Just a couple of days after our MRC participated in the Sarpsborg Culture Festival, some of the members went on tour again. Each year members of our Model Railway Club visit a Model Railway Exhibition somewhere in Europe. We try to go to different ones, but sometimes we visits the same shows with some years between. The planning of our 'the next' excursion usually starts immediately after the previous one, and we try to find new shows we haven't visited before. This year we certainly found 'something new' as we decided to go to Milan, Italy, to visit the Model Hobby Show there; Hobby Model Expo 2025, which is announced as Model -Rail, -Naval and -Air show.
This was the hall of the traders covering all aspects of modelling, not only model railways. I was surprised by the number of stands trading in all different diicast cars in several scales:This hall was dedicated to model railway layouts in a lot of different scales and sizes. There were many really large modular layouts:
And there were 2 smaller halls to cover all sorts of military modelling in all scales, dioramas, wargaming and radio controlled models. Here are some impressions. Naval modelling first, as I have an interest of that these days:
A 1/200 scale of USS Missouri, at September 2nd 1945 at the 'Japanese surrender':
This midget submarine was not only built to a high standard, but was also built to be radio controlled:
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This diorama was based on a real incident |
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54mm |
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1:72 |
In the diorama section there were also a lot of different dioramas, but I found one of the exhibitors making 'What-if' dioramas very interesting:
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From the movie 'Fatherland' |
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What-if Operation Sealion actually had happened |
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Imperial Japanese Infantry at the 'American front' |
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The greatest 'What-if ' diorama of all. For most. |
This Italian 3D-printed Station kit in N-cale (1:160), we actually passed when we were visiting Florence described closer in the latter parts of this blogpost. Even the train was coincidentally the same:
Tram/streetcar layouts in H0 (1:87):
As already mentioned, I'm a big fan of small and simple layouts. These 2 N-scale layouts really captured the 'essence of Italy':
A simple H0e (1:87 on 9mm gauge) layout:
This Italian N-scale layout was built to a very high standard and really impressed me. The operators were really friendly too:
These images are from a modular G-scale layout:
"Lego" trains built after Italian prototypes:
The prototype of this diorama is in the photo behind it:
Some more G-scale images from another modular layout. I have this railbus in H0e scale:
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Airfix 1:72 scale Italians used as an Italian memorial in 1:87 scale |
A German 0 gauge layout:
This Frontier Fort was made to H0 (1:87) scale, but there was no trains on 'the layout'. It was very well detailed considered the scale:
There were also areas for RC constructors...
...and a basin for RC sailors:
Well, I found these Strelets sets I've been looking for for a while, but hasn't ordered online due to high shipping rates to Norway. These were only about € 11.50. I do not plan to use them for wargaming, but how I'll use them will perhaps be a future blogpost:
The diecast bi-plane is 1:100 scale, and will look good next to a 1:87 scale figure, as 1:72 scale planes looks way too big in this scale. The motorcycles was a bonus:
HZERO Miniature Train Museum
Here follow some impressions of the layout:
...on their way to an American War Cemetery:
But their café was a really nice one:
Epic post. My favourites were the Marklin winter set up, the big rail bus and the museum at the end. Thanks for sharing all this.
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
Thank you very much, Alan!
DeleteThe Märklin winter layout was not the biggest nor the most 'complicated' layout on the show, but yet it was one of the most interesting ones I think. Perhaps it was due ut it's small size, simplicity and the fact that it was not too overloaded with details.
The museum at the end; HZERO actually started as a private layout by a local businessman, who later joined another local businessman to expand their layouts together on another location. Due to many visits by people who wanted to see their private layout, it was decided to rebuild it to fit the movie theatre and move it to central Florence to display it to the public. -As a gift to the city (!).
I wonder which was the last movie whent the cinema closed in 2000?
Wow! The model railway in Florence/Firenze is extraordinary - thanks for sharing your pictures/videos Roger.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your nice feedback Maudlin Jack. The model railway in Florence has a very anonymous facede towards the city, but the inside - Wow! It's not only the enormous model railway inside, but the way they've restored the 1938 movie theatre it self. Worth paying them a visit if you're in the city.
DeleteVeldig bra innlegg, som alltid. Gøy å lese og se alle bildene.
ReplyDeleteTusen takk Nils! Hyggelig å høre.
DeleteVery jealous of your visit. All those great models, layouts , soldiers and stuff to buy...and Italian foods on top! I really enjoyed the photos. Thankyou.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm delighted that you enjoyed the blog-post. This show was not the largest one we've been visiting, but it was very versatile regarding different modelling hobby categories and it's tempting to revisit it in the future. Italy is a beautiful country and well worth a visit. Milan is not very far from Switzerland, so during this tour we made a short trip into Switzerland as well. Geographically close, but 2 very different countries as soon as you cross the border. I think our destinations in Switzerland this time might be interesting enough and a subject for an own blogger-post.
DeleteHello Roger. Some lovely stuff on show, but my prize goes to the simple yet colourful Marklin Christmas train. Wonderfully festive, and the perfect addition to a traditional Christmas tree!
ReplyDeleteMichael
Totally agree with you!
DeleteThat layout was not the largest or most complex one on the show, but defiantly one of my favorites! Perhaps just of it simplicity.
Thanks for reading and commenting Michael.