One of the largest model railroad layouts in the United States: The Lehigh & Keystone Valley Museum
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- Опубліковано 24 гру 2021
- After seeing many European model railroad layouts on Pilentum Television’s UA-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
www.lkvmodelrailroad.com
Instagram
/ lkvmrrm
NCE Digital Control System
www.ncedcc.com
Pilentum Television
www.pilentum-television.com/en/
Pilentum Television Instagram
/ pilentumtelevision - Розваги
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!
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
I love the weeds!! And everything else! Thank you for sharing !
The work that went into this layout is absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing.
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. 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.
This is an incredible model railroad set up. A true labor of love and financial commitment by the members of this organization.
I enjoy seeing the model railroads from Europe. Nice to see something different! Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!
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 😂
Great cabride and layout.
After having watched all of the cab rides out there this one is by far the most realistic. Absolutely real. Fantastic.
I couldn't find anyway to say this better, "The work that went into this layout is absolutely amazing." Thank you for sharing.
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
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 👌
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.
Who ever laid the track knew what he was doing. Every inch of the video trip is silky and effortless.
I worked with Lorrel Joiner and fell in love with train layouts. His was pretty awesome too. Thanks for sharing...
Thank you Pilentum for posting this episode on Christmas. It is a wonderful gift...🎁
I am thoroughly impressed with the complexity of this awesome layout. The tracks actually go somewhere,instead of just in a simple circle.
This is a great trip on a scale railroad.
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..
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.
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.
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.
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!
I enjoyed the ride and I love the layout it's well constructed Rail on my friend 🚂🚃🚃🚃.
Can ride in a beautiful freight train, absolutely the best feeling in my heart
Really stunning, captured so much realism of the railroads in the area, beautiful job
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. 💕
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.
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!
Stunning.
I have never before seen such a beautiful Ley out. The hole set up is so awesome...👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
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.
I like the no train sounds and just the cars clickty clacking over the rails so much nicer
Опять красивые макеты!
Incredible. Never seen anything so huge before... Amazing!
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!!
Stunning, stunning, stunningly beautiful and realistic. Brings back the US I remember...
The trackwork and scenery are top notch. It is a really nice long run too!
No words! The detail is unbelievable. Amazing!!
I love the sound of the tiny wheels!
Had the ceiling and the walls been “green screened” away, it would have been hard to immediately guess this is a model railway.
Fantastic detailing, and a truly impressive model railway. 👍🏼😊
Amazing quality, realism and detail in such a huge layout !
WOW !
Not only is it huge , every inch of it has been meticulously and realistically detailed
Astounding, the amount of track laid down on this layout! Bravo!!
I live 1.5 h from this layout and did not knew, tomorrow Sunday i go see it!
The realism and scenery is stunning ! , this is my dream layout .
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
Pre covid, Bethlehem hosts a music festival every summer. At the steel site. I went one year and found a pamphlet on my windsheild with things to do in Bethlehem. This was on it. I'm so glad I went! Thanks for the share.
*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.
I can't think of anything to say, except to say, this whole setup is just plain AWESOME. 😲😁👍😉
This is huge. I love the rocks, look so real. Thanks for sharing.
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 a layout! The distance is impressive. Nice details. Great work. The onboard view is rather relaxing and calming.
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.
Scenary is exemplary! Track layout is also ultra-realistic!
The detail of the railway track is amazing . Love the layout...cheers
Que maqueta tan grande y además preciosa. Muchas gracias👍👍
Dang! That is the largest layout I could imagine! Thanks for the tour!
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.
Wonderful. I actually felt that I was riding on a real size train!
Having the camera on the front of the train was the best way to showcase this wonderful work of art........ Thank you for sharing.......
Superb, ladies and gentlemen! And bravo to Pilentum for creating the video. Thanks so much!
Absolutely fantastic! Thank you for the train ride.
Absolutely incredible layout. I've never seen anything like it.
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!!! Great detail, really enjoyed the scenery!!!!! Thank you very much!!!!!
The best and most realistic R/R Lay out i've ever seen. So captivating. All around great job and TY for posting it up 💗.it!
Fabuleux réseau, très impressionnant !
Les détails et les patines sont sublimes aussi que
le matériel roulant et la végétation magnifique.
Merci pour cette belle vidéo ...
Simply spectacular! Thanks for the ride!
What a perspective, it was awesome. Even the automobiles where nice to look at. I have worked on some large layouts
and there was a lotta love put into this one.
Wife and I have been there a few times. Having grown up in ABE area it is an awesome sight to see things and you know exactly where you are. If ever in Bethlehem it is well worth the visit!!!!
Wow!! An amazing layout. Thanks for sharing 👍
Visiting this museum is at the top of my “bucket list”.
Nice! Very ,very nice. I could watch this railroad operate all day long, every day.
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. 👍🙂
Such comfortable and easy viewing, so very relaxing, a real treat!
This layout does a nice job of representing the real scenes along the LV and CNJ routes it models. I was easily able to recognize many of the places modeled here.
merveilleux ,grandiose,un travail énorme,mes compliments👍
Not only big,but beautiful! Excellent scenery
Mini cinerama clip....majestic !!!
Every Details look so Amazing. Very Enjoy with Beautiful Model Trains and Surroundings.
Greetings from New Zealand. Absolutely stupendous!!! Well done guys.
Holy crap!! How big is this building?? I’ve never seen anything like this, absolutely stunning layout!!
That’s exactly what I was wondering
Really beautiful layout. I recall I always spent some time to look through the window on my travel.
Brings back many great memories for me i was a model train fanatic when I was young I wish youtube existed back then.
As a 30 year retired locomotive engineer (& trainmaster, and several system-wide manager jobs) I really was impressed!
Simply spectacular! Really enjoyed the POV from the locomotive! Will have to visit!
Seems both amazing and amazing vast overkill all at once
Great way to view any large scale model layout here!
All I can say is thanks for a great ride!
I volunteered here when I was a teenager.
Amazing amounts of detail. Thanks for sharing.
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
I enjoy looking at model railroads. The mockup in the video is great.
❤️🎇❤️HO Scale trains,since I was 10 years old,in the year 1970....thank you all....memory lane for me🎇🌟🎇
Para los que amamos el modelismo ferroviario, esto es un sueño hecho realidad.
Espectacular el realismo logrado en todos los detalles de las vías, los trenes y el entorno, simplemente perfecto.
Felicitaciones a sus creadores y gracias a PILENTUM por mostrarnos esta maravilla.
Simply GORGEOUS 😍😍😍
Thanks for the ride it was a bit long Rail on my friend 🚂🚃🚃🚃.