A model of a metro

A metro model Nederlands

"Koningsgracht", a station underground in 1:87 (3,5 mm/ft)

“You're making a model of a metro, isn't that supposed to be underground? You won't see anything!”

An obvious remark, but utter nonsense... First of all, it is possible to build a model of a metro on the surface. But then, it is possible to make one underground as well. This website will show you an example.

I must have been six years old when my father took me to Rotterdam, where the first line of the metro had recently been opened (1968). I have forgotten the reason why we visited this city, but I remember very clearly that we went for a ride on the metro. A beautiful blue train was waiting for us on the underground platform of the ‘Central Station’ terminus and soon we travelled through a dark tunnel beneath the central city and the river, towards the southern part of the city. From there, the journey continued on a viaduct close to the old harbour. After a short visit to this area, we went back the same way. This short trip made an enormous impression to me and thus began my love for metros.

A view on the platforms, the station hall is on the floor above

A train leaves the dark tunnel and enters Koningsgracht on platform 2

Since my childhood, I have dreamt of having my own scale model of a metro. I made a few attempts by constructing some models out of cardboard, but this did not satisfy me. In 1997 I started with the my plan called "Koningsgracht", a scene of a big city, with a street on top, an underground station below and a train running from one end to the other in both directions. Koningsgracht (King's canal) is based on Amsterdam, but is still my own creation. You won't find a place called Koningsgracht in reality.

A view from above down into "the underground world"

The lay-out is not ready yet, but I do have an underground station and two multiple units, which together form a standard train of 4 cars.

Furthermore I have made some houses, which are typical of many of the 19th century neighbourhoods in Amsterdam.

Everything is made from scratch without using any kits, because there is not much available in this field of modeling.

A typical 19th century neighbourhood in Amsterdam

A train arrives at platform 1, while passengers on platform 2 are still waiting

The station has a design which is typical of the seventies or early eighties and looks in fact more like some stations in Brussels than the ones in Amsterdam. The station hall is two storeys high, making it quite spacious, but the main reason is that only one storey would be too low to enable a good look on the underground platforms. Inside the station, there are two platforms (each long enough for a six-car train), a couple of stairs, pedestrian tunnels, shops, ticket machines and illuminated billboards.

My train consists of two multiple units which are based on the multiple units in Amsterdam, running on the "East line". The livery is the same, as is the number of doors and windows. The driver cabs however, are of a design of my own. The train has interior and lights in every car.

The two multiple units are based on the metro of Amsterdam

Left and right from the station are two short tunnel sections in which the train disappears and switches tracks. There is not much to do, but that is not the point. My goal was to build an metro station which really looks 'underground' and it was fun to do so.

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