Railroad Forums 

  • Model railroad with a model model railroad inside it?

  • Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.

Moderators: 3rdrail, stilson4283, Otto Vondrak

 #1489204  by Arborwayfan
 
Does anyone know of a model railroad anywhere that contains an operating model railroad that is small enough to be a model in the scale of the main layout. That is, for example, there's a model railroad, and somewhere on it is a model of a garden with a much smaller model railroad in it that actually runs. My son and I were thinking about this the other day. We thought maybe someone would have built a layout in one of the large scales with an N-scale "model garden" layout inside it, or something like that.
 #1489210  by scottychaos
 
Its been talked about in the Garden Railroad (G scale) forums over the years..
An N-scale or Z-scale loop inside of a G-scale garden railroad would represent a "ride-on" size train, like an amusement park train.
it's been done a few times..
There isnt anything small enough to depict G-scale inside a G-scale garden railroad. ;)
even T-scale is about 2x too big..

Scot
 #1489253  by NaugyRR
 
Back when I had an HO-layout I had used N-Scale track to represent a torn up narrow-gauge railroad, but I'm also not a stickler for staying to scale (for example, I prefer to use 1/64 scale vehicles due to them being cheaper and more abundant).
 #1490694  by CNJ999
 
This concept has indeed been executed any number of times over the years, as has been illustrated in MR and other publications occasional down through the years. Quality (i.e. not cheap "tin-plate") O and #1 Gauge modelers have used N Scale trains to represent "ride-on" garden railroads on their larger scale layouts quite effectively. HO can be used as a stand-in for amusement park trains as well. Today, Z Scale trains can pass as some "ride-on" trains on on the layouts of HOers, if so desired.

CNJ999
 #1494168  by CNJ999
 
Not sure that this may apply, but I came across an add for a Lionel 0-Gauge accessory that, after a manner, sorta does fit the OP's question. It's Lionel item SKU #6-32998 the Lionel Hobby Shop. An 0-Gauge structure representing a large shop of decades past, behind its show windows are three "operating" layouts! Logically, they are not actually be trains made up of separate freight cars pulled by a self-powered locomotive, but apparently they are driven by a mechanism that gives such an impression. Each train runs on a separate, scenicked, layout. The accessory's description reads, "Features: Detailed molded base and building, Die-cast components, Three working layouts with extraordinary detail and decoration, Interior lights above layouts. Die-cast airplane models which hang from the ceiling, Molded and painted train models displayed on back shelves." I'll have to check YouTube to see if any video of the model is listed, but it may be too soon. Anyway, at $400 a pop it's too rich for my blood!

CNJ999
 #1494728  by RichM
 
Slightly off topic, and I apologize... I'm not attempting a thread hijack...

But when you mentioned Lionel, I have a distant memory of an early 60's Lionel catalog that pictured O gauge tracks with train on trestle bents, with an HO line running through the bents concentrically below...same loco and cars...
 #1494745  by CNJ999
 
RichM wrote:Slightly off topic, and I apologize... I'm not attempting a thread hijack...

But when you mentioned Lionel, I have a distant memory of an early 60's Lionel catalog that pictured O gauge tracks with train on trestle bents, with an HO line running through the bents concentrically below...same loco and cars...

During the late 1950's and into the 60's Lionel offer both its traditional O scale, plus HO scale trains. A number of the sets containing virtually identically decorated locos and rolling stock. That is undoubtedly what you recall seeing in their catalog. Their HO trains, however, never approached the level of quality that had been established with Lionel's O scale trains and this was a part of the reason that Lionel's venture into HO was relatively short-lived and their HO trains were usually avoided by more serious hobbyists.

CNJ999
 #1497349  by CNJ999
 
In reference to my earlier post mentioning the Lionel operating hobby shop model, I found the following YouTube video illustrating it functioning. To say the least, it must a virtually unique structure model and likely the most detailed structure Lionel has ever offered! Even for an O-gauge layout structure the detailing is taken to a rather extraordinary degree. The three "operating" layouts themselves appear to represent Lionel trains perhaps rendered in slightly larger than true O-gauge, running on individual scenicked layouts. The trains are even articulated to give the appearance that they are composed of individual freight and passenger cars. The video in question can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI7GESioDKY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In addition, several other videos of this model are also listed on YouTube.

CNJ999
 #1498989  by mcgrath618
 
CNJ999 wrote:In reference to my earlier post mentioning the Lionel operating hobby shop model, I found the following YouTube video illustrating it functioning. To say the least, it must a virtually unique structure model and likely the most detailed structure Lionel has ever offered! Even for an O-gauge layout structure the detailing is taken to a rather extraordinary degree. The three "operating" layouts themselves appear to represent Lionel trains perhaps rendered in slightly larger than true O-gauge, running on individual scenicked layouts. The trains are even articulated to give the appearance that they are composed of individual freight and passenger cars. The video in question can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI7GESioDKY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In addition, several other videos of this model are also listed on YouTube.

CNJ999
Oh wow, that video just brought back a lot of old memories. I think that when it came out, my local hobby shop had one at a level which a younger me could view pretty up-close. Question though, is that one on the left an E unit at the helm?
 #1500260  by CNJ999
 
mcgrath618 wrote:
CNJ999 wrote:In reference to my earlier post mentioning the Lionel operating hobby shop model, I found the following YouTube video illustrating it functioning. To say the least, it must a virtually unique structure model and likely the most detailed structure Lionel has ever offered! Even for an O-gauge layout structure the detailing is taken to a rather extraordinary degree. The three "operating" layouts themselves appear to represent Lionel trains perhaps rendered in slightly larger than true O-gauge, running on individual scenicked layouts. The trains are even articulated to give the appearance that they are composed of individual freight and passenger cars. The video in question can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI7GESioDKY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In addition, several other videos of this model are also listed on YouTube.

CNJ999
Oh wow, that video just brought back a lot of old memories. I think that when it came out, my local hobby shop had one at a level which a younger me could view pretty up-close. Question though, is that one on the left an E unit at the helm?

Mcgrath -The diesels on the extreme left and right layouts in the hobby shop's windows shown on the YouTube video represent the famous early O-Gauge Lionel F3A-units. That on the right I believe is meant to depict an early 1950's issue NYC engine, while that on the left is undoubtedly intended as a Santa Fe F3A of the same era. As to the steamer seen on the center layout, your guess I as good as mine.

CNJ999