WOW! You have to view this to believe it! I never saw a huge, high end collection and layout such as this one from ANY collector!!!

Totally overwhelming.

Wow is the right word. Thanks for posting this.

Amazing layout and collection.

Certainly the largest collection of model railroad equipment in that part of the world but the man had so many trains, the most that he could do is to just look at them. He allowed very few visitors to view it which goes contrary to what model railroading is usually about. From what they say about him in the video, I assume that the owner was a wealthy recluse. While the collection is massive, the layout very impressive, IMO no color and little scenic detail take away all the realism. In the end the old saying applied "you can't take it with you" but he did leave the layout to the people of Australia, Now people can see and enjoy it.   

Very cool - thanks for posting. I think the story is great for a number of reasons - guy had a passion and followed it, he directly employed people who benefited from his passion and I assume got to follow their's as a result while being paid, and he left it all to be enjoyed for the ages to the people of Australia after he spent a lifetime enjoying it. The video was great and a positive piece so no criticism from this seat.

I don't fault the guy for not making his display public, or for his choice of scenery. Frankly, I'm not thinking that anyone who collects or buys anything has any obligation to make it available to me, or build it to my liking. If having to let other people in on my train hobby is written in small print on the side of the MTH or Lionel box, I missed it. I mean the kids and grankids are invited to take an engine for a spin around the loop, but everybody else, get your own darn trains...unless you bring beer, and then maybe you can come over.

They actually explained in the video that he didn't want to expand on the scenery because for him, on his layout, with his collection, in his house, he liked the focus to be on the trains and the track (one of the few quotes from him is on the track design). He paid people to make it the way he wanted it.

God bless the dead wealthy recluse.

Thanks OGAUGEGUY i truly enjoyed that video.

Wonderful collection! Glad his family is sharing it with the people of Australia.

Miketg

Simply amazing, and I am glad they shared this with us here on the forum...Its fantastic and every piece looks like great quality....This man spent many thousands of dollars for a layout and collection that would be envied by many train enthusiast. Although his scenery does not have a lot of color, the track work is as perfect as I have ever seen. His computer controlled layout is very very nice and his train facility is as clean as can be. Its a fantastic layout, and I am glad I got to see it, here on the ogr forum....

it's a bit drab but he must have liked it that way.

The hand planes make up for the lack of scenery 

"it's a bit drab but he must have liked it that way."

That's what one of the guys said - he was interested in the machinery, not the scenery. I'm with him all the way; the scenery is just enough to not get in the way, yet enough to be a stage for the equipment. The lighting is good, too. 

Of course, the man was apparently filthy rich, with means beyond most people, so he could have a really big building for his layout - what that kind of money will buy you is a layout with plenty of...nothing - that is, wide open spaces, which is the rarest and most expensive commodity of all in model railroading.

The multiple curved double-slip switches are very impressive (do these actually exist anywhere?), and the track appears to have been perfectly constructed.

It is amazing the technology and level of engineering he included, as well as unlimited funds to make it exactly as HE wanted it. Some can see the pure joy and pleasure he had making it HIS layout. To be able to custom make realistic rail and switches, build the building housing it, and play with the kilometers (mind boggling) of multi track railroading. I think we ALL would jump at this if we could afford it.

As for sharing it, he donated it after his death, for all to enjoy in Australia and worldwide via video such as this and the ones on youtube. The hobo ride showed inner layout details and the ribbon cable runs that control it, amazing in their length, dollar signs kept popping up as the video ran, yet I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would visit if return to Australia in my life.

My layout is humble in comparison, but the pleasure is just as much as he received, as it IS mine.

The word is so overused these days but AWESOME! 

It's not a layout, it's a museum! 

Wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

Talk about setting the bar high, WOW! Thanks for sharing

The collection is almost overwhelming.  I think the scenery is fine, too many layouts have too much and look cluttered. Plus, with trains like that I would want to be able to see them, too.

Amazing!!! 

Thanks for sharing the video link.

AlanRail posted:

it's a bit drab but he must have liked it that way.

i'm guessing that about 99% of the track that runs through Australia (or the US west for that matter) is surrounded by pretty drab scenery.  if anything, most model layouts are far too densely populated with structures.

interesting that in well over a year, this video has less than 1k views.

Very impressive - thanks for sharing the link.  

This gent had a spectacular layout. He apparently also commissioned many amazing pieces which resulted in a huge and absolutely stuning collection - one like I've never seen anywhere, ever.  He had a good reason to not fill the layout with buildings and trees and such.  The sparseness is actually more "prototypical" of much of Australia and the rail through much of the US interior.  Further, it's more realistic than the overwhelming majority of the unrealistically cluttered layouts seen in the magazines and here, which so often are "basement size" and yet employ only 072 or 081 max curves.  Yet, some folks here, for whatever reason, can only criticize.  Says a lot about some of the folks in this hobby....

PJB

Impressive!

Thanks for sharing!

Really neat collection and fantastic layout. The last few seconds of video showed a cab view inside a steamer...I always thought that'd be a neat feature for Lionel to add to their Legacy system.

Unbelievable!!!  Thanks for sharing this treasure!!  This man had an insatiable passion for model trains and was most generous to leave it to the people of Australia. WOW!!!  

Yeah, but does he have a Varney Little Joe ?  

mark s posted:

Yeah, but does he have a Varney Little Joe ?  

i had this discussion with the director of the SDMRM a number of times.  my thought was that a model railway museum should feature the history OF model trains, while the director was more inclined to present displays of railroad history THROUGH THE USE OF model trains.

It's essentially an operating museum.

Alan

B Smith posted:

The multiple curved double-slip switches are very impressive (do these actually exist anywhere?), and the track appears to have been perfectly constructed.

I may see one here, but I'm not sure. (Newcastle Junction, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, UK. - from Heritage Railways, photographer unknown.)

Thank you for posting this.  I am totally blown away by the collection, the size and scope of the layout, and the technology used to run so many trains.  Truly impressive.

George

Thanks for the share of this video! As for the "sparse" scenery, it resembles a lot of the Australian Outback, as well as much of our desert West and Southwest. I always find displayed locomotives to be somewhat poignant; they are designed to "run". I find it also sad that he has so many boxed HO locomotives that were to run on a never-built HO layout. Nevertheless, its great this has been left to the Australian people. I hope all this can be left "in situ".

I found this image online, as well, but the location was not identified.

The video had me gasping 41 seconds in!  I loved the crane around 5:00 and, to me, the scenery was just right for the collection.  As someone with a carpet layout, a 41-minute round trip is amazing! 

The cases for the 1 gauge did a great job of highlighing the gentleman's collection.  The whole thing is so hard to wrap one's head around but I got a real sense of respect for the man and tremendous pride in what was accomplished by those interviewed who helped create it. 

Thanks for the post.

TRRR

B Smith posted:

I found this image online, as well, but the location was not identified.

 

This was Southport, or Southport Chapel Street at the time of the photo, in the UK;  the third rail electrification ran south to Liverpool.  The station still exists, in much truncated form.

That was a tough quiz;  the partial third rail electrification was the key.

SZ

Thank you!  I assumed the photo shows part of a third-rail electrification, but it is so discontinuous that I wasn't certain.

I guess Dave has been busy in the downunder.....

Never would have seen this layout and collection without this post!!! Thanks! It sure is a cool setup. 

Thank you for posting.  Amazing!

Thanks for sharing

Thanks.  Will download the video to show anyone who thinks I am nuts.

What, me worry?