It is listed in the Guinness book of World Records as the Largest model of landscape ever built. The sheer size and enormity of the whole thing are simply breathtaking as you can see in these pictures.
All pictures are property of getty images
The incredible miniature railroad network in Flemington, New Jersey is a brainchild of Bruce Williams Zaccagnino and his wife Jean who have been working on this project for an unbelievable 44 years. It is called the Northlandz Great American Railway and is a kind of a tourist attraction locally. It is situated in a 52,000 square feet complex inside Flemington. The model was more or less finished almost 20 years ago, and the elderly couple has been maintaining it ever since.
It’s just too awesome to be true, isn’t it? Why didn’t I know about it before?
It has over 3,000 miniature buildings and operates a hundred model trains just for the fun of it.
The beautiful, life-like and grand scenery features a huge 30-feet miniature mountain that roughly scales up to 6,000 feet in life-sze. There are also bridges as big as 40 feet lying in the path of the trains.
The walkway is one mile long and takes two to three hours to have a complete tour of the model. I can’t imagine how big it must be!
Zaccagnino is an award-winning computer software game developer, and he has hands of Solitaire Journey and The Perfect General. He had a great love for model trains and their landscapes since he was a child. He started by building models in his basement after he got married and got a helping wife. He didn’t stop at there and created five extra basements around his house just to house his hobby. He eventually got funding to make this amazing model and named it Northlandz.
This small city with high-rise buildings has been available for the visitors since 1997. It took some 16 years to build.
There are vast grasslands en route as well as aesthetically made water bodies that seem surreal.
Look at this ghost town concept lying on the train’s path. Reminds you of certain movies doesn’t it?
There are 500,000 tiny trees and more than 400 bridges lying in the path of the train.
He started his work way back in 1972 when the couple’es first home was being built. As early as 1977, his work was attracting thousands and thousands of visitors on a daily basis. He eventually scaled up his efforts and made this beauty.
There is also a mini-amusement park complete with a cute Ferris wheel and high-speed roller coaster.
People of all age groups enjoy this engineering and architectural marvel.
It is the most awesome thing I have ever come across in recent times. Williams, take a bow dude.
The project has taken several million dollars, and he used to work 18-19 hours a day to make this intricately detailed model a reality. Just look at the level of detail!
There are forests, parks, construction sites, deserts, valleys, mini-golf courses and even a model of a Civil War battle between the Union and the Confederate armies. Basically, it has everything a long train journey across the USA would have. The complex also houses a doll museum, a 250-seat theater, and an art gallery. But it is clear to see who draws the largest crowds!
One visitor who was so impressed by this magnificent model that he exclaimed that it was a wonder of the world. I reckon he is right! It is impossible to describe the three-hour journey and surreal experience in words. So, if you live in the vicinity of New Jersey, be sure to check this out with your family. It is just too amazing to be ignored!
