Der Deutschlandexpress, Model railroad layout in Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Der Deutschlandexpress is a model railroad layout in Gelsenkirchen that covers about 700 square meters (7,500 sq ft) and depicts landscapes from the North Sea coast down to the Alps. The layout features hundreds of building models, roads, and natural scenes connected by an extensive rail network.
The layout was built starting in 1997 and opened in April 1999. It held the record as the world's largest model railroad until 2001, when other layouts surpassed it in size.
Der Deutschlandexpress recreates real places from across Germany, from Ruhr Valley industrial sites to Rhine vineyards and North Sea harbor scenes. Visitors walking through the layout can compare the different regions side by side and see how varied the country looks from one area to the next.
The layout can be viewed from several points along a marked visitor path, with different heights offering closer looks at specific details. Walking slowly helps, as many small scenes are easy to miss at a glance.
When the layout switches to night mode, over 5,000 miniature lamps light up streets, buildings, and trains across the entire scene. One of the most unexpected details is a lit cemetery with glowing tombstones and ghost figures placed among the graves.
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