The fascinating world of a mini train layout
Approximately 45 guests were invited to the grand reveal of a miniature train layout during an open day held in Parkdene on Saturday, March 1.
The event was the second of its kind.
The design and construction of the train layout has taken four years of hard work by Tony Lubbe, Lucky Nkosi and John McAlladin.
Lubbe says the train layout is digitally-operated on an alternating current, and the landscape is a reflection of life in Germany.
The miniature German world depicts life as is with hospitals, police stations, valleys, rivers, mines, fuel stations and even a McDonalds.
The train moves smoothly through the different German cities, making a pit stop at the train station.
“There are currently 72 pieces that move in the artwork. We are hoping to add more, and eventually, have 60 trains running simultaneously, with 600 parked underneath like in real life,” says Lubbe.
In model railroading, a layout is a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, containing scale track for operating trains.
“We used a one to 87 scale, and everything is technically correct and in scale. Every piece was bought on an HO, which is the most popular scale in the world,” explains Lubbe.
The different pieces says Lubbe can be bought at a hobby shop, and some can be made such as the water, which was made with glue.
“We used mostly polystyrene for the main structure as well as wood,” he says.
Lubbe is a tax practitioner by day and a model train hobbyist in his spare time.
He started this hobby 10 years ago, and is part of a model train club in Boksburg, where members meet and learn how to do micro-electrics, micro-engineering, micro-town planning, woodwork and building proportionally correct structures.
Lubbe says it will take another four years to complete the model layout.
