Is The NJ HighRailers layout the largest 3 rail layout in the United States??

Any of the club's members have answers to the questions I asked? If the club is the largest, has its officers  considered applying to the World Book of Records?

I have been an officer of the club most of my 14 years involved with it.   Although many members say it is the largest I have never confirmed it is.  I myself never said it was because I always wanted it to be known as the best to visit and not known as the largest.  I guess it's a quality vs. quantity type of thing with me

I just think its the funnest. But that's a personal opinion.

Gerry

bluelinec4 posted:

I have been an officer of the club most of my 14 years involved with it.   Although many members say it is the largest I have never confirmed it is.  I myself never said it was because I always wanted it to be known as the best to visit and not known as the largest.  I guess it's a quality vs. quantity type of thing with me

I agree. When you experience the layout first hand and see the work and dedication put into the layout by its members size doesn't matter. I have always said no matter the layout size or bells and whistles a layout is a personal expression of the builder. That alone to me makes it  special.  

Chris Lonero posted:

I have always said no matter the layout size or bells and whistles a layout is a personal expression of the builder. That alone to me makes it  special.  

Agree 100%.  Extremely well said.

Steven J. Serenska

From a pure size perspective, 

• Roadside America advertises 6,000 sq ft,
• Nj HiRaillers show 5,565 sq ft,
• Choo Choo barn is 1,700sq ft.,
• Noth Schuykill HiRailers is 1,298 sq ft,
• Merchant's Square (Allentown) is 384 sq ft,  
• Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers ~350 sq. ft.

for their layouts respectively.

Definitely lots of great layouts in the greater Mid-Atlantic region.

I have been to Roadside America and the Choo Choo Barn. Their layouts are more square, our layout is long and narrow. It is about 185' long and 20' to 30' wide in some locations. I guess you would have to start to find the square footage to figure it out.

Jim D.

As far as I know the NJ Hi Railers is the largest O-Gauge Layout in the USA, possibly the world. The Miniature Wonderland in Germany is larger, although that is HO scale.

Thanks!

Mat

Gpritch posted:

From a pure size perspective, 

• Roadside America advertises 6,000 sq ft,
• Nj HiRaillers show 5,565 sq ft,
• Choo Choo barn is 1,700sq ft.,
• Noth Schuykill HiRailers is 1,298 sq ft,
• Merchant's Square (Allentown) is 384 sq ft,  
• Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers ~350 sq. ft.

for their layouts respectively.

Definitely lots of great layouts in the greater Mid-Atlantic region.

These are just the O-Gauge layouts. There are several HO layouts around as well.

I'm thinking Roadside is about 60' x 90' or 5400 sq ft.

Gpritch posted:

Gpritch posted:

From a pure size perspective, 

• Roadside America advertises 6,000 sq ft,
• Nj HiRaillers show 5,565 sq ft,
• Choo Choo barn is 1,700sq ft.,
• Noth Schuykill HiRailers is 1,298 sq ft,
• Merchant's Square (Allentown) is 384 sq ft,  
• Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers ~350 sq. ft.

for their layouts respectively.

Definitely lots of great layouts in the greater Mid-Atlantic region.

These are just the O-Gauge layouts. There are several HO layouts around as well.

If you are talking layout size the NJ HiRailers is 7300 square feet  If you are talking room size the NJ HiRailers is 12500 sq feet   I guess if you add the Tom Snyder layout the two Sopranos layouts and the 2 donated layouts its another 900 sq feet    I know JIm said it varies from 20 to 30 feet wide but thats not true  It varies from 30 to 40 width the length of the layout   But like I said who cares   what the size is   

Obviously in terms of trackage and trains the NJH is the largest, while some 10% larger square footage Roadside America does not come close to track and trains. JMO

https://ogrforum.com/t...47#70693071033171747

I wonder if  the above system has been tried on the NJH....Anyone want to comment?  I'd be interested in the range of the remote and how the  engine responds on this Big layout.   No command or TIU required just track voltage as far As I can tell.  

Gpritch posted:

From a pure size perspective, 

• Roadside America advertises 6,000 sq ft,
• Nj HiRaillers show 5,565 sq ft,
• Choo Choo barn is 1,700sq ft.,
• Noth Schuykill HiRailers is 1,298 sq ft,
• Merchant's Square (Allentown) is 384 sq ft,  
• Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers ~350 sq. ft.

for their layouts respectively.

Definitely lots of great layouts in the greater Mid-Atlantic region.

Good list - Thanks.

The Smoky Mountain Model RR Club will fit somewhere between the Choo Choo Barn & N Schuykill Highrailers when complete and open.  Come see us!  Stay in a Caboose...  

I don't see why it can't be superlative in both quality & quantity. Personally I prefer quality over quantity (and all the other variants - form/fashion, substance/style, etc...), but it's far more impressive when both apply.

I think the square footage by a two-dimensional floor plan sells the layout short. The amount of multiple layers of track throughout the layout is utterly astounding.  Although the amount of vertical climb seems to be limited by the roof in some areas  Seeing it made me feel better about my ever-so-slow-to-materialize layout's ratio of track-to-scenery.

Yes, and in the entire three rail solar system too...........

I stand corrected.. I was close.

Jim D.

Gpritch posted:

From a pure size perspective, 

• Roadside America advertises 6,000 sq ft,
• Nj HiRaillers show 5,565 sq ft,
• Choo Choo barn is 1,700sq ft.,
• Noth Schuykill HiRailers is 1,298 sq ft,
• Merchant's Square (Allentown) is 384 sq ft,  
• Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers ~350 sq. ft.

for their layouts respectively.

Definitely lots of great layouts in the greater Mid-Atlantic region.

The purpose here is more so the celebrate the opportunity we have here, all within a short distance of each other.  I enjoy and think each is special in it's own way.  All are worth seeing.

Is it the best?  Let's see . . .

Size -- Check

Linear feet of track -- Check

Spectacular massive scenery --  Check

Structures -- Check

Trackplan -- Check

Great Italian Food -- Check

Fun Crowd -- Check

I overheard a visitor asking a member it he had a home layout.   The very honest response, "Why would I?"

Thanks again to the NJ Hirailers for opening your home to the OGR crowd.  

Bob

Gregg posted:

https://ogrforum.com/t...47#70693071033171747

I wonder if  the above system has been tried on the NJH....Anyone want to comment?  I'd be interested in the range of the remote and how the  engine responds on this Big layout.   No command or TIU required just track voltage as far As I can tell. 

We use these in the yards and switching areas  They are great but the remote will lose connection after about 50-75 feet

Thanks Ben.... Being a RC Airplane flyer I thought the range might have been much better. 50 to 75 still pretty good though . 

Gpritch posted:

From a pure size perspective, 

• Roadside America advertises 6,000 sq ft,
• Nj HiRaillers show 5,565 sq ft,
• Choo Choo barn is 1,700sq ft.,
• Noth Schuykill HiRailers is 1,298 sq ft,
• Merchant's Square (Allentown) is 384 sq ft,  
• Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers ~350 sq. ft.

for their layouts respectively.

Definitely lots of great layouts in the greater Mid-Atlantic region.

If memory serves me right the Carnegie center in Pittsburgh is about a hundred by a hundred foot, that makes it ten thousand square foot of O-gauge wounder. Though I am very proud to be a friend and associate  with the NJ HiRailers the Carnegie Center is a beautiful thing to see. Of course, we have to remember that HiRailers are all volunteers verses the Carnegie that is run by paid professionals. Also the HiRailers layout is much more dynamic in operation, in other words there are far more track sections running at any one time. 

We used to have a 2 rail layout that was probably bigger here in Australia, but I've never seen or heard of a larger 3 rail layout anywhere in the world. The owner of the Australian layout I mentioned, recently died and his massive collection of trains, both O gauge and Gauge 1, worth millions of dollars was donated to a museum.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...swich-museum/8100116

I have visited the NJ Highrailers, and it is indeed a wonderful club and layout.

How about the Misty Mountain railroad?  I don't know its size but it was or is very big.  Then there is Tony Lash's old 3-rail layout that is now gone.  It was also huge.  I wonder if Tony is building a new retirement layout.

Both the Misty Mountain and Tony's layout had outstanding quality.

I know of a couple of 2-rail club O gauge layouts that are probably close in size.  Both of them have excellent operations and scenery.

NH Joe

bluelinec4 posted:

 I myself never said it was because I always wanted it to be known as the best to visit and not known as the largest.  I guess it's a quality vs. quantity type of thing with me

Great reply Ben, that's the thing to strive for!

It's the best I've ever seen, and I have seen many layouts  and this is the best!

As many have said, it is better to strive to be the best than the biggest.  I am reminded of the county fair in my hometown of Spencer, Iowa.  When I was growing up it billed itself as the "World's Largest County Fair" until they were informed by  Los Angeles that they had the largest one.  So then then billed themselves as "The Clay County Fair, the World's Best County Fair.  Pretty hard to prove or disprove.

In any event, you have without question in my opinion one of the best 3-rail layouts in the country.

Art

Well, now that we've settled that we are probably the largest and DEFINITELY THE BEST, we thank all of you who joined us at Trainstock and had a great time. And if you really like the layout and close to us, WHY DON'T YOU JOIN AND HAVE A GREAT TIME MORE OFTEN.

Gerry 

NJHR is the largest, the largest amount of fun and enjoyment  I've had from any O gauge layout.

New Haven Joe posted:

How about the Misty Mountain railroad?  I don't know its size but it was or is very big.  Then there is Tony Lash's old 3-rail layout that is now gone.  It was also huge.  I wonder if Tony is building a new retirement layout.

Both the Misty Mountain and Tony's layout had outstanding quality.

I know of a couple of 2-rail club O gauge layouts that are probably close in size.  Both of them have excellent operations and scenery.

NH Joe

I have never been to the Misty Mountain layout but have seen it on the OGR videos  Definitely looks like a great layout

As for Tony Lash layout I thought that was one of the best I have seen  I used to come back with pictures and hand them to the scenery guys at our layout and say  I want to see something like this   It was one of the best I have seen

While the San Diego 3 Railers is not the largest at 1848 sq feet (42X44) it is part of the model railroad museum which is the only American Alliance of Museums accredited model railroad museum in North American.....

Something that we take very seriously.