If you are a model railway fanatic, then you probably want to know all there is to know about model railway if you didn’t already. It’s only natural to want to know more and more about your favorite hobby. There’s much to learn about the model railway, but besides the technical stuff, there are quite a bit of fun facts that could pique your interest. Have you asked yourself, “What’s the biggest model railway?” or “What’s the fastest model train?” A curious mind deserves answers to the model railroad questions that keep them guessing. Check out these fun model railway facts that you may not know about.

 

Fact 1. Most Expensive Model Train Sold For $250,000

The single most pricey model train is the Lionel Train sold in 2006 at an auction in America for $250,000.00. 

 

Fact 2. Miniatur Wunderland is the World’s Biggest Model Railway

The sheer size of the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg is remarkable. It boasts 1,300 trains consisting of 10,000 plus carriages, 100,000 plus moving vehicles, 500,000 lights, 130,000 trees, and 400,000 human figures.

 

Fact 3. The James P. Richards Collection Features The Most Model Trains Made By One Person

The Guinness World Records cited that the largest collection of model railway vehicles made by a single person is the James P. Richards Collection. It’s owned by the National Railway Museum in York, United Kingdom. Their collection has 610 models that are handmade to scale.

 

Fact 4. The World’s First Model Railway Was Built For  a Toddler

In 1859, the first model railway was built for the amusement of Emperor Napoleon III’s 

3-year-old son at  Château de Saint-Cloud. It was featured in the magazine Le Monde Illustré. Its track is in the figure 8 shape, and the curvature of its rails resembles the curves of the railway from Paris to Sceaux. Other features on the train include a station, viaducts, bridges, inclines and ramps, and an engine roughly fifty centimeters wide.

 

Fact 5. The Largest Model Train Engine is Thomas the Tank Engine

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest model railway engine built is the Thomas the Tank Engine character ‘James’. It was built by BBC Visual Effects for a 2003 Thomas the Tank Engine tour. It measures  264.3 cm high, 149.6 cm wide, 652 cm long (104.05 x 58.59 x 256.69 in). It weighs approximately 1.5 tons.

 

Fact 6. Miniatur Wunderland is The Most Expensive Model Railway and the World’s Longest Train Set

The world’s most expensive model railway is the German Miniatur Wunderland. It was valued at a whopping €15million in 2015. It’s also the world’s longest train set at 50,525 ft (15,400 m) in 2015.

 

Fact 7. Bernd Schumacher Possess The Largest Personal Collection Of Model Trains

In a class of his own, U.S native Bernd Schumacher has a personal collection of 2,956 model trains. He began collecting model trains in 1992 and 2016. He won the world record for having the largest personal collection.

 

Fact 8. The Longest LEGO Model Train Built Was By 80 Lego Enthusiast

According to the Guinness World Records, Danish LEGO enthusiast Henrik Ludvigsen and a team of 80 fellow Lego fans known as the Byggepladen built the longest LEGO model train with the track measuring 4,000.25 meters (13,124 ft 2 in). It took roughly six hours to build the track and comprises 93,307 LEGO parts and was built in 2013 by 80 LEGO enthusiasts.

 

Fact 9. The World’s Smallest Model Train is a Train Set Within a Train Set

The entire train set, tracks included, measures a minuscule 0.125 x 0.25 inches and boasts a 1:35,200 scale. It was created by New Jersey train enthusiast David Smith and features a five-carriage train, an oval track, and a village called the James River Branch. The village showcases a model shop for storing the tiny trains. It costs Smith £6 to build the train set.

 

Fact 10. Oldest Model Train Set Located in The Bowes Museum

The oldest model train set resides in the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham, United Kingdom, and is the creation of John Pease at an unknown date before 1868, according to the Guinness World Records.

 

If model trains are your thing, Charles Ro can provide find the ideal model for your interests. We have the knowledge and guidance you need to make the right choice. Visit us to learn more today.