Blog Post

World's Largest Model Railroad Museum: world record in Flemington, New Jersey

Mar 31, 2023

Flemington, New Jersey, United States--Inside the The Northlandz Railroad Museum in Flemington, New jersey, you’ll hear the harmonious tune of over 100 trains, in fact, which dart in every direction across 8 miles of track, and around 1,000 scale structures of all sizes; the model railroad only it's about 50,000 square feet with a whopping 8 miles of track, 260,000 figures, over 100 bridges, over 1000 buildings, over 400 tunnels and around 250,000 trees, setting the world record for being the World's Largest Model Railroad Museum, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"The model railroad here is truly impressive. It's about 50,000 square feet with a whopping 8 miles of track. You'll find around 260,000 figures, over 100 bridges, over 1000 buildings, and over 400 tunnels!" the Only In Your State reports.

"There are around 250,000 trees and a wide variety of landscapes including mountains, cliffs, oceans, and deserts. It's a unique experience that the whole family can enjoy.

"To top it all off, there's a full size train pulled by steam engine outside. Rides are available, last around 10 minutes, and even include a trip through a tunnel. It's a great way to start or end your visit!"

"Northlandz, “Home of the Great American Railway,” where 135 locomotives pulling thousands of railroad cars run over eight miles of track and cross bridges more than 40 feet in length, is the one of the biggest model railroads on the planet, and by many accounts a true wonder of the world," the Atlas Obscura reports.

"Nestled among the 4,000 buildings, 400 bridges, half-a-million lichen trees, and a 30-foot mountain, one can also find both a “toothpick farm” and an outhouse factory.

"In addition to a scattering of railroad memorabilia, the building also houses a seemingly random collection of over 200 dolls and other works of art by local artists. Each day, Bruce, a concert organist, gives a pipe organ performance in an elaborate 300-seat concert hall."

"Mr. Bruce" -- which is how he's referred to in all Northlandz literature -- built an exhausting indoor world of extreme landscapes, with over eight miles of track, hundreds of bridges (made of millions of tiny pieces of wood), more than 4,000 custom buildings and a half-million tiny trees. Northlandz's massive substructure required enough lumber to build 42 large houses. Several hundred tons of plaster went into the construction of its mountains, which tower three stories high. The self-guided indoor walking tour of Northlandz takes hours and meanders over a mile -- another surprise for most visitors," the Roadside America reports.

"Mr. Bruce called Northlandz "The Great American Railway," although nowhere in America will you find these vistas. The topography suggests spectacular renderings of Middle Earth, or 1970s Roger Dean album covers for the band Yes, but nothing that you'd find in New Jersey or Nebraska. Towering cliffs and plunging gorges are everywhere; villages teeter on pinnacles of rock; wonky structures stand on spindly sticks, clinging to thousand-foot precipices. Tiny plastic cows graze on 75-degree hillsides; horse paddocks are surrounded by bottomless pits. Mortality among the tiny inhabitants of Northlandz must be tragically high.

"Tunnels and bridges -- absurdly enormous, intricate bridges -- are everywhere, crossing each other on multiple levels (often above or beneath you) like freeway interchanges, growing ever more outlandish as the tour progresses. You find yourself wondering: why would people in a vertical world use the railroad, which can't operate on steep grades, for transportation?"

"Inside the museum, you’ll hear the harmonious tune of over 100 trains, in fact, which dart in every direction across 8 miles of track, and around 1,000 scale structures of all sizes. Mountains and skyscrapers, some of which soar three- stories high, tower above you along the mile-long, self-guided tour, but don’t let the distance be discouraging. Time will fly when you’re witnessing the fun of this marvelous world come to life in Flemington," the Jersey's Best reports.

"Taking in all the fantastical sights is no small task despite its miniature nature, but the reward comes from the journey. And this journey is not just a high-powered showpiece; it’s a historical master class in Americana and all its forms, from Civil War battles to mine pits and factories, as well as a touch of funky. The “World’s Only Toothpick Farm,” the “Tomb of the Unknown Hobo” and global doll collections (especially La Peep Doll House) lining the walkway definitely classify as standouts in that department.

"There are not too many things to see anymore that are made with hands and with passion at the same time,” said Tariq Sohail, owner of Northlandz, who decided to save the display by plunging over $600,000 (and counting) into restoration efforts. “Northlandz is one man’s lifetime of handiwork and vision in the form of this piece of art, which could never have been done without great passion. We look at Northlandz as one of the world’s largest art canvases with trains running through and around it. Besides trains, there are bridges, tunnels, mountains, valleys, villages, cities, towns, canals, streams, lakes, rivers, the list could go on infinitely.”