Amazing Modular Model Railroad Layout - HO scale trains in Hungary (Magyar Modellvasút)

Published on April 18, 2025

In this video, we discover a modular model railroad layout in HO scale (1/87) which was constructed by Zoltán Török in Hungary. The model railway layout consists of several larger and smaller modules which, when built one behind the other, have a total length of around eleven meters and a width of 0.5 to 1.2 meters depending on the module. A reversing loop was added at each end of the model train layout, so that continuous rail traffic can take place on the single-track railroad line.

Because Zoltán Török comes from Hungary, he has built a Hungarian miniature world. His miniature world depicts the Hungarian Railways of the IV and V railway era with corresponding landscapes, sights and buildings. The construction of his modular model train layout began in 2012, when Zoltán Török started the railway module depicting the train station of Badacsony, a famous town on Lake Balaton. Therefore, the module includes not only the train station itself, but also the nearby beach.

A year later, the bridge module was built. This module depicts the famous Biatorbágy Railroad Viaduct (“Biatorbágyi Vasúti Viaduct”) which actually consists of two 25-meter-high bridges spanning a valley. Until the 1970s, both bridges were still used for railway traffic. Today, however, the right-hand bridge, i.e. the one to the north, is used as a footpath and cycle path only. In recent years, Zoltán Török has built other fictitious, but also real places on his model railroad layout, such as the train station building of Badacsony, a switchman’s cottage, various bridges, vacation homes, a timber yard and factories.

What immediately catches the eye, when looking at the model railway layout, are the unique trees and the almost realistic vegetation. These model trees were designed by Zoltán Török himself. The entire railroad modules are built on a wooden base structure, with the landscape carved out of polystyrene. For the tracks, Zoltán Török uses the rails made by manufacturer PECO.

The model train video was created in perfect cooperation of Zoltán Török and Pilentum Television: Zoltán Török filmed his model railway layout from various angles and made the video footage available to Pilentum Television for editing and dubbing. We followed a simple philosophy when filming: You can always see a freight train circulating inside the miniature world. The freight train is filmed from different angles so that the viewer can enjoy as many views of the model train layout as possible.

The freight train consists of the M 61 NOHAB locomotive no. 019, which is famous and popular in Hungary. This train initially moves to the timber yard with just two wagons. Further wagons are coupled to the train there. This is also where the miniature journey over the modular model rail layout begins: Passing Badacsony train station with the beaches of Lake Balaton, then crossing the Biatorbágy railway viaduct and a typical Hungarian weekend house hilly landscape before the train reaches the loop and returns to the timber yard.

Another special feature are the photos that we have inserted into the video as a slide show. The photos were taken outside in the garden, so we had real sunlight as a light source. This ensures that we can see realistic lighting conditions, especially with shadows.

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQRpSyyJMG4

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