5 ms·

The largest model airport and railway

127 points by ColinWright 4y ago

sdoering 4y ago
If you live near Hamburg, you sometimes realize that the people at Miniaturwunderland also have a great sense of humor. Traditionally, the area around their site is often flooded during storm surges. Then you can let your miniature cruise ship set sail outside. https://mobile.twitter.com/raphaelbrinkert/status/408838797023916032 https://mobile.twitter.com/raphaelbrinkert/status/4088387970...
__mp 4y ago
They have also a great YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MiWuLaTV https://www.youtube.com/c/MiWuLaTV
- netsharc 4y ago
  One of the 2 founders has been hacking away on a model F1 track, where his dream is to have 20 cars autonomously racing each other (so nothing pre-scripted, the AI will try to overtake each other). In one of the videos he said "Modern CPUs have 32 cores, well, we can use 1 core per race-car". They've even custom-designed circuit boards with magnets and sensors that will move these cars/detect their locations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swpPfozKLNM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swpPfozKLNM (with subtitles).
hok 4y ago
This place is spectacular in many ways. My favorite: If you say "I can't afford it" at the entrance, they let you in for free.
- z9znz 4y ago
  That's cool, but most HN readers should not try that. We want this place to stay well operational, and the entrance fee is not exorbitant.
  - monksy 4y ago
    The entry fee was somewhere between 12 and 18e if I recall correctly
d4rti 4y ago
They also offer behind the scenes tours, which let you see hidden easter eggs. They developed their own car control software iirc.
greatgib 4y ago
This place is great and done with a fun open minded spirit. Not like in a serious 'museum'. On the visit you can also see the control center of the place, were there is the rail/airplane control. Ii is really impressive!
- omnibrain 4y ago
  And it runs on custom software written in Delphi.
  - LAC-Tech 4y ago
    A giant model train and airport simulation that is controlled by software written in Delphi is one of the most German things I have ever heard of in my life.
i_don_t_know 4y ago
Miniaturwunderland is great! They have really creative solutions to various problems too. Take the “behind the scenes” tour. My favorite are the hidden “gas” stations for the small cars. When it’s time to refuel, cars drive to the station, electrodes connect to the outside mirrors on the cars, recharge the battery, and then the cars drive back to their respective cities.
mschuster91 4y ago
The Miniatur Wunderland is awesome, I can only recommend visiting them, and to take the "behind the scenes" tour.
wildrhythms 4y ago
I've seen this in person and it's magnificent, and is actually just one small part of an entire indoor miniature railroad (the largest in the world). The miniature railroad scales the entire inside of the building across multiple floors, and there's even a day-night cycle so you can see the incredibly detailed nighttime lighting. Highly recommended.
mattlondon 4y ago
Lots more pictures from the site of the place itself: https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/worlds/ https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/worl... There are also more details about how it all works too: https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/technologies/carsystem/the-technology-of-wunderlands-carsytem/ https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/tech... Fascinating
hectorlorenzo 4y ago
Tangentially related, I recently learned of Alec Garrard and his model of the Temple of Jerusalem (through "The Rings of Saturn" by W.G.Sebald). He spent roughly three decades building it: https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/alec-garrard https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/alec-garrard. > Even when the model was already populated with over 4000 handmade clay figures, there was still work to be done. Alec admitted that it would take many thousands more before it would accurately represent the number of people who occupied the temple and surrounding area. Each clay figure is about 1/2” tall, dressed in correct period costume, and took about 3-1/2 hours to make. All told, there were 32 different versions of Jesus that could be found in various parts of the model.
narrowtux 4y ago
The Miniaturwunderland, where this is located, is a must-see if you visit Hamburg.
dark-star 4y ago
I was there some years ago and spent about 5-6 hours in it. It was not enough to see everything they built in sufficient detail. And recently they expanded even more (they have a bridge to a second building now, with trains running through a 5% incline from one building to the next). If you go there and really want to take it all in, plan at least one full day (better two)
- martin_a 4y ago
  > If you go there and really want to take it all in, plan at least one full day (better two) Also try to visit it at a weekday outside of school holidays in Germany (those vary from state to state though, so check that before).
Tijdreiziger 4y ago
Miniatur-Wunderland is great if you're in the area, but if you like miniature worlds, I can really recommend Madurodam in The Hague and Mini World Lyon. Especially the latter is IMO incredible.
- z9znz 4y ago
  I find Madurodam to be far less impressive. It's nice, and many of the models are quite impressive, but overall it's a fraction of the complexity of Miniatur Wunderland. I think also the way the sections are broken up with concrete paths between makes it feel less engaging.
  - jacquesm 4y ago
    Madurodam is ancient by comparison to these other examples, and in a way I like that they didn't try to modernize it too much compared to what I saw when I was a kid.
- emmelaich 4y ago
  Love Madurodam. AFAICT the models/people are about double the size of the ones in Miniatur-Wunderland.
bowsamic 4y ago
I've been there. It's very good. My favourite part is the Berlin wall exhibit, which portrays a street through the years from end of WW2 to the collapse of the wall over about 6 dioramas. The food in the canteen is also good and cheap, with not overpriced beer. Also you can get in easier if you do a VR experience. If you do that, I recommend the full VR experience with the computer on your back, it's pretty mindblowing. EDIT: The control centre where they control the planes, trains, cars, and lights (the day/night cycle) is also incredible. Here is a photo https://ibb.co/NrGpkc1 https://ibb.co/NrGpkc1
Theodores 4y ago
I am priced out of making my own model railway and I am investigating making my own locomotive out of mini drone parts so the power comes from the locomotive rather than the track. I want the camera from the drone too, and an app where you get the driver's view and a few extra controls such as a 'dead man's switch' for modern era or lots of steam things for steam trains, with acceleration and deceleration simulated. This will make the minimal running time due to the battery acceptable. Putting this together with parts from places like PCBway appeals more to me than normal scenic modelling. I am not looking to make my first billion from making model trains, I just want to see if it can be done. The MVP is a basic locomotive, however, if it has the input data, then it can 'know' where it is on track to wait for signals, stop at stations or keep to a timetable. The view could be augmented reality to paint in those stations and signals if the model railway owner can't afford the model ones. I think that model trains need a reboot with an affordable locomotive that does not need hundreds, if not thousands of $$$ to get started with. Only boomers with their grandchildren's inheritance can afford model train sets. Children always want toys that are too old for them, rather than dumbed down for some child younger than themselves. The current entry level trains are generally Thomas the Tank Engine and that is not for everyone. Please shoot me down in flames, or, if you know of any sensible 'mule' electronics I can borrow from a toy car or drone, please let me know.
- IIAOPSW 4y ago
  I'm going to do the opposite of shooting you down in flames. If there were a website where people with VR headsets could login to being a passenger on a model railroad running through someones home, or simulate being an ant-sized train engineer trying to keep to schedule on the old Kitchen Carpet and Foyer line, that would be killer. It also doubles as a nice gimmick to show off a local business. Imagine getting a model rail passenger tour of the novelty hotel room you just booked. This is brilliant and you should do it. Stop being intimidated by electricity. A drone controller is overkill. A model train is just a DC motor and speed control is just how much voltage you apply to the tracks. Wire up the tracks to a Raspberry Pi and just script it all in Python, don't waste effort trying to jerryrig a drone into something that its not. For the camera, a standard home security IP cam will do the trick, or just an APP that turns any old disused phone into an IP cam.
z9znz 4y ago
This place is absolutely worth a visit if you get anywhere near Hamburg. The scale, no pun intended, of the system is mind-boggling. Over 700,000 individually painted human figures carefully arranged around excellent models, with all the bells and whistles (lights, concerts, cars/traffic, stoplights, etc.) Many things move in a fairly realistic way. Overall it the visit is one of the most memorable and amazing human-made things I've ever seen.
balefrost 4y ago
It's probably not as impressive as Miniaturwunderland, but if you're in the US, and specifically near northern New Jersey, there's a neat place called Northlandz [1]. It's much older than Miniaturwunderland and I'm sure it doesn't have the level of computer control. But it's huge. Even going as an adult, I was still surprised at how large the display room was. It's been maybe 6 years since I last visited. There was another, much smaller one that was closer to home - Roadside America [2] - but it sadly closed permanently during the pandemic. I remember going there several times as a child and really enjoying every trip. [1] https://northlandz.com/ https://northlandz.com/ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_America
yboris 4y ago
If you are into trains and are visiting Japan, do yourself a favor and visit The Railway Museum in Saitama - 40 min away from Tokyo, by train ;) https://www.railway-museum.jp/e/ https://www.railway-museum.jp/e/ They have a model of a small city simulating the entire day cycle with a person narrating the entire show. It was a beautiful experience - I shed a few tears of joy even though it was in Japanese and I didn't understand what was being said. ps - if in Saitama, please also visit the Omiya Bonsai Village
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
octobus2021 4y ago
I know Russia is not exactly in vogue right now but they have a similar model in Saint Petersburgh (the project was initiated and funded by a local businessman who was very much impressed by the museum in Hamburg). It's called Grand Model Russia. One neat thing is that the cars/trucks are moving on their own (even though they get electricity from under the road) and their movements are programmed (avoiding traffic, stopping at the traffic lights, making turns, etc). It is smaller though than the one in Hamburg and I don't think they have an airport...

127 points by ColinWright 4y ago

If you live near Hamburg, you sometimes realize that the people at Miniaturwunderland also have a great sense of humor. Traditionally, the area around their site is often flooded during storm surges. Then you can let your miniature cruise ship set sail outside. https://mobile.twitter.com/raphaelbrinkert/status/408838797023916032 https://mobile.twitter.com/raphaelbrinkert/status/4088387970...

__mp 4y ago

They have also a great YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MiWuLaTV https://www.youtube.com/c/MiWuLaTV

netsharc 4y ago
One of the 2 founders has been hacking away on a model F1 track, where his dream is to have 20 cars autonomously racing each other (so nothing pre-scripted, the AI will try to overtake each other). In one of the videos he said "Modern CPUs have 32 cores, well, we can use 1 core per race-car". They've even custom-designed circuit boards with magnets and sensors that will move these cars/detect their locations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swpPfozKLNM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swpPfozKLNM (with subtitles).

hok 4y ago

This place is spectacular in many ways. My favorite: If you say "I can't afford it" at the entrance, they let you in for free.

z9znz 4y ago
That's cool, but most HN readers should not try that. We want this place to stay well operational, and the entrance fee is not exorbitant.
- monksy 4y ago
  The entry fee was somewhere between 12 and 18e if I recall correctly

d4rti 4y ago

They also offer behind the scenes tours, which let you see hidden easter eggs. They developed their own car control software iirc.

greatgib 4y ago

This place is great and done with a fun open minded spirit. Not like in a serious 'museum'. On the visit you can also see the control center of the place, were there is the rail/airplane control. Ii is really impressive!

omnibrain 4y ago
And it runs on custom software written in Delphi.
- LAC-Tech 4y ago
  A giant model train and airport simulation that is controlled by software written in Delphi is one of the most German things I have ever heard of in my life.

i_don_t_know 4y ago

Miniaturwunderland is great! They have really creative solutions to various problems too. Take the “behind the scenes” tour. My favorite are the hidden “gas” stations for the small cars. When it’s time to refuel, cars drive to the station, electrodes connect to the outside mirrors on the cars, recharge the battery, and then the cars drive back to their respective cities.

mschuster91 4y ago

The Miniatur Wunderland is awesome, I can only recommend visiting them, and to take the "behind the scenes" tour.

wildrhythms 4y ago

I've seen this in person and it's magnificent, and is actually just one small part of an entire indoor miniature railroad (the largest in the world). The miniature railroad scales the entire inside of the building across multiple floors, and there's even a day-night cycle so you can see the incredibly detailed nighttime lighting. Highly recommended.

mattlondon 4y ago

Lots more pictures from the site of the place itself: https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/worlds/ https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/worl... There are also more details about how it all works too: https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/technologies/carsystem/the-technology-of-wunderlands-carsytem/ https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/discover-wunderland/tech... Fascinating

hectorlorenzo 4y ago

Tangentially related, I recently learned of Alec Garrard and his model of the Temple of Jerusalem (through "The Rings of Saturn" by W.G.Sebald). He spent roughly three decades building it: https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/alec-garrard https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/alec-garrard. > Even when the model was already populated with over 4000 handmade clay figures, there was still work to be done. Alec admitted that it would take many thousands more before it would accurately represent the number of people who occupied the temple and surrounding area. Each clay figure is about 1/2” tall, dressed in correct period costume, and took about 3-1/2 hours to make. All told, there were 32 different versions of Jesus that could be found in various parts of the model.

narrowtux 4y ago

The Miniaturwunderland, where this is located, is a must-see if you visit Hamburg.

dark-star 4y ago

I was there some years ago and spent about 5-6 hours in it. It was not enough to see everything they built in sufficient detail. And recently they expanded even more (they have a bridge to a second building now, with trains running through a 5% incline from one building to the next). If you go there and really want to take it all in, plan at least one full day (better two)

martin_a 4y ago
> If you go there and really want to take it all in, plan at least one full day (better two) Also try to visit it at a weekday outside of school holidays in Germany (those vary from state to state though, so check that before).

Tijdreiziger 4y ago

Miniatur-Wunderland is great if you're in the area, but if you like miniature worlds, I can really recommend Madurodam in The Hague and Mini World Lyon. Especially the latter is IMO incredible.

z9znz 4y ago
I find Madurodam to be far less impressive. It's nice, and many of the models are quite impressive, but overall it's a fraction of the complexity of Miniatur Wunderland. I think also the way the sections are broken up with concrete paths between makes it feel less engaging.
- jacquesm 4y ago
  Madurodam is ancient by comparison to these other examples, and in a way I like that they didn't try to modernize it too much compared to what I saw when I was a kid.
emmelaich 4y ago
Love Madurodam. AFAICT the models/people are about double the size of the ones in Miniatur-Wunderland.

bowsamic 4y ago

I've been there. It's very good. My favourite part is the Berlin wall exhibit, which portrays a street through the years from end of WW2 to the collapse of the wall over about 6 dioramas. The food in the canteen is also good and cheap, with not overpriced beer. Also you can get in easier if you do a VR experience. If you do that, I recommend the full VR experience with the computer on your back, it's pretty mindblowing. EDIT: The control centre where they control the planes, trains, cars, and lights (the day/night cycle) is also incredible. Here is a photo https://ibb.co/NrGpkc1 https://ibb.co/NrGpkc1

Theodores 4y ago

I am priced out of making my own model railway and I am investigating making my own locomotive out of mini drone parts so the power comes from the locomotive rather than the track. I want the camera from the drone too, and an app where you get the driver's view and a few extra controls such as a 'dead man's switch' for modern era or lots of steam things for steam trains, with acceleration and deceleration simulated. This will make the minimal running time due to the battery acceptable. Putting this together with parts from places like PCBway appeals more to me than normal scenic modelling. I am not looking to make my first billion from making model trains, I just want to see if it can be done. The MVP is a basic locomotive, however, if it has the input data, then it can 'know' where it is on track to wait for signals, stop at stations or keep to a timetable. The view could be augmented reality to paint in those stations and signals if the model railway owner can't afford the model ones. I think that model trains need a reboot with an affordable locomotive that does not need hundreds, if not thousands of $$$ to get started with. Only boomers with their grandchildren's inheritance can afford model train sets. Children always want toys that are too old for them, rather than dumbed down for some child younger than themselves. The current entry level trains are generally Thomas the Tank Engine and that is not for everyone. Please shoot me down in flames, or, if you know of any sensible 'mule' electronics I can borrow from a toy car or drone, please let me know.

IIAOPSW 4y ago
I'm going to do the opposite of shooting you down in flames. If there were a website where people with VR headsets could login to being a passenger on a model railroad running through someones home, or simulate being an ant-sized train engineer trying to keep to schedule on the old Kitchen Carpet and Foyer line, that would be killer. It also doubles as a nice gimmick to show off a local business. Imagine getting a model rail passenger tour of the novelty hotel room you just booked. This is brilliant and you should do it. Stop being intimidated by electricity. A drone controller is overkill. A model train is just a DC motor and speed control is just how much voltage you apply to the tracks. Wire up the tracks to a Raspberry Pi and just script it all in Python, don't waste effort trying to jerryrig a drone into something that its not. For the camera, a standard home security IP cam will do the trick, or just an APP that turns any old disused phone into an IP cam.

z9znz 4y ago

This place is absolutely worth a visit if you get anywhere near Hamburg. The scale, no pun intended, of the system is mind-boggling. Over 700,000 individually painted human figures carefully arranged around excellent models, with all the bells and whistles (lights, concerts, cars/traffic, stoplights, etc.) Many things move in a fairly realistic way. Overall it the visit is one of the most memorable and amazing human-made things I've ever seen.

balefrost 4y ago

It's probably not as impressive as Miniaturwunderland, but if you're in the US, and specifically near northern New Jersey, there's a neat place called Northlandz [1]. It's much older than Miniaturwunderland and I'm sure it doesn't have the level of computer control. But it's huge. Even going as an adult, I was still surprised at how large the display room was. It's been maybe 6 years since I last visited. There was another, much smaller one that was closer to home - Roadside America [2] - but it sadly closed permanently during the pandemic. I remember going there several times as a child and really enjoying every trip. [1] https://northlandz.com/ https://northlandz.com/ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_America

yboris 4y ago

If you are into trains and are visiting Japan, do yourself a favor and visit The Railway Museum in Saitama - 40 min away from Tokyo, by train ;) https://www.railway-museum.jp/e/ https://www.railway-museum.jp/e/ They have a model of a small city simulating the entire day cycle with a person narrating the entire show. It was a beautiful experience - I shed a few tears of joy even though it was in Japanese and I didn't understand what was being said. ps - if in Saitama, please also visit the Omiya Bonsai Village

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

octobus2021 4y ago

I know Russia is not exactly in vogue right now but they have a similar model in Saint Petersburgh (the project was initiated and funded by a local businessman who was very much impressed by the museum in Hamburg). It's called Grand Model Russia. One neat thing is that the cars/trucks are moving on their own (even though they get electricity from under the road) and their movements are programmed (avoiding traffic, stopping at the traffic lights, making turns, etc). It is smaller though than the one in Hamburg and I don't think they have an airport...