One thing I like doing on the internet is watching videos of giant Lego train sets. There’s something really fun about following a tiny weeny train through someone’s living room and out into their back garden – don’t know why, but there is. Reminds me of Micro Machines, I guess.
But can you imagine the biggest Micro Machines track in the whole world? Or more specifically, the largest model railway in the world? If you can, then chances are you’re aware of the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany – a gigantic model city (well, numerous cities) containing a miniature railway that stretches over nine and half miles long. It might even be longer than the route you take on the real, literal train to work every morning.
It’s actually been in existence since the early 2000s, but it was really only available to explore up close if you actually went to Germany and took a gander yourself. Now though, Google have created their own little Street View car and mapped it out for your home-viewing pleasure. Or your office viewing-pleasure, bus-viewing pleasure, or if there are still a few of you out there doing this, your internet cafe-viewing pleasure.
Here’s the special Google car:
And here’s what’s actually taking the pictures:
Thanks to this bug-eyed looking robot car, you can go pretty much anywhere you bloody well want on Street View, checking out the excruciating detail on offer. If you’re looking for statistics, what we’re dealing with here is 1,300 trains, more than 100,000 moving vehicles, 500,000 lights, 130,000 trees, and 400,000 human figurines – it’s pretty extensive.
Just have a goose at these scenes:
And for all those absolute legends that like to watch POV Lego train set videos, here’s an even better one:
So yeah. Miniature city. Long railway. Small people. Google Maps. Street View. What I would give to to stamp on it all in a blind rage.
Anyway, if you want to go and see it, check out the website here, or if you fancy a quick Street View adventure, head on over here.
(Images: Google)
