A few of my friends and I recently visited the Northlandz layout in Flemington, NJ and enjoyed it immensely.
Check out its wonderful vistas HERE!
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Thanks for sharing. Every time I saw a picture I said, "that's my favorite" until I got to the next picture and then that would be my favorite...beautiful is the only way to describe it.
I do think my favorite picture might have been the Cityscape/skyline though.
WOW, prices sure went up since I went there! 
I see a lot of stuff that wasn't there when I was there too, obviously the new owners spent some money on the upgrades.
Is this HO scale?
I think Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg would dispute the title of "World's Largest"!
@harley rider posted:Is this HO scale?
Yes, Northlandz is HO.
Thanks, John, for posting.
We were there around 2010 - with a return trip around 2017. The building and all contents had really, really deteriorated in those seven or so years ... almost to the point of abandonment.
It's great to see that someone has refurbished - and repainted - the entire facility and layout.
Great pix - and thanks again!
Andy, I agree, hard to choose a favorite scene
Gunrunnerjohn, Yes, it is a pricey visit ($35 for seniors) but, it was an enjoyable 3 hours at the cost of a lunch at many Diners these days.
HarleyRider, Yes, HO scale
Professor, I dunno but that is how they bill themselves and it was a mile walk to go through it.
RT, While maintenance has improved from years ago, it is still somewhat dusty and shopworn, but new scenes are working in. We were told that maintenance is on going by volunteers 2 days a week - a huge task. We saw them working when we were there.
Northlandz always struck me as more ambitious than good. Miniatur Wunderland (the REAL world's largest model train layout) is simply amazing!
I went there a couple of times when it first opened. The first time I was disappointed at how short the trains were, only a couple of cars. At that time it was $12. to get in. You had to wait around to see a moving train. Second time I went back it was the same, except the layout was not being up kept. There were holes in the scenery, things were broken and dirty. This was when the original owner Bruce was still there.
A few years ago the place was sold. The new owners had plans to knock the place down and construct a trucking facility, but when they saw the place in person they decided to keep it running. My son worked for the new owners there for a while. However, they expected him to fix everything with no time or money. He finally had to leave there. It's just a matter of time before the owners turn the property into what they originally bought it for. It's really kind of a shame, the place has tremendous potential in the right hands.
From one site describing the new owner's upgrades, sounds like they're somewhat interested in keeping it.
Roadside America Story about Northlandz
Tariq spent 10 months and over $300,000 to restore Northlandz, cleaning off the cobwebs, patching and painting the damaged scenery, rewiring the trains, and adding LED lighting to showcase the landscapes. He hired a ten-person staff to keep the place running and in good repair.
Pretty cool weekend project.
@Magicland posted:Northlandz always struck me as more ambitious than good. Miniatur Wunderland (the REAL world's largest model train layout) is simply amazing!
Less the airfare
John
I was there many years ago. Only one time but I can remember that I was not impressed. It was only open a few years at the time. Scenery was okay and many trains but all short. Only a few cars. I did think that the price of admission was high for what was there. It’s a shame to hear it has gone downhill and probably will not last but that seems to be the way those attractions end up.
@poconotrain posted:I was there many years ago. Only one time but I can remember that I was not impressed. It was only open a few years at the time. Scenery was okay and many trains but all short. Only a few cars. I did think that the price of admission was high for what was there. It’s a shame to hear it has gone downhill and probably will not last but that seems to be the way those attractions end up.
Where did you hear this, poconotrain?
From my observations, and from what I was told when I was there 2 weeks ago, the opposite is true.
@Bill DeBrooke posted:Pretty cool weekend project.
LOL, Bill, LOL
Really nice. May have to drop in if I am up that way.
I did notice that all the trains were very short. Wonder why?
@CAPPilot posted:Really nice. May have to drop in if I am up that way.
I did notice that all the trains were very short. Wonder why?
Funny, that was my observation years ago when I visited it, I suspect it was simply because they have much less trouble keeping them on the tracks.
I saved this thread ... lots of ideas, but for a drastically smaller layout!
One word says it all ...WOW!
@Lionelski, John, this is amazing, big, beautifully done, so creative. All it takes is Time, Money, Fine Scale Modelers, and plenty of Imagination. I would love to go there in person one time, thank you for starting this thread that so much fun to see. On the other hand, I wish I had been able to see “Roadside America”, but I never got there. I did visit “The New Jersey Hi-Railers layout in Patterson New Jersey and it was Overwhelming. Happy Railroading Everyone
John,
Is the Wurlitzer pipe organ still installed at Northlandz?
Tom
@leapinlarry posted:@Lionelski, John, this is amazing, big, beautifully done, so creative. All it takes is Time, Money, Fine Scale Modelers, and plenty of Imagination. I would love to go there in person one time, thank you for starting this thread that so much fun to see. On the other hand, I wish I had been able to see “Roadside America”, but I never got there. I did visit “The New Jersey Hi-Railers layout in Patterson New Jersey and it was Overwhelming. Happy Railroading Everyone
This is the story of the guy that built it. From what they told us, it cost him his first marriage and his bank account. 2nd marriage went on the rocks - that is when he stopped building and sold it.
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@Tom Densel posted:John,
Is the Wurlitzer pipe organ still installed at Northlandz?
Tom
Yes, but it wasn't being played
Back in the late 80's early 90's I stopped at Northlandz as it was on my way to a camp I volunteered at in North Jersey. I was really amazed and spoke to the owner. At that time a club was there helping him run it and build it. It had LONG trains and several of them. He was also starting to build a ride on railroad outside. Upon talking with him I found he also played the organ. Since my dad use to play organ I ask if I could look at it. It ended up that he played it for me since it was close to the scheduled time that he would play it during the day for visitors. I took my children a couple times and the last time I was there was early 2000's. Was I ever shocked when I went the last time. Evidently there were some bad feelings between the club members and him and they had pulled out. A lot of rolling stock was also gone. In the back (middle, but hidden) staging area the tracks were bare. They had been loaded before. Also the scenery was showing it's age dramatically. Everything from sagging to just big ripped spots. Looked like it was just him and he wasn't being talkative in any way shape or form. My general feeling was his life was changing and the layout was taking the hit. Real shame. So it is with interest I read this. It seems he sold it? Are the new owners actually vested in it or is it just a way to make minimal investment and suck it for what they can before demolishing it? I had heard that another club was helping out about 10 - 15 years ago.
Curtis
@CurtisH posted:Back in the late 80's early 90's I stopped at Northlandz as it was on my way to a camp I volunteered at in North Jersey. I was really amazed and spoke to the owner. At that time a club was there helping him run it and build it. It had LONG trains and several of them. He was also starting to build a ride on railroad outside. Upon talking with him I found he also played the organ. Since my dad use to play organ I ask if I could look at it. It ended up that he played it for me since it was close to the scheduled time that he would play it during the day for visitors. I took my children a couple times and the last time I was there was early 2000's. Was I ever shocked when I went the last time. Evidently there were some bad feelings between the club members and him and they had pulled out. A lot of rolling stock was also gone. In the back (middle, but hidden) staging area the tracks were bare. They had been loaded before. Also the scenery was showing it's age dramatically. Everything from sagging to just big ripped spots. Looked like it was just him and he wasn't being talkative in any way shape or form. My general feeling was his life was changing and the layout was taking the hit. Real shame. So it is with interest I read this. It seems he sold it? Are the new owners actually vested in it or is it just a way to make minimal investment and suck it for what they can before demolishing it? I had heard that another club was helping out about 10 - 15 years ago.
Curtis
Interesting info but your timing is off - the land wasn't even purchased until 1990
@Lionelski posted:Interesting info but your timing is off - the land wasn't even purchased until 1990
I ask my son and you are correct. He was a sophomore in high school which places it in 1995. Thank you for jarring my memory. That's what old age does for ya. Things that seem recent were long ago and things that seem long ago are more recent.
While it was pretty impressive to see the first time, my observation from years ago was that it was too monolithic. Everything was orange canyons and not enough action. I was there a couple of times again between 2000 and 2010, and nothing really seemed to change. In order to really get repeat visitors, you need to offer something new for repeat visits. OTOH, our out of town visitors did like the train ride. 
This layout is so beautiful that I thought I'd share it again:
Whoa! Mind blown! 💣 That is one impressive layout.
