Dash cam video from tiny vehicles yet to be operational

May 17, 2015 6:50 AM

Sergey Morozov's scale model of Russia via model train layout is 800 square meters.

The trains navigating the complex system are all operated from a high-tech hub called “mission control” that’s nestled in the miniature Ural Mountains. In it, technicians monitor a huge bank of 70 screens, making sure everything runs smoothly.
From an article on the TRACKS website for the train hobbyist.

The museum in St Petersburg.

posted by readery (22 comments total)

That's very cool. I'm envious of the person who's job it is to play in tiny town all day. I was thinking how neat it would be to have a video of a train doing the entire circuit with a wide angle camera on the front of its locomotive.
posted by codacorolla at 7:30 AM on May 17, 2015

The variety of scenes depicted and the attention to detail in each one is just astonishing... and while one of the people involved with the project says something to the effect that the railway is there to bring the model to life, but not the primary attraction, the complexity and interaction of all those systems is also incredible. I would love to know how much of it was planned/engineered ahead of time versus evolving as the model grew. Thanks for sharing this, it was a very nice place to escape to for a while on a Sunday morning.
posted by usonian at 7:50 AM on May 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

Thank you! This plays nicely into my mild OCD tendencies and my love of models. Simply amazing.
posted by killy willy at 7:50 AM on May 17, 2015

The more I watch of this video, the more it makes me think of the life-sized New York stage set from Synechdoche New York. It does look like a lot more fun, however.
posted by spoobnooble II: electric bugaboo at 8:15 AM on May 17, 2015

That's a brilliant model. Lovely documentary.
posted by MartinWisse at 8:17 AM on May 17, 2015

Wow, we haven't fpp'd this before? Anyways, it's beautiful and the sheer scale of it is breathtaking.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:19 AM on May 17, 2015

OMFG WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE TRACKS WEB SITE CHOO CHOO MOTHERFUCKERS
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:25 AM on May 17, 2015 [3 favorites]

The escaping prisoners in a tunnel was a nice touch.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:34 AM on May 17, 2015

This great. But also hilarious.
posted by hawthorne at 8:54 AM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

"And here we have a teeny tiny Potyomkin village... note that satisfied look and form-stamping action on the visiting member of the Politburo!"
posted by Behemoth at 9:16 AM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

Today, I learned that Great Britain is Russia in HO scale.



Loved the lumberjacks.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:42 AM on May 17, 2015

This is very similar to the (much larger) Miniatur Wunderland in Germany. They have different sections that display different countries, but don't try to model actual cities or regions.
The most astounding fact in the documentary is that the one modeler said she wanted to become a medical doctor, but her parents sent her to art school instead!
posted by Lynx at 1:20 PM on May 17, 2015 [4 favorites]

Rod Stewart has just had the gauntlet thrown down on him. His 1940s NYC replica model railway room has been downgraded to chicken shit, and he needs to put out another Greatest Hits and take the challenge.
posted by C.A.S. at 1:58 PM on May 17, 2015

Planting 20,000 miniature sunflowers! This is literally my dream job.
posted by lollymccatburglar at 2:01 PM on May 17, 2015

One of my fantasy projects in the If I won the lottery vein, would be to buy an abandoned K-mart or Wal-mart and really do this right. I'd have workbenches and lockers for club members under the layout, and a lighting and audio board to control all those systems. I'm figuring the K-mart near me is about 4500 square meters.

I'd show those European pikers a thing or two, I tell you!
posted by pjern at 2:21 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

but don't try to model actual cities or regions.

It's hard to model actual cities; for example, an HO scale Sears (sorry Willis) Tower would be about 16.7 actual feet tall.
posted by pjern at 2:26 PM on May 17, 2015

I like the lady who dreamed of being a doctor but who was packed off to art school by her harshly romantic parents. It reminds me of the jokes they used to tell about John Major running away from the circus to become an accountant.
posted by howfar at 5:12 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

I really enjoyed this. Thanks.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:51 PM on May 17, 2015

He acquired the factory in the 1990s? And basically doesn't need to work ever again?

This is not necessarily a nice person.
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:34 PM on May 17, 2015

I've always wanted to make an N scale version of the Tokyo train system. It would be large, complex, and expensive, and probably take years, but it would be the best thing ever.
posted by Ghidorah at 9:39 PM on May 17, 2015

In other news a conglomerate of Russian tycoons is buying up thousands of square miles in Great Britain and acquiring the world's entire supply of tiny plastic trees.
posted by miyabo at 10:29 PM on May 17, 2015

Rather shocking that Hugh Grant has been reduced to doing voice overs for Russian Television!

Not really, but it totally sounds like him!
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:16 PM on May 17, 2015