One of the largest model railroad layouts in the United States: The Lehigh & Keystone Valley Museum
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- After seeing many European model railroad layouts on Pilentum Television’s TH-cam Channel over the past few weeks, it is time to see model trains from the United States. We do not explore a small train diorama in this video, however, but we discover one of the largest model railway layouts in the United States, namely a 5,000 square feet operating HO scale layout, consisting of about 7,000 feet of track and over 250 turnouts.
We are in the superb Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and we enjoy a cab ride on the winding railroads, along beautiful scenic displays and models of historic locations once located on the historic routes of the Lehigh Valley Railroad during the period 1950 to 1976 from West Portal to Bethlehem and north to Coxton, the Reading Railroad from Quakertown to Bethlehem and then to Harrisburg, and the Central Railroad of New Jersey from Elizabethport to Wilkes-Barre.
Spoken in metric system, the winding model railroad layout built on two levels, covers about 464 square meters on more than 2,100 meters of HO scale tracks. From the train driver’s view we can explore every inch of track and watch as model trains pass by miniature versions of historic sites from around the area, for example, depictions of areas reaching as far west as Harrisburg, as far north as upstate New York, and as far east as Elizabethport.
Anyone familiar with the geographical area will recognize plenty of local landmarks along the miniature world, such as Bethlehem Steel’s iconic stacks and furnaces, the former Allentown passenger station, Bethlehem Steel’s Coke Works, the former Huber Breaker building in Ashley, Luzerne County, the Easton railroad station and many others.
The whole railroad museum pays homage to many former Pennsylvania businesses and buildings. Therefore, all scenes are modeled from the 1960s & 1970s. Due to the historic nature of many of the landmarks included in the display, members of the Museum recreate many of the buildings and stations from scratch, relying on period photographs to do so.
But the most overwhelming is the model rail, which also uses a big helix connecting the lower and upper level. Pilentum Television estimates it would take about 15 to 20 minutes for a train to complete a full lap of the track. Originally, the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Club formed in 1994 started to build the model railroad. In November 1996, the members purchased a building where model railroad operations continue today. So they have spent more than 20 years constructing a model railroad layout depicting the historic routes of their local railroads.
In 2006, wishing to share their miniature world with the general public, they formed the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum. Today, members of the club operate and maintain the model railroad layout which was switched from DC to the NCE DCC system. Furthermore, a computer system was incorporated based on JMRI software to run train detection and signaling utilizing Digi Trax equipment. Finally, there is a centralized traffic control room using six computer screens that allows to operate the entire layout and to provide prototypical operation of the railroad.
Note, the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum will be hosting events during the Christmas season. This is your opportunity to enjoy a great model railroad layout!
Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum
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NCE Digital Control System
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Discover the track plans of the lower and upper level on www.pilentum-television.com/en/one-of-the-largest-model-railroad-HO-scale-layouts-in-the-united-states-the-lehigh-and-keystone-valley-museum.htm
Thank you! After watching the video I came to the comments specifically to request a link to the track plan.
@@JohnnySoundSTL this channel has done a video on northlandz right?
It appears to me that there is still plans for more expansion in certain areas.
As a retired locomotive engineer of 30 years I'm very impressed with the realism of this lay out. It's like I'm back in the seat. Well done.
I''ll be your conductor in the seat across from you. Eight to go till i pull the pin. LOL
Besides the instant running of a red light
The only thing missing on the realism part is all the graffiti nowadays on the rail cars.
I agree with you on the realism of the track and scenery and also I can agree with what you said. I was an agent dispatcher with the Chesapeake Western Railway and occasionally I would get on the engine or on the cab and give the conductor and discuss his orders for what his train classification would be for that day and when he went through the switch on this model in the engine kind of shook a little bit going through there, that brought back the good old days!
I commend you for being an engineer for so many years I know firsthand the stress and the dangers of that and the fact that you gave your everyday service is a great service to America because that's what railroading is all about!
The attention given to detail is amazing. In all my 89 years of model railroading I have never seen such a fantastic layout.
Then check out Northlandz in New Jersey will blow this out the Water 😂
Who ever laid the track knew what he was doing. Every inch of the video trip is silky and effortless.
I like the no train sounds and just the cars clickty clacking over the rails so much nicer
Can ride in a beautiful freight train, absolutely the best feeling in my heart
I love the weeds!! And everything else! Thank you for sharing !
This simply brought a piece of mind to me all the things that are going on in the world today and how peaceful it was to watch this train go around this massive complex
This is an incredible model railroad set up. A true labor of love and financial commitment by the members of this organization.
One of my parents friend is a member or something and so they’re allowed to drive their own trains on the layout and invited me with them it was so cool
What a huge and beautiful layout. Every bit is fun and SOOooo realistic. The track work and turnouts are all so smooth and level; I don't recall a single jump or jiggle. There is a lot of fussy workmanship in here. This video is superb and was done without members or visitors in view and chatting, laughing or generally in cam sight spoiling the effort. Thanks for this ride.
Well done..
After having watched all of the cab rides out there this one is by far the most realistic. Absolutely real. Fantastic.
This is a great trip on a scale railroad. I cannot imagine how many man hours it took to put this together. It is a fantastic job
I myself spent 365 days per yr x 5 hr per day x 25 yrs = 45,625 hrs. Could be more. That's not including what the other 10 members did.
@@louisblaukowitch540 You all did a wonderful job.
I couldn't find anyway to say this better, "The work that went into this layout is absolutely amazing." Thank you for sharing.
After 60 years of model railroads I thought I had seen and done it all. This is just so god it has left me speechless........ Cheers, Bob in the UK.
You get to see model railroads like this until you a cam and ride.just totally 👌
Stunning. There is a great allure to the US North Eastern rail scene of the 1960s and 70s. I live in Ireland and Leigh Valley, Reading and NYS&W all run on my HO layout.
Yea good choice. My family fromm pittsburgh but we moved 2 so cal we love rr
Amazing attention to detail, especially along the spurs and the yards. The weeds between the really add another level of realism
I do all the scenery on this railroad, and also laid 90% of the track and switches, and built 80% of the benchwork
@@louisblaukowitch540 Absolutely outstanding Needs to be preserved
AMAZING . . . was all this constructed/accomplished, one's retirement years . . . or, was this actualized upon completion of ones employment ? 😎 🇺🇸
This is a great trip on a scale railroad.
Those weeds in the yards. I love it.
The work that went into this layout is absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful layout. You can see the years of hours of work. And all those pole lines and working signals. Takes me back to better years of railroading.
I think this is the first layout I've seen that properly uses "power poles" for power distribution, and "code line /telegraph poles" along the tracks like they once had, to control the signals. I like the fact someone got it right. And the signal system looks great, too. Nice work.
The best hobby in the world is model railroads
Thank you all, model railway fans, Worldwide, it's gold baby
Thank you Pilentum for posting this episode on Christmas. It is a wonderful gift...🎁
The trees and foliage blew my mind. What an artist. You also nailed daily life in America. If I was a little kid, I’d want My little dolls to take a ride. It is simply spectacular. Your million hours of works have captivated me and I’m not alone. 💕
I was amazed at the faithfulness to detail and the relevance to scale that remained throughout. Thoroughly impressive, and my congratulations to those hundreds who invested the "sweat equity" In this establishment!
I am thoroughly impressed with the complexity of this awesome layout. The tracks actually go somewhere,instead of just in a simple circle.
Best set up ive ever seen..well done !!!
Stunning.
I enjoy seeing the model railroads from Europe. Nice to see something different! Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!
This is mesmerizing. When this entire layout is finished I’m hoping we will see another video. Awesome realism and it takes me back to the late fifties when my dad used to take us down to the tracks in Stockton California to watch the trains. I would lay in bed at night and listen to the distant whistles. Love it.
*Great attention to detail... Model Railroad clubs were quite common in the 1960s and 70s. Nice to see that legacy still preserved someplace*
The Gorre & Dafetid was (and may still be) running in the 50s and was near perfect as to realism.
@@haroldwilkes6608 I Googled Gorre and Daphetid... Wouldn't you know it, destroyed by a fire in 1973 - Bummer...
@@JungleYT Thanks, didn't know that, I think there are videos (low quality) on YT. It was a beautifully, meticulously designed layout.
@@haroldwilkes6608 Well, with the right people and money I have no doubt it could be brought back. Just a matter of finding a location. Plenty of great craftsmen would be available to volunteer or work on the project...
@@JungleYT True, but John Allen was an artist, hard to replace him. Railrod Model Craftsman featured the G&R regularly, he photographed his dioramas beautifully. And I don't know about you but to me, the past few generations seem more interested in computer simulations than making models. Like steam engines, we may soon be history.
Опять красивые макеты!
I enjoyed the ride and I love the layout it's well constructed Rail on my friend 🚂🚃🚃🚃.
I worked with Lorrel Joiner and fell in love with train layouts. His was pretty awesome too. Thanks for sharing...
A piece of art.
You almost have to pack a lunch and bring a thermos of coffee if you're riding along on this train...this is about as real as it gets!
You are so correct. What you committed on brings back all of the wonderful memories of going someplace special. Trains are the best form of travel.
❤️🎇❤️HO Scale trains,since I was 10 years old,in the year 1970....thank you all....memory lane for me🎇🌟🎇
WOW !
Not only is it huge , every inch of it has been meticulously and realistically detailed
Stunning, stunning, stunningly beautiful and realistic. Brings back the US I remember...
The absolute best model railroad I've ever seen! every section tells it's own story, has it's own life* even from the opposite direction. Like how you didn't fuss about showing *behind the scenes* scenery. I'd be setting up scenes from Back To The Future 3 on a side line or derailments :)
Awesome video!
Amazing quality, realism and detail in such a huge layout !
One word........WOW!
Wow! This layout is super big, and super detailed. The original artwork started in the 1960's and then added more on, is exquisite. Everything, especially the details were amazing to see. These artists didn't scrimp on anything. All of the train yards, full of box cars. I recognized some of the train engines, and that was fun. Talking about the engines, I always love the cab rides. Thank you, Markus.
Amazing, fantastic, impressive!
I live 1.5 h from this layout and did not knew, tomorrow Sunday i go see it!
I love the sound of the tiny wheels!
I volunteered here when I was a teenager.
EPIC, truly awesome and inspiring, a true model railroaders dream layout, amazed at the attention to detail even in areas not seen by the public or even possibly operators, one of the best, thank you 🙏 for sharing this with us all
Attention to detail on this layout is just smashing!! This video went by in seemingly no time, I enjoyed riding in the cab. Awesome stuff!!
Tens of millions spend, countless man hours on design, fabrication, installation and maintenance. Thank you for sharing this incredible creation of majestic proportion.
Thanks for watching!
OUTSTANDING!!!!
What a layout! The distance is impressive. Nice details. Great work. The onboard view is rather relaxing and calming.
Holy crap!! How big is this building?? I’ve never seen anything like this, absolutely stunning layout!!
That’s exactly what I was wondering
Astounding layout !
Such comfortable and easy viewing, so very relaxing, a real treat!
Absolutely incredible layout. I've never seen anything like it.
Really stunning, captured so much realism of the railroads in the area, beautiful job
Visiting this museum is at the top of my “bucket list”.
my god the work it took to make this looks so good - the scale is perfect but you do not notice it until you see a full sized object like a chair or a few screws on the side of the track and then your mind is blown again -- Kudos to the masters that took the years if not decades to build this for all to enjoy.
No words! The detail is unbelievable. Amazing!!
Great cabride and layout.
Having the camera on the front of the train was the best way to showcase this wonderful work of art........ Thank you for sharing.......
The detail of the railway track is amazing . Love the layout...cheers
I enjoy the ride and the sound effect of the tracks almost put me to sleep
All i can say is amazing
The Lehigh & Keystone Valley Museum, the place where time stands still - literally (clock 4:10 and 35:50).😀 The one unreal thing about this was - no other traffic in motion.
In case anyone hasn't done the arithmetic, 7000ft of HO track is 115.34 scale miles (182.7 scale km).
I love the camera on the engine! It’s an interesting perspective that the layout is not usually seen from.
Being a former railroader this certainly brings back memories.
Miss seeing the truck or car stopped on the boom gates . like quick sand never gets old
I've watched 11mins worth already and am just blown away w how realistic this is! The details throughout this layout is unbelievable and to see it from the roof of a locomotive is astonishing! Totally impressed with this layout and I'm going to finish watching the rest now! Thanks again for sharing this video and I'm viewing it from Delmar, Delaware.
What an amazing layout, there's some awesome detail there.
The cab ride was pretty good, it would've been nice to see another train passing occasionally.
I will admit that was waay cooler than I expected
I can't think of anything to say, except to say, this whole setup is just plain AWESOME. 😲😁👍😉
I lived half a block from the tracks when I grew up in Mathews beach Washington we played on the tracks every day I love the trained going by as I got older we hopped the train but the guy in the caboose would shoot us with a pellet rifle and we would jump off and scurry away it was a game we played so we would line up on one side of the train to distract the caboose man as a few guys would hop on on the other side we never got hurt but got shot once trained are still my favorite mode of traveling I would love to ride the Canadian Rockies train I watch it on utube this layout is the biggest in the world I wonder how many millions it takes to keep it all peace
I have never before seen such a beautiful Ley out. The hole set up is so awesome...👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I like trains. Once, with the kids in the car, we were going under an overpass. I got all excited and said, kids, look, look at the train. Then proceeded to run into the back of the guy in front of me who stopped to make a left turn. If I had just popped into this video without reading the title, and not being able to see the walls and the ceiling; I wonder how long it would have taken me to realize it was a model railroad. Well done.
The realism and scenery is stunning ! , this is my dream layout .
As a 30 year retired locomotive engineer (& trainmaster, and several system-wide manager jobs) I really was impressed!
After seeing all of the positive comments on this post, I am almost embarrassed to add my 2 cents worth of constructive criticism. This is certainly a very professionally constructed layout, and I am 99.9% pleased. The one thing [my 2 cents worth] is that on the right the train is passing the buildings and scenery, but on the left the scenery is moving right along with the train. At about 3 minutes that seems to have been corrected, but does re-appear intermittently, and sometimes the side moving reverses. But, overall, I would give this layout a 9.5.
Amazing amounts of detail. Thanks for sharing.
Superb, ladies and gentlemen! And bravo to Pilentum for creating the video. Thanks so much!
Wonderful. I actually felt that I was riding on a real size train!
Mini cinerama clip....majestic !!!
Scenary is exemplary! Track layout is also ultra-realistic!
What an amazing layout. The scenery is fantastic. So many details to look at during the ride and the comforting sound from a rolling train. I enjoyed the ride very much. Well done. 👍🙂
In a word ........ W O W !
Brings back many great memories for me i was a model train fanatic when I was young I wish youtube existed back then.
Seems both amazing and amazing vast overkill all at once
Great way to view any large scale model layout here!
Amazingly deep pockets
El lugar más increíble que he visto de trenes fuera de este mundo increíble asombroso Feliz año 2022 Feliz Navidad saludos de Lima Perú
Merry Christmas.
Going have to make this 2023 trip to visit. not far from where i live. can't wait to see it in person.
This model has to be absolutely priceless. Just how can you put a price to the love, skill, time and dedication that has been put into this layout? It is beyond words. My only query is it's accessibility and viewing points. I am at a loss as to how any members of the public actually view the upper levels other than by CCTV which isn't ideal. Working on it and derailments in parts must be a nightmare. Thank you for filming this.
Thanks for watching and commenting this!
I don't know anything about model railroading, but these layouts are just amazingly great.
Que maqueta tan grande y además preciosa. Muchas gracias👍👍
The trackwork and scenery are top notch. It is a really nice long run too!
Incredible. Never seen anything so huge before... Amazing!
This is really awesome I know a lot of hard work went into the set up but well worth it great job I'm so impressed
Thanks for the ride it was a bit long Rail on my friend 🚂🚃🚃🚃.
From Brazil, congratulation!!!! Wonderful layout!!!!!!!
I came for the trains and was really thrilled with the clarity of the onboard view and track noise.
I left because somebody decided that the music they like was what we should all hear.