It is mind numbing to try to calculate the uncountable hours, the incredible talent, perseverance and just plain hard work that went into the making and maintenance of this outstanding body of work. I am in complete and utter awe !
I still have the magazines that featured the F&SM . And in fact the hours are countable . In one article time to build is discussed . The pace at which Mr. Selio works is truly extraordinary . Of course the detail and workmanship makes it even more impressive . I agree with you ,I will never achieve that level of perfection .
This is not something that saves the world, or helps anyone materially but it is a little world that we can all marvel at and dream in, the creators are to be congratulated.
Absolutely amazing. Very genuine question. If you want to change or modify something in the middle or obscure corner of this how in the world do you even access it without destroying something?
George Sellios is the best in the world. I’ve followed this layout for many years. No one comes close to this work of art. The detail, weathering, story telling scenes, structures, period vehicles, people, track work, everything about this layout is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. One day this will be in the Smithsonian.
I've been watching a bunch of these "layout" videos in a row. This one just blows the rest out of the water. The detail is staggering! The artistry involved here is tremendous. Just beautiful!
I don't know how anyone could build a more realistic city than this owner has. It's so easy to immerse yourself into this 1920's recreational masterpiece. On the close ups, I found myself wanting to wander those streets. Go into those stores. Touch the brick and mortar with my hands. It's just wonderful, and very well done. Something cool to add: A recording in the background of city noises. Kids yelling...playing in the street. An occasional ambulance or cop siren. Cars running. Maybe a jackhammer going with two guys digging up the street. People talking. Just a bunch of city noises.
Without a doubt, George's layout is THEE benchmark for all train layouts around the world regardless of scale or the technology involved. A miniature masterpiece by any measure.
A guy creates an incredible build like this one has to be committed to living there for the remainder of his life. Fantastic scenery and integration! I can't begin to imagine the skill, the time, the construction, the detailing and weathering committed to making this incredible build! Bravo, you are a Master!
Such a beautiful timecapsule for the 1920's. What a stunning collection of original builds and commercial signage. Also love the great weathering and the way everything is so well integrated. Big, big thumbs up from Holland for all those involved in this truely fantastic diorama. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
You look at one shot and are blown away by the absolute brilliance and then the camera moves on and your even more blown away again and so it goes on, the rocks, the trees, the water on the harbour the weathering the bridges the buildings the design of the layout itself is absolutely phenomenal! I had to watch it three times back to back.
Wow wow wow!! I first learned of Mr Selios and his layout when i got started in the hobby 30 years ago and picked up my first issue of Model Railroader magazine. It was amazing then and still is now! I have never seen a video of it thank you so much for posting! Truly incredible work!😲
Not only is the size of it mind-blowing, but any one of these building and the little scenes around it is a work of art in and of itself. And there are dozens on top of dozens. Incredible imagination, creativity, and detail.
I love miniature worlds. It feels like I could actually visit this place and its only a diorama. Incredible detail work on everything. Especially the roof details and utilities. I love how everything sags and has a worn look to it; not an easy thing to accomplish.
Anyone that's done 1/10,000 of what's been done here, wouldn't for an instant criticize any portion of this magnificent layout... Just any thing from the tracks, to the buildings, to the details is an extreme amount of work, dedication and artistic ability. The stuff dreams are made of. Thanks for posting this work of art.
You are the man.Your vision,your artistry,your talent off the chain. I wish my father (R.I.P.) was living so I could share this magnificent master model railroading venture with him. He is the one who got me loving this hobby.Nobody around the world can compete with this realism.Man I'm blown away ,that nothing looks toyish (I'm making it a word),or plastic.Weathering technique,and the water,speechless,just speechless.No Mo Talk!
I am a model builder. I’ve built them for engineers, architects, model train people, and war gamers. This is a spectacular work of art. The effort and attention to details is evident.
Excellent illustration of a time gone by... no cell phones, no credit cards, no taxes, no stress!!! Sad, but it reminds me of a city that is slowly dying, ex: Mackenzie Milling Co. @ 8:42. Outstanding example of model building my friend. Your weathering techniques are incredible, though perhaps somewhat overdone (or dusty? ex: cab, frames 27:30 - 27:42) The cracks and grime in the sidewalks and roads are examples of the little things that make the entire project simply perfect. John Allen was hands down... the best model railroad builder in his time. You sir.. may be the best of your time. Pure Genius!
Wow this is a wow, every details from buildings to slopping roads, mountains or even billboard it seems im in that place, that masterpiece it leads into perfection..credit to those person who made this. so much hardwork to put in it..
WOW! This model is insane! But it really floats my boat, BIG TIME! Great model railway, detail on this layout is absolutely incredible & amazing. Like other folks, I have never seen a layout like this on camera before. Very impressive George. You Take Care! my friend & of your family too. STAY SAFE! Best regards from, Colin, Aberdeen (city) Scotland, U.K. :-)
I just love it when everything's appropriately weathered, including the trains. This one is a masterpiece! You could spend a week looking at it and still not see it all.
In my opinion, it is over-weathered. The world is not only a dozen shades of brown. Yes, there are bits of color here and there, but as Oggy says, shouldn't there be things in new of better condition? Why does everything look the same? Not saying this isn't a masterpiece. It is stunning in scope and detail. But at the same time, it is not realistic. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
After watching this nearly 30 minute video of George Selios' Franklin and South Manchester railroad, I feel transported back in time to the 1910's and 1920's. Spectacular in every little detail! I was mesmerized by the depth and scale of this wonderful miniature city. From the weathering of the rolling stock, locomotives, and automobiles, to the rustic buildings and vegetation! The amount of time spent collecting, kit-bashing, or creating from scratch must have taken several years. There is nothing else like your railroad!! WOW!! Thank you for sharing this high quality recording. Felt like I was there.
What a BLAST Just watching and enjoying this work of ART!!! The Detail is Just Incredible, the amount of work that has gone into this layout is hard to imagine!! WOW
Random video of the day turns out to be absolutely brilliant, this is literally so good you couldn't describe how brilliant it is in a paragraph. The detail is amazing and the amount of hours this must have taken is gobsmacking. fantastic well done to those who created it.
Spectacular. The color palette is so subdued and perfectly sets the stage for the time. I love the touches of decay that indicate a passage of time that was not entirely beneficial to all.
Simply amazing ! This takes a well thought out vision, buckets of patience, bags full of craftmanship, boxes full of dedication and a huge vault of cash ! I agree with others one of the best model RR around ! Beautiful.
The most detailed model railroading I ever seen ! And the houses, streets, cars, people, everything is amazing !!! I guess that an whole life is necessary to create such a masterpiece ?? Because that is a masterpiece ! Jacques, from France.
Absolutely amazing, a breathtaking layout. I'd love to see a cab ride through this one. It would be worth watching multiple times. I'm back (sort of) in the hobby I left in 1962. Model railroading has gone a long, long way since then. Thanks for posting the video of this incredible work of art and craftsmanship. - Dave
@@donnebes9421 Yeah. I compared prices from the fifties to today's prices but it's not as bad as it looks. I think the main thing is regular peoples disposable income has fallen a lot. That being said DCC and sound is quite expensive. Code 83 nickle silver flex track is a bit pricey as is trucks and Kaydee couplers. Rolling stock can be had at reasonable cost from ebay or thrift shops. I got three blueprint series reefer kits from ebay for about twenty bucks. It takes awhile to build one but the results are fantastic. I only built one so far and still need to decal an weather it. My two original DC Athearn F7's run great after mechanical refurbishment which required a lot of shell repair as did the rolling stock. (Some of the restoration work is up on my RUclips site). Installing LED headlights was very inexpensive. I restored my Mantua "Mikado" to operating condition but it requires more work, installation of LED lighting and some detailing to make a half way decent looking model, even though the boiler and valve gear is not true to an actual heavy Mike. I had to replace the original worn out and bent up valve gear and broken "cow catcher". I also had to get another pilot just to replace a missing spring. All in all I probably spent fifty bucks to get it running. My buddy who lives in S.C brings the occasional HO piece he gets for just a couple of bucks at flea markets. A "looks good at a distance" four car Amtrack "Train set" that is shown in my video introduction, and an A+B F7 duo in New Haven livery (It's missing one stirrup step - I'll pull a mold from one of the other locos and cast a new step to replace it when I get a chance), and a very detailed flatcar that models an early piggyback rig. The F7's are "Hi-F" rubber band drive. With tuning they can be made to run as slow as ten or so scale MPH. All of the open frame motors draw current that is at the high end of DCC compatibility so replacing them with can motors might make DCC conversion possible. Also there isn't a lot of room in the shells and rumor has it that the dimensions are incorrect. Parts and engineering to replace the belt drives is problematic though so I don't know if it is worth the effort. They all might end up being "hanger queens". Once in awhile a decent DC/DCC ready diesel locomotive can be found for under a hundred bucks. I missed out on a good deal while dithering about spending the money and still regret not pulling the trigger on that one. One of my cars from the fifties is still being sold today at a whopping big price of around thirty five bucks. At 10x the fifties price the cost is not really that much higher. I purchased a box of miscellaneous HO stuff from a small computer shop. The owner got them as a part of an estate sale. Lots of sectional track and a few toy train transformers, one of which I use to run replacement switch machines. Included were a bunch of those horrible Atlas turnouts which can be made to work with a lot of effort. I use Atlas electrical switches left over from the fifties to toggle the two turnouts that I have installed in my test layout. I haven't found any cheap flex track though. I had three lengths left over from the fifties. Sectional track can be converted into short pieces of flex track if necessary. Not having the time or resources to build a decent layout right now, my cobbled together layout will have to do for now. I've had a lot of fun doing the restorations, building the kit and getting the test layout up and running, as well as making videos of the process. Real life has interfered so I haven't done any model work for awhile but hope to get back to it soon. I have a lot of video footage that needs to be put together and uploaded though. -dave
Ok, this is SPECTACULAR! I’ve always been more of a natural setting (mountains rivers etc) kinna guy, living and growing up in Oregon. The city/burg/outskirts theme is SO GREAT! My hat’s off to you!
This is by far one of the finest if not the finest model railroad ever made!! The amount of detail, weathering, and overall effect is just Fantastic!! I would love to be able to enjoy it in person!! Every time I watch this video I find more interesting little scenes.AWSOME!!
Great video! You really take the time to show all the wonderful details. No rushing and a nice smooth hand. Thanks for taking the time to document such a beautiful work of art. Just mind blowing work here with the subtle weathering and everything blending together. No harsh color, everything muted and feeling like it's aged. Just great.
Amazing! This gets 11 stars on a scale from 1 to 10. Just stunning. It is three-dimensional art. The attention to detail, even the back, wall scenes are to scale and trick the eye into making a realistic backdrop.
Words can not express this model railroading extravaganza. So realistic. Seems to go on forever in some of the shots. This is museum quality display. A lifetime achievement award for this display. It is awesome, spectacular,and it seems to be infinite. Thanks for sharing! Linsterville my little Christmas version of this.
Looks like the backdrop of a big-time movie back in the days before they used CGI. Utterly breathtaking! I don't want to know how many years of hard work and ingenuity are behind this fantastic model.
To me this is the most amazing model railroad of all time, there are bigger model railroads but I have never seen one with a higher level of detail. Truly a treasure. Thanks for showing us the video.
This is absolutely amazing. The transition period in America and city scemes are probably my two favorite types of prototype. The detail is incredible. Can't imagine what those 50 dislikes are about. Jealousy or just a lack of cerebral processing ability maybe. Thanks for sharing! I hope this hobby is still thriving when I retire and have the time to invest.
I think everything is in a great proportion. Cities are large and sometimes, the trains overwhelm the scenes. Mr. Selios has the space to get the balance just right. And then, there are all those fantastic details....! I had to stop the video every few seconds and just study the scenes and marveling at how the whole comes together... the mass of all those details... Obviously a labor of love.
😳👏❤really great. Never seen before, one cured in any details, like this. Would be even greater, I think, a cab ride to enjoy as well this spectacular railroad from the best POV.
This is so beautifully crafted it surpasses everything I've seen. It is deserving of rewards and probably preservation, too, since it look historically correct. I'm at a loss for words, it's that good! Could we have a cabview tour of it all, please?
I had to view the railroad for a second time. Besides painting and sculpture, model making should be considered an art form. This model RR would be the Mona Lisa of the model world. I hope it is insured for a lot of money. It is priceless.
Absolutely amazing modeling. I hope to someday get to MA to see it in person. Words can't describe the level of modeling that went into building the F&SM
I have zero interest in trains, and zero experience in model trains but this is a thing of beauty. I can imagine this as Arkham in a h p lovecraft story. Really breathtaking. The critics should hope they could ever have a fraction the talent and dedication it obviously took to make this. The work of a lifetime I'm guessing.
It is mind numbing to try to calculate the uncountable hours, the incredible talent, perseverance and just plain hard work that went into the making and maintenance of this outstanding body of work. I am in complete and utter awe !
I still have the magazines that featured the F&SM . And in fact the hours are countable . In one article time to build is discussed . The pace at which Mr. Selio works is truly extraordinary . Of course the detail and workmanship makes it even more impressive . I agree with you ,I will never achieve that level of perfection .
Only person that ever did was John Allen with Gorre and Daphetid.
That makes 2 of us because I agree 👍 💯
I'm 70 and I've NEVER saw a model rr so captivating and natural looking. Nothing on the layout really looks out of place. Utterly amazing.
This man is the MICHAELANGELO OF model railroading! It is a shame that this form of kinetic art is not recognized or appreciated by more.
Agreed, This is a work of art.
This is not something that saves the world, or helps anyone materially but it is a little world that we can all marvel at and dream in, the creators are to be congratulated.
Michaelangelo, yup (and we don't mean the turtle) Even Rod Stewart saw that and claimed that was the inspiration for HIS layout
Yeh man if i could do this for a living ide be a happy man!
Iain Botham or 4D because it moves too
MY GOD! I'm literally speechless. Best model railway I've ever seen...
Yeah - its one of the best and most famous - Selios made a killing selling his kits as Fine Scale Miniatures (FSM) - well deserved for his brilliance
Agreed 110%.... this blows them away in every detail. Simply genius.
If not for those 'giants' wandering about, it seems like a REAL old-timey city!
Wow
Absolutely amazing. Very genuine question. If you want to change or modify something in the middle or obscure corner of this how in the world do you even access it without destroying something?
It’s almost too vast to comprehend...Unbelievable . What an achievement of passion and talent. WOW!!!
George Sellios is the best in the world. I’ve followed this layout for many years. No one comes close to this work of art. The detail, weathering, story telling scenes, structures, period vehicles, people, track work, everything about this layout is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. One day this will be in the Smithsonian.
I've been watching a bunch of these "layout" videos in a row. This one just blows the rest out of the water. The detail is staggering! The artistry involved here is tremendous. Just beautiful!
I had to find an old Webster to find the right words to describe this master piece.I'm still looking!!
He might be the best in the world. This will need to be in a museum one day.
I never tire of looking at this masterpiece.
The detail of this modelworld is simply mind blowing. I can't believe it. Could watch this for weeks.
I don't know how anyone could build a more realistic city than this owner has. It's so easy to immerse yourself into this 1920's recreational masterpiece.
On the close ups, I found myself wanting to wander those streets. Go into those stores. Touch the brick and mortar with my hands. It's just wonderful, and very well done.
Something cool to add: A recording in the background of city noises. Kids yelling...playing in the street. An occasional ambulance or cop siren. Cars running. Maybe a jackhammer going with two guys digging up the street. People talking. Just a bunch of city noises.
What a life accomplishment!! Gorgeous creation . The attention to Detail in each section is out of this world . I need to see this in person .
Without a doubt, George's layout is THEE benchmark for all train layouts around the world regardless of scale or the technology involved. A miniature masterpiece by any measure.
I have NEVER seen such artistic craftsmanship. I dont know how to express my amazement. WOW!
I am at a loss for words! Absolutely stunning craftsmanship and vision. Master modelmaker!
A guy creates an incredible build like this one has to be committed to living there for the remainder of his life. Fantastic scenery and integration! I can't begin to imagine the skill, the time, the construction, the detailing and weathering committed to making this incredible build! Bravo, you are a Master!
The creative touch is strong with this immense diorama, truly majestic.
Incredible....! Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱.
Incredible attention to detail! The best I've ever seen! Amazing!
Such a beautiful timecapsule for the 1920's.
What a stunning collection of original builds and commercial signage.
Also love the great weathering and the way everything is so well integrated.
Big, big thumbs up from Holland for all those involved in this truely fantastic diorama.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
You look at one shot and are blown away by the absolute brilliance and then the camera moves on and your even more blown away again and so it goes on, the rocks, the trees, the water on the harbour the weathering the bridges the buildings the design of the layout itself is absolutely phenomenal! I had to watch it three times back to back.
I wish I had the space to and the mental capacity to do something like this, beautiful work and layout.
Wow wow wow!! I first learned of Mr Selios and his layout when i got started in the hobby 30 years ago and picked up my first issue of Model Railroader magazine. It was amazing then and still is now! I have never seen a video of it thank you so much for posting! Truly incredible work!😲
Not only is the size of it mind-blowing, but any one of these building and the little scenes around it is a work of art in and of itself. And there are dozens on top of dozens. Incredible imagination, creativity, and detail.
Like looking at a photograph of an actual cityscape. Tremendous artistic accomplishment.
There aren't sufficient words, simply an amazing layout. The weathering and scratch building is remarkable.
Well, there's half an hour I won't get back....and I'm not mad about it at all!!!
AWESOME!!!
What an unbelievably beautiful bit of modeling. Bravo!
The attention to detail is masterful!
INCREDIBLE layout. Wow! Just stunning, and a real work of art.
Some of the best building work ive ever seen on a layout. Massive amount of work there
I love miniature worlds. It feels like I could actually visit this place and its only a diorama. Incredible detail work on everything. Especially the roof details and utilities. I love how everything sags and has a worn look to it; not an easy thing to accomplish.
If I visited there, I’d stay all day and take my time studying every stunning detail. This is awesome!
Every view from every vantage point is a beautifully crafted epic scene!
Anyone that's done 1/10,000 of what's been done here, wouldn't for an instant criticize any portion of this magnificent layout... Just any thing from the tracks, to the buildings, to the details is an extreme amount of work, dedication and artistic ability. The stuff dreams are made of. Thanks for posting this work of art.
Most Excellent , the craftsmanship is self evident, better than no less than half the movie sets I’ve seen, I love it.
Good job guys ‘and gals’.
The density of detailed art in a layout this size is astonishing.
You are the man.Your vision,your artistry,your talent off the chain. I wish my father (R.I.P.) was living so I could share this magnificent master model railroading venture with him. He is the one who got me loving this hobby.Nobody around the world can compete with this realism.Man I'm blown away ,that nothing looks toyish (I'm making it a word),or plastic.Weathering technique,and the water,speechless,just speechless.No Mo Talk!
Just incredible, just the buildings alone are a piece of art.
Every structure tells a story, so much detail.
I am a model builder. I’ve built them for engineers, architects, model train people, and war gamers. This is a spectacular work of art. The effort and attention to details is evident.
I could look at this for days.
Excellent illustration of a time gone by... no cell phones, no credit cards, no taxes, no stress!!! Sad, but it reminds me of a city that is slowly dying, ex: Mackenzie Milling Co. @ 8:42. Outstanding example of model building my friend. Your weathering techniques are incredible, though perhaps somewhat overdone (or dusty? ex: cab, frames 27:30 - 27:42) The cracks and grime in the sidewalks and roads are examples of the little things that make the entire project simply perfect. John Allen was hands down... the best model railroad builder in his time. You sir.. may be the best of your time. Pure Genius!
Wow this is a wow, every details from buildings to slopping roads, mountains or even billboard it seems im in that place, that masterpiece it leads into perfection..credit to those person who made this. so much hardwork to put in it..
I don't think I will ever see a layout as detailed as this one. Bravo!!!
I think IT is the most beautiful diorama I've ever seen!
This is absolutely incredible. The craftmanship and the thousands of hours of work that went into creating this layout are apparent.
sûrement la plus belle maquette us des années 20. MERCI depuis la suisse!
WOW! This model is insane! But it really floats my boat, BIG TIME! Great model railway, detail on this layout is absolutely incredible & amazing. Like other folks, I have never seen a layout like this on camera before. Very impressive George. You Take Care! my friend & of your family too. STAY SAFE! Best regards from, Colin, Aberdeen (city) Scotland, U.K. :-)
I just love it when everything's appropriately weathered, including the trains. This one is a masterpiece! You could spend a week looking at it and still not see it all.
In my opinion, it is over-weathered. The world is not only a dozen shades of brown. Yes, there are bits of color here and there, but as Oggy says, shouldn't there be things in new of better condition? Why does everything look the same?
Not saying this isn't a masterpiece. It is stunning in scope and detail. But at the same time, it is not realistic.
Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
After watching this nearly 30 minute video of George Selios' Franklin and South Manchester railroad, I feel transported back in time to the 1910's and 1920's. Spectacular in every little detail! I was mesmerized by the depth and scale of this wonderful miniature city. From the weathering of the rolling stock, locomotives, and automobiles, to the rustic buildings and vegetation! The amount of time spent collecting, kit-bashing, or creating from scratch must have taken several years. There is nothing else like your railroad!! WOW!! Thank you for sharing this high quality recording. Felt like I was there.
Gritty and very real - a snapshot of a moment in time. Excellent work. I applaud the obsession to detail...
What a BLAST Just watching and enjoying this work of ART!!! The Detail is Just Incredible, the amount of work that has gone into this layout is hard to imagine!! WOW
Random video of the day turns out to be absolutely brilliant, this is literally so good you couldn't describe how brilliant it is in a paragraph. The detail is amazing and the amount of hours this must have taken is gobsmacking. fantastic well done to those who created it.
This layout belongs in a museum with other masterpieces. It is a work of love.
Absolutely mesmerized by this layout. Couldn't take my eyes off of the entire vlog. The depth and the attention to detail is just amazing.
Gary Hardin topp of the line.beatefull. cant not speake.the best.
I never tire of seeing this awesome layout it is without a doubt one of the greatest layouts in the world today truly inspirational
This is one heck of a gigantic layout, which a colossal work of art.
Spectacular. The color palette is so subdued and perfectly sets the stage for the time. I love the touches of decay that indicate a passage of time that was not entirely beneficial to all.
This is a work of art, and light years better than the usual.
Utterly masterful....the details in every feature....minutiae....the color tones....
Stuns.
Simply amazing ! This takes a well thought out vision, buckets of patience, bags full of craftmanship, boxes full of dedication and a huge vault of cash ! I agree with others one of the best model RR around ! Beautiful.
The most detailed model railroading I ever seen ! And the houses, streets, cars, people, everything is amazing !!! I guess that an whole life is necessary to create such a masterpiece ?? Because that is a masterpiece !
Jacques, from France.
Absolutely amazing, a breathtaking layout. I'd love to see a cab ride through this one. It would be worth watching multiple times. I'm back (sort of) in the hobby I left in 1962. Model railroading has gone a long, long way since then. Thanks for posting the video of this incredible work of art and craftsmanship. - Dave
Oh. please. someone do a total cab-view, please.
I watched one of these cab view videos with my little 4 yr old granddaughter who was absolutely transfixed, it was a joy to watch her.
A cab ride PLEASE!
Yeah so haven’t the prices.
@@donnebes9421 Yeah. I compared prices from the fifties to today's prices but it's not as bad as it looks. I think the main thing is regular peoples disposable income has fallen a lot. That being said DCC and sound is quite expensive. Code 83 nickle silver flex track is a bit pricey as is trucks and Kaydee couplers.
Rolling stock can be had at reasonable cost from ebay or thrift shops. I got three blueprint series reefer kits from ebay for about twenty bucks. It takes awhile to build one but the results are fantastic. I only built one so far and still need to decal an weather it.
My two original DC Athearn F7's run great after mechanical refurbishment which required a lot of shell repair as did the rolling stock. (Some of the restoration work is up on my RUclips site). Installing LED headlights was very inexpensive.
I restored my Mantua "Mikado" to operating condition but it requires more work, installation of LED lighting and some detailing to make a half way decent looking model, even though the boiler and valve gear is not true to an actual heavy Mike. I had to replace the original worn out and bent up valve gear and broken "cow catcher". I also had to get another pilot just to replace a missing spring. All in all I probably spent fifty bucks to get it running.
My buddy who lives in S.C brings the occasional HO piece he gets for just a couple of bucks at flea markets. A "looks good at a distance" four car Amtrack "Train set" that is shown in my video introduction, and an A+B F7 duo in New Haven livery (It's missing one stirrup step - I'll pull a mold from one of the other locos and cast a new step to replace it when I get a chance), and a very detailed flatcar that models an early piggyback rig.
The F7's are "Hi-F" rubber band drive. With tuning they can be made to run as slow as ten or so scale MPH. All of the open frame motors draw current that is at the high end of DCC compatibility so replacing them with can motors might make DCC conversion possible. Also there isn't a lot of room in the shells and rumor has it that the dimensions are incorrect. Parts and engineering to replace the belt drives is problematic though so I don't know if it is worth the effort. They all might end up being "hanger queens".
Once in awhile a decent DC/DCC ready diesel locomotive can be found for under a hundred bucks. I missed out on a good deal while dithering about spending the money and still regret not pulling the trigger on that one.
One of my cars from the fifties is still being sold today at a whopping big price of around thirty five bucks. At 10x the fifties price the cost is not really that much higher.
I purchased a box of miscellaneous HO stuff from a small computer shop. The owner got them as a part of an estate sale. Lots of sectional track and a few toy train transformers, one of which I use to run replacement switch machines. Included were a bunch of those horrible Atlas turnouts which can be made to work with a lot of effort. I use Atlas electrical switches left over from the fifties to toggle the two turnouts that I have installed in my test layout.
I haven't found any cheap flex track though. I had three lengths left over from the fifties. Sectional track can be converted into short pieces of flex track if necessary.
Not having the time or resources to build a decent layout right now, my cobbled together layout will have to do for now.
I've had a lot of fun doing the restorations, building the kit and getting the test layout up and running, as well as making videos of the process.
Real life has interfered so I haven't done any model work for awhile but hope to get back to it soon. I have a lot of video footage that needs to be put together and uploaded though.
-dave
I got to say this truly is my favorite layout. I hunt down just about every video I can find of this magnificent layout.
Ok, this is SPECTACULAR! I’ve always been more of a natural setting (mountains rivers etc) kinna guy, living and growing up in Oregon. The city/burg/outskirts theme is SO GREAT! My hat’s off to you!
One of the nicest super detailed layout I've seen. Lots of hours in there. Congradulation and thanks for sharing.
This is by far one of the finest if not the finest model railroad ever made!! The amount of detail, weathering, and overall effect is just Fantastic!! I would love to be able to enjoy it in person!! Every time I watch this video I find more interesting little scenes.AWSOME!!
Das ist wirklich nicht mehr normal! So ein realistische Modelleisenbahn hab ich noch nie gesehen! Es ist einfach nur wunderschön! 😍❤
Each little piece of this is a masterpiece. The thing as a whole is beyond incredible.
Great video! You really take the time to show all the wonderful details. No rushing and a nice smooth hand. Thanks for taking the time to document such a beautiful work of art. Just mind blowing work here with the subtle weathering and everything blending together. No harsh color, everything muted and feeling like it's aged. Just great.
incredible. attention to detail is off the chart. priceless model tbh
OK! I'm not a railway modeler, but this IS a thing of incredible beauty! incredible detail and depth, much respect.
Beautiful layout...deserves to be professionally photographed.
Amazing! This gets 11 stars on a scale from 1 to 10. Just stunning. It is three-dimensional art. The attention to detail, even the back, wall scenes are to scale and trick the eye into making a realistic backdrop.
Words can not express this model railroading extravaganza. So realistic. Seems to go on forever in some of the shots. This is museum quality display. A lifetime achievement award for this display. It is awesome, spectacular,and it seems to be infinite. Thanks for sharing! Linsterville my little Christmas version of this.
Looks like the backdrop of a big-time movie back in the days before they used CGI. Utterly breathtaking! I don't want to know how many years of hard work and ingenuity are behind this fantastic model.
Truly artwork and paying attention to detail at it's finest. That is what I would like my layout to aspire to.
Apart from absolutely everything else, I love the faded adverts on the buildings.
To me this is the most amazing model railroad of all time, there are bigger model railroads but I have never seen one with a higher level of detail. Truly a treasure. Thanks for showing us the video.
Had a dream about two weeks back, involved a model railroad; and this looks exactly what was in the dream.
Genuinely a masterpiece.
Love it ,attention to detail and a great insight to the old world .
That is insane,I've seen layouts like this in model railroad mags but only bits and pieces.That is a butt load of work and passion.
Mind blowing project, the detail is unbelievable!
This is absolutely amazing. The transition period in America and city scemes are probably my two favorite types of prototype. The detail is incredible. Can't imagine what those 50 dislikes are about. Jealousy or just a lack of cerebral processing ability maybe. Thanks for sharing! I hope this hobby is still thriving when I retire and have the time to invest.
I have seen this lay-out some years ago in MR.
Truly a masterpiece.....
I think everything is in a great proportion. Cities are large and sometimes, the trains overwhelm the scenes. Mr. Selios has the space to get the balance just right. And then, there are all those fantastic details....! I had to stop the video every few seconds and just study the scenes and marveling at how the whole comes together... the mass of all those details... Obviously a labor of love.
😳👏❤really great. Never seen before, one cured in any details, like this.
Would be even greater, I think, a cab ride to enjoy as well this spectacular railroad from the best POV.
JUST MAGNIFICENT. AMERICAN ARTISTRY AT ITS FINEST! THANK YOU!
This is so beautifully crafted it surpasses everything I've seen. It is deserving of rewards and probably preservation, too, since it look historically correct. I'm at a loss for words, it's that good! Could we have a cabview tour of it all, please?
Beyond amazing. Love the attention to detail. Thanks for sharing.
One of the top layouts of all time! Mind blowing that it's so good.
Simply stunning....thats passion as its best....thx for sharing...
I had to view the railroad for a second time. Besides painting and sculpture, model making should be considered an art form. This model RR would be the Mona Lisa of the model world. I hope it is insured for a lot of money. It is priceless.
makes me wish I could shrink myself to a tiny person so I could walk around the entire thing. Amazing layout.
all I can say is its just Beautiful!! Look at the detail!
This man is the Malcolm Furloughs of model railroading this is simply stunning!!!!
Absolutely amazing modeling. I hope to someday get to MA to see it in person. Words can't describe the level of modeling that went into building the F&SM
I have zero interest in trains, and zero experience in model trains but this is a thing of beauty. I can imagine this as Arkham in a h p lovecraft story. Really breathtaking. The critics should hope they could ever have a fraction the talent and dedication it obviously took to make this. The work of a lifetime I'm guessing.
This is the most detailed and captivating layout EVER!