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gadders ◴[] No.44432575[source]
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...

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mykehunt ◴[] No.44454514[source]
The vast majority is probably rent/property taxes. With a distant second benchwork (lumber).

Half a mile of 2-rail O-scale track (3-4 mainlines in a 200 foot loop) at today's pricing is under $8 a foot retail. In bulk and pre-pandemic well under $10k total. Considering the budget his roster of engines and rolling stock seems questionable.

Outside of collectable Lionel. Even the high end, magnificent museum quality KOHS brass compounded steam engine will run you ~$8,500. While he is running diesel.

I can understand the appeal of mainline/realistic operations. O-scale has its limitations (normally space) but an NTRAK meet up shows more creativity.

The clip of him using the knock-off Faller Grassmaster is kind of funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Mcgp6Dtq8

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1. mykehunt ◴[] No.44454580[source]
You don't need a warehouse to scratch that itch. You can run an O-scale GG1 or Big Boy in the living room of a modest Manhattan apartment. They look great on a bookshelf too.

Kohs GG1 https://www.kohs.com/PRR_gg-1_pages/gg-1_home.htm

Key Imports Big Boy https://www.brasstrains.com/classic/Product/Detail/054489/O-...