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Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

sbs.com.au

131–140 of 162 posts

Re: Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

#131
post #41

Reminds me of an estate sale I went to one time. Unassuming place, one of those tiny postwar homes about the same size as the one in this article - but with at least double or triple the density of this train layout in the basement. The owner must have been a very thin person, as the narrow winding paths around the basement in places measured no more than 8 inches, and the widest parts were only about 2 foot wide. In…

Now I see the real value of games like Factorio. That kind of poison needs to go somewhere or it ends up in real life projects

Yep. I moved off grid and I now fill my days with “how will I unreel 600kg of cable and 500m of 90mm HDPE tube over half a kilometre of nightmare terrain and 70m of vertical drop with only muscles and mechanics in 37C heat, and how will I thread the fibre down the tube” and similar fun projects.

Man’s gotta man. At least I get to scratch the systems itch and get fit at the same time.

Re: Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

#133
post #94

Maybe he had to keep it a secret? "A businessman who secretly built the UK’s biggest model railway feared his girlfriend would dump him if she learnt about his ‘dull’ hobby." Train-mad Simon George, 53, spent £250,000 and a staggering eight years on his 200ft-long project. https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/07/man-spent-250000-secretly-bui...

https://archive.ph/2lZ7U

Re: Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

#134
post #41

Reminds me of an estate sale I went to one time. Unassuming place, one of those tiny postwar homes about the same size as the one in this article - but with at least double or triple the density of this train layout in the basement. The owner must have been a very thin person, as the narrow winding paths around the basement in places measured no more than 8 inches, and the widest parts were only about 2 foot wide. In…

“liked” I think that word needs to be amped up 7 orders of magnitude.

Obsessed, passionate, fascinated…

Is this the sort of thing that leads people to work remotely so they can have the space for their hobby.

Like one’s Lego collection, albeit just in the boxes because they’ve not had the time to put them together.

Re: Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Men have the time and opportunity to do nothing but chill, or to have cool hobbies, then they are very definitely catching a break.

They why are they being berated for what they do with their private lives?

Because a certain subset of society feels entitled to tell other people what to do with their time and resources.

"Nobody needs.." and all that.

Re: Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

#137
post #41

Reminds me of an estate sale I went to one time. Unassuming place, one of those tiny postwar homes about the same size as the one in this article - but with at least double or triple the density of this train layout in the basement. The owner must have been a very thin person, as the narrow winding paths around the basement in places measured no more than 8 inches, and the widest parts were only about 2 foot wide. In…

“Mostly normal - you wouldn’t even know the guy liked trains.” Probably not intended but pretty funny implication that train lovers are pathologically eccentric. Probably mostly true.

"A Gentle Madness" is a 584pp comprehensive history of book collectors and bibliomania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Gentle_Madness

Re: Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

#138

This story deserves a follow up in a few years. I would not be too hasty with modernisation of the controllers as it seems that most enthusiasts are happy with DC (analog) rather than DCC (digital). Too much determination to modernise could result in a broken train set since the project would be large. Restoration with no modernisation would still provide the fun, and be part of the owner's original vision. What he w…

We need a Hacker News remindme bot!

Re: Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

#140
post #4

“Honey, look at this massive model train network that just happened to be in our basement!”

No mention of the stacks of niche magazines though

Fast Railing Monthly

Long Rollers

Barely Legal Signals

Locomania!

Chuggers

Driver's Wives

Hot Steamy Machines

Whistleblowing Enthusiast

SMUTS

Country Tooter

Shudders & Squeals

Stiff Points Quarterly

The Linkage Lover

This Oiled Life

Footplate Fanciers

Tiny Tunnels

Dirty Platform Digest

Wide Gauge Wonders

Derailed Darlings

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