The Largest HO Scale Layout in Minnesota -- Cab Ride

The North Metro Model Railroad Club built the largest (known) HO layout in the State of Minnesota. Located in a 5,000 Square Foot basement it is NOT a public layout. However, the NMMRC does hold public open houses a couple of times a year.
Check out their Facebook page for more information:
/ nmmrc

[@bsalightning69]

Cab ride videos never gets old. Great way of seeing exactly how it looks up close, realistically. Great job, you'll never get done!

[@millcity9711]

Last time I saw this layout, benchwork was ongoing and trackwork was in its beginning stages. Thanks much for the tour..."it's coming along."

[@michaelmohrmann]

Thank you for the most excellent train ride, I most certainly enjoyed it! :-)

[@Ry_An3146]

Best HO layout I’ve seen on KZbin. I think the dense foliage and the little attentions to detail really add to it.

[@AZRonK]

I sure liked the ride, thanks for posting the video, great setup. 👍👍😉😉

[@jscott8695]

When the cab ride started out it was kind of rough; hands holding back scenery, derail, etc. Firsthand impression was that it was going to be a cheesy ride around a half-baked layout, and everyone was going to be proud. Oh Wow! Firsthand impressions were so wrong! What a great layout! The depth and detail of the scenery is so realistic! Awesome Job!!! Thanks for posting!!

[@MisterPersuasion]

Yea, on the day I visited the layout there were some repairs taking place. It was not planned well, but I got almost the entire layout that day. There was only one segment missed because I did not know which switch to set. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@everettdemeritt7362]

Wow , I couldn’t really tell how big this layout is until going through the yard , it’s huge and amazing. Thanks for sharing

[@garyreger6306]

I am impressed. Very well played out. Roomy and smooth transitioning from one area to the next. Good job on detail work.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

I was waiting for the conductor to come by, and stamp my ticket, for this wonderful ride. A very little conductor, but still…………

[@PappaLitto]

This has got to be $200k+ worth of layout materials and trains

[@user-nr3wb5ue8k]

$200K is just the locomotives and the rolling stock!

[@tjtreinen7381]

great video, amazed at how big the layout it... thanks

[@andrewdowns3403]

that looked fantastic , well done to all concerned , greetings from Australia

[@frankkie3849]

Nicely done, excellent layout, thanks for sharing..😊

[@Charles3247.]

Mike, you did an awesome job on your layout.

[@garyreger6306]

Lots lots lots of hours even years to get this far. Beautifully built and layout

[@TheOirishhAmerican]

I was a member there a couple years ago that's a fun layout!

[@rowsdower12]

I've been there! At am open housem lived down the street. So cool

[@SH-th4wy]

I covered the top half of the picture to block out the ceiling view. Very realistic when you try that. Good scale roadbed and right-of-way!!

[@MisterPersuasion]

The club eventually plans to cover the ceiling with a sky and clouds. Maybe I can do a re-shoot after that.

[@SH-th4wy]

@@MisterPersuasion I certainly meant no criticism at all if any was taken. Anyway, the ceiling stopped mattering as I focused on the landscaping ahead. It is a huge and super impressive model landscape! Oh, and the lighting is great too! It is SO hard to achieve realistic lighting.

[@MisterPersuasion]

No offense taken. I'm not a club member, just a camera guy.@@SH-th4wy

[@stanleydomalewski8497]

Very Nice !

[@BrantleyCruises]

Awesome! My little floor layout isn’t much compared to this. It’s modeled after the D&SNGRR.

[@frederickrodger7249]

That was fun.

[@WayneKeen]

I love the cab angle. That being said, have you thought of a view "out the back" might be interesting too?

[@MisterPersuasion]

You can watch a back view of the Black Hills Railroad Society HO layout video.

[@EASfanMinnesota]

That’s cool

[@PCBill0622]

Nice, big layout. Unfortunately the engineer has been fired due to multiple rules violations. 😢

[@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont]

On my home layout, no one has run through more switches than I have! I just tell myself that I am management and don't have to worry about it.

[@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont]

Very nice! What sort of camera system did you use? And for those nitpickers who wondered why you blew past stop signals, just tell them you had a General Bulletin or Train Order suspending the signal system. It was obvious there was some maintenance and installations going on. BTW that is some heroic overhead pipework!

[@MisterPersuasion]

The camera is a Replay XD 1080, and they don't make them anymore.

[@whiteymcflightey]

Where'd ya get that CAT mining truck?

[@FerrellKatz]

Incredible, I'd never leave my basement! How many years did it take to get to that point? I am 63 now and I sold my train stuff back in 1980...I regret it.

[@MisterPersuasion]

It took about 12 years and a dedicated group of model railroaders. You can follow the entire build from the beginning on this KZbin channel: www.youtube.com/@bnsfrailnut/videos

[@Ry_An3146]

What is the track used in this called? I want to buy some

[@pauludulutch4353]

Did you guys used to be in the hobby store basement on Lexington?

[@MisterPersuasion]

Nope, that was the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum that is now located over in St. Paul at the old Amtrak Depot on Transfer Road.

[@jasonboche]

TCMRM was located in Bandana Square before they moved to their current location. Hennepin Overland was in the basement of Scale Model Supplies on Lexington and University before they moved to south Minneapolis in the mid 90’s.

[@carlosanselmomonti7147]

Hi, very good model, a question: what is the brand of this model train?

[@MisterPersuasion]

It's a model railroad club. There are lots of brands, but it is HO scale. Just look for HO model train dealers.

[@bryanlee5090]

Why have signals if you’re not gonna be governed by them?

[@MisterPersuasion]

Some of the layout was down for maintenance. Those section of track were supposed to be shut off. However, I'm NOT a club member and was invited to do the video by another member who was unaware of the maintenance being done. We two were the only ones there, and had no idea how to activate the areas properly. It was either blow the signals, or miss the opportunity to make the video.

[@musicman8942]

This layout has something I've seen on other layouts and don't understand their usage. I'm talking about the pieces of clear plastic or whatever material they are bolted to the edge of the layout and sticking up a goodly amount like maybe a foot or so. Some I could see as a barrier so that operators walking along the layout don't smack the signals but there are others that serve no useful purpose that I can figure out.

[@MisterPersuasion]

I can't speak for the club, but I use plastic barriers on my layout to prevent the train cars from falling on the floor if they derail.

[@musicman8942]

That I understand but this layout and others have what I'm talking about are in areas you wouldn't have derailments and these things are only a few inches wide certainly not enough to do anything when a train derails.

[@MisterPersuasion]

Maybe they are there to hold some of the scenery in place.@@musicman8942

[@musicman8942]

There's no real scenery to hold in place.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Where do i get off for Shoreview?.

[@zsolthb]

0:17 Thing is also there

[@merc340sr]

Wow! you could put a hamster on that train and send it for a ride...

[@mike32277]

Red means STOP...LOL

[@colinanderson6421]

Will North Metro make the layout public for everone can see.

[@MisterPersuasion]

The NMRRC hosts public open houses twice a year. Check out their web site for dates and times.

[@farmerdave7965]

Is the home owner a plumber ?

[@guardianfireteamllc8949]

4:47 Train derails.

[@MisterPersuasion]

The switch was set wrong. Simple fix.

[@mev680]

Get rid of the noise and add the sound of a real train

[@philiplewis1989]

🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃

[@FirstnameLastname-tp4zw]

👎 Switches not even lined right. Please try again🎉

[@JAMESP-gt2iz]

lol

[@user-ch6fo3cg9l]

Meh... another cab ride video over an un-finished railroad. These are dime a dozen on KZbin nowadays.

[@MisterPersuasion]

The layout is finished, but parts of it were under repair on the day I was there.

[@REV.995]

Not impressed. Should have finished scenery before doing this.

[@MisterPersuasion]

Scenery is finished, however on the day I was there repairs were being conducted and I was not informed a head of time.

[@fuzzcopter467]

Yooo I’ve been here! It’s like 15 mins from my house! Wanted to join but to broke :(