May 12th, 2016: Plus Sized Model Railroad

[xoxoxoBruce]

Model Railroads vary, some are set up on a piece of plywood/floor and go around in a circle/oval. Ho hum.
Some are built with elaborate scenery, multi-tracks and several trains. Cool.
But the Junction Valley Railroad, is a horse of another color... you can ride it.

The Junction Valley Railroad in Bridgeport, Michigan, United States, is a model railroad but not the
tabletop variety we are familiar with. Built at the scale of 1:4, this 600-ton behemoth is the world’s
largest quarter-sized railroad. It has real diesel engines, albeit scaled-down in size, but strong
enough to pull steel cars and real human passengers over a 5% gradient. As Lionel.com writes,
Junction Valley Railroad is “too small to be considered a commercial railroad and too large to be
thought of as a model railroad.”

Built an operated by William A. Stenger and his family, Junction Valley Railroad features more than
four miles of track, 16 railroad bridges, including the only diamond crossing trestle in existence,
865 feet of trestle and bridges, and a tunnel over 100 feet long. The railroad has a complete blocking
and crossing signal system with over 60 operating track switches. There is also a ten-stall roundhouse
complete with an operating turntable that serves the railroads nine fully-equipped engines.
Over 75 cars of all types and sizes are available, some of which can be comfortably ridden by visitors.

As a bonus, while in Michigan you can visit the BeestMonsters.

link

[Diaphone Jim]

I really like the top photograph and applaud the huge effort that has gone into the engineering, construction and landscaping.
I think the second pic needs some 1:4 (or maybe even less) scale people.

[xoxoxoBruce]

They have a huge investment there. But even 1/4 scale people would look big.

[lumberjim]

plus sized model on a train

[xoxoxoBruce]

Those diesels are pretty strong, they could handle her.

[SPUCK]

I'm working with a fella that has one of those scale trains. His dad built them until he passed a few weeks ago. They have frequent "meets" where dozens of them show up somewhere and everyone has fun riding and examining each other's collections. They weigh crazy amounts and need special setups to get them onto trailers and into pickups.

Here's one engine he made:


I thought it clever that this working-height stand allowed him to run it along the stand directly onto rails in his truck bed.

[xoxoxoBruce]

They must be a standard size track so they can all use the same location.

Honey, I've got a couple of hours to kill, I'm gonna throw my model locomotive in the pickup and hang with the guys.

I'd believe that locomotive weighs 10 ton or more.

[BigV]

Willya lookit *that* engine stand!