Check this G gauge line....

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Greg_Lewis
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Check this G gauge line....

Post by Greg_Lewis »

Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
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NP317
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by NP317 »

I LOVE that Miniature Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany! My step mom (from Hamburg) brought me two DVDs all about that operation.
Truly astounding, with all computer operated trains, cars and trucks that take themselves to recharge their batteries, and then return to the roads.
The aircraft also. Mind boggling, and on my list to visit someday. (better be sooner than later...)
RussN
Last edited by NP317 on Wed Dec 14, 2022 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by Dick_Morris »

The first half was neat. The second half where they showed it being set up was awesome.
Mr Ron
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by Mr Ron »

I too have no words to describe the minatur wunderland. Their G scale musical display is yet another fine accomplishment. Imagine the cost of the track alone; the engineering that went into it. I will never see the minatur wunderland in person, but if I were to get there, I could never leave. The people who work there are true artisans; I hope they are well paid. Working there must be a dream come true. I would work there for free; just feed me knockwurst and beer.
Mr.Ron from South Mississippi
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Bill Shields
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by Bill Shields »

Having a brother in law with a pipe organ, all I can think of is -> how do they handle tuning while dealing with evaporation?
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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NP317
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by NP317 »

Bill Shields wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 6:34 pm Having a brother in law with a pipe organ, all I can think of is -> how do they handle tuning while dealing with evaporation?
Oh, they probably have another train that runs along the tracks and adds the correct amount of water to each glass...
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Bill Shields
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by Bill Shields »

Actually....that is doable as long as you have a map of the glasses, a calibrated mic and a quiet room and a very accurate pump...probably something like a medical dispensing unit.. and some sort of cloth that you can put into the glass to suck up "too much water"

My BIL has an app on his phone, with a calibrated mic that he uses to tune his pipe organ. He can even input current ambient temp and desired tuning temp and it will guide him to where he needs to be NOW as compared to standard tuning.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
ccvstmr
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by ccvstmr »

Similar to Train Mountain, the Miniature Wunderland is something people should see...if possible. It's truly an amazing collection of railroads with all kinds of gimmicks incorporated into the setting.

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There's something like a dozen rooms maybe 900 sq. ft or larger that depict railroads from various countries. Since the Wunderland is in an old warehouse, the floor was removed so the Swiss alps could be created...two stories high. So not only is the horizontal space used...so is the vertical space. Room lighting runs on a clock to simulate 24 hours of sunlight and sunset. There are working waterways where ships are moving about in/out of docks.

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If you're not into airplanes, the model modern airport is a work of amazement. Not only with planes and other airport support vehicles running around the air field, but there are planes taking off and landing.
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No matter what direction you look...there's something in motion whether that be trains, planes or roadway vehicular traffic. In one scene, the road traffic comes to a halt as fire trucks and other equipment race to the scene of a building on fire. Visitors need to examine the scenes closely as there's some degree of humor built into the various displays...not to mention some tongue and cheek ideas as well.
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Entrance tickets can be purchased at the door, but you might have to wait in line. Best to reserve tickets in advance. There's so much to see in each of the RR scenes that it's difficult to process so much action. There's excellent model building on all levels and thorough thought that went into each display. From my experience, I was in the Wunderland for some 4 hours and was in "mind-overload". Still, well worth the visit if you happen to be in the Hamburg area. Carl B.
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apm
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by apm »

We sold a machine at work to a company in Hamburg. We had to fly in for a meeting at 8am but the earliest flights we could get in on would arrive at 9:30am. So had to go a day early, which left us with a day to kill in Hamburg.

We arrived at Miniatur Wonderland at around 10:30 on a randomTuesday morning, they were sold out till about 2pm. So we had some time to kill. My coworkers were all telling me that they didn't want to go to some "kid's train thing" but had nothing better to do so they came. Needless to say all were heavily impressed.

The one thing about Miniature Wonderland don't fo what we're did and go there with a bad case of jet lag. None of us had slept much the night before on the airplane and we were rather tired. That place after a few hours and I think we were there for 3-4 is complete sensory overload. There are so many colors, tiny details to take in that it can actually become overwhelming. I had such a great time but a massive headache. Hopefully my next trip will go better.

The cool thing is we sold the machine before the pandemic, the project was put on hold and the machine took time to complete. So now I will be heading back sometime between February and April. One of my customers is a massive fan and tells me that during the pandemic they were closed for the first time in their history and got to make huge upgrades including expanding to a building across the water.

So now I can't wait to get back. I also see that the Germans who make those unbelievable live steam locomotives with working stickers aren't too far from Hamburg so I am wondering if there will be anything that I can also see with them during my next visit. I am not sure if they're out much before April it does get cold up there.
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: Check this G gauge line....

Post by Greg_Lewis »

APM:
When you go there or anywhere else that's about trains, be sure to let them know that you are a railroad guy. I do this and the result is that I sometimes get a behind-the-scenes tour, cab ride (well, not at Miniature Wonderland!), or something else that the casual visitor doesn't get.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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