Ann K. in Thorold, Ont. wrote:
This wonderful place is located in an updated warehouse and covers thousands of square feet -- it is not only a display of miniature trains (which is awesome) but includes many cities and world famous travel sites. The 'America' section includes Las Vegas with its thousands of lights, Cape Canaveral, Mount Rushmore and Yosemite Park and the year I was there (2003) they were working on creating the Grand Canyon. We got to see this in progress in one of the workrooms-- over the top of the miniature scene being created there was huge scaffolding where the people actually lay working on the scene below by leaning down and building it an inch at a time.
The city of Hamburg is re-created in great detail - the harbour (real water) including ships, bridges, tunnels, the main Sports Arena - with a soccer game in progress and the stadium filled with spectators (you can hear the cheering).
Everything is computer controlled and there is a full sound system for the area you are viewing, also a light control system which creates night and day as you proceed through the project. As you move along you find 150 push button action sequences to activate certain scenes.
The web site is fascinating and is well worth a visit to learn more - http://www.miniatur -wunderland. com/
About those trains -- the miniature Hamburg Mainstation handles 1500 trains arriving and departing constantly.
