It's not a club layout, it's a university.
German rail lines handle heavy traffic; hundreds of express passenger, regional passenger, local passenger, and freight trains daily. The reliability is high for all types of service. Accomplishing this feat takes attention to detail, careful planning, and disciplined operation.
This 25 minute video starts behind the engineer of a passenger train on a typical German route. As the train approaches the main station in Braunschweig, the view alternates between the engineer and the train directors handling the traffic. Watch opposing ICE trains arrive at the same time, as they do hourly every day. From there, visit the Integrated Railway Laboratory of the Friedrich List Institute of Traffic Studies at the Technical University of Dresden. Move from model to reality and back as the facilities of the model are compared to those in real towers.
Here, university students study railroad operation using a model railroad that accurately represents 65.7 miles of railroad on five different routes. This model railroad is different from most. Nobody directly controls the trains. The trains respond to the signal system. Students use the traffic control equipment and methods typical of the German railway system to control all train movement.
Available on VHS video [NTSC format] and CD/mpeg format video file.
25 minutes
Price $19.95
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