Industries?  May a gas works or a brewery may be included.  Multiple industries served by rail were very, very rare in the UK.  Most freight was delivered via what we would call "team tracks" where the customer pick up and brought their goods to the railway yard for load and not via a spur to their industry.  There would also be a good shed (freight house) for handling small packages and what we call LCL.  

Some people have their single track station with two platforms, a main platform and a bay platform.  Again, for variety, the station may serve two different railways with the "guest" railway using the bay for it's passenger train.  It will not have freight access of its own.

This station and yard will be served by a stub track fiddle yard of four to six tracks where trains are made up and broken down by hand.

2)  Some people with more space will have a double track through station.  Train services will be as above but with a far more frequent passenger service, with passenger trains anywhere from every 10 to 15 minutes in each direction to perhaps every 30 minutes in each direction interspersed with through goods (freight) trains that do not stop.  Once or maybe twice per day in each direction the local "pick up goods" (way freight) will stop and shunt the yard.  

The trains seen passing through the station will exhibit a selection of typical engines of the period and location and will just be a more intensive version of the single track branch above.

The only real difference is that, apart from some narrow gauge modellers, all the models will be accurate, no generic "Athearn" boxcars painted for a dozen different roads like we have in North America but each car an accurate model of a prototype and only painted in that prototype colours and markings.  Ditto for the passenger cars.  All correct for the railway being modelled, no stand ins, it's just not done.  And of course the locos will all be accurate for not only the railway but also the area being modelled.

Most likely, both model railways will be accurately signaled as all UK passenger carrying railways run 100% on signal indication and 100% absolute block.  Unlike North America, train crews make no decisions regarding the running of their trains, especially like they used to in North American under TT&TO.  You follow the signal indications, period!

The station structures, fences, signal design, signalboxes (towers) etc., etc., even down to the track layout will either follow a real location or be based on the practices of railway company or region being modelled.

So that, in a longish nutshell, explains the scale UK model railway hobby.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Skarloey Railway]

I recognise what rogertra is describing. And its familiarity with that kind of model that creates my sense of what good and bad modelling is. For example, something US models do a lot is have parallel tracks on a board, usually with a few inches difference in height, depicting two points on a railroad that are in reality dozens of miles apart. That, with one exception that I can think of, doesn't happen in the UK and always to me makes a model look like a toy train set. But in the US it seems to be accepted.

The standard of modelling on that Russian RR is high but its not an accurate depiction of the real thing.

[Terry Toenges]

Really neat layout.

[Jhanecker2]

The video of that  Russian model was very entertaining and informative .   It does show you what money and organization can do . It is unfortunately   true that  making   highly accurate models of even  relatively  small prototypical   area is a difficult  task given the size of the space requirements.     That said  , I wish I had the money  and the discipline   to build something like that ,  John2.