Sligo Miniature World
Sligo Miniature World
This is a project for a new tourism facility in County Sligo
Menu: Introduction
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Introduction
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Sligo Miniature World would display the world in miniature encompassing models of Railways, Villages, Towns, Roads, Rivers, Mountains, etc. Miniature models are a fascination for a large range of the public and it is not limited to model train enthusiasts alone. In my previous location within Sligo Folk Park where my initial exhibition was housed, the feedback was extremely positive, with children and adults alike loving the experience.
Our vision for the project is to provide an immersive experience using multimedia and interactive technologies to bring visitors on the journey of a lifetime without leaving the beauty that is Sligo. This timeless exhibition will appeal to audiences across generations and will have a very family-orientated approach and will offer a much-needed entertainment outlet, and child friendly venue.
It will be a place where the world surrounding us will be presented in miniature. The main theme will be trains and all the fascinating places that they can take us. There will be many representations of various Landscapes, Villages, Towns, etc; and all the associated infrastructure from throughout Ireland and indeed the World.
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It will be more than a static exhibition where technology will be utilized to make all transport mobile (where possible).
Similar places exist throughout Europe and the World, enjoying great interest and being significant tourist attractions attracting crowds of locals, domestic tourists and international tourism.
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Visitor Experience
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As visitors enter the building they will be greeted with the visual effects room. This will simulate the entrance into a Train Station, and onto the Station Platform. Wall sized LCD screens will display a real time, large scale image of the model train station, showing moving trains, automobiles etc. Visitors will then progress to the main exhibition. This is where the magic happens! The visitors will experience the world in miniature. The exhibition will cover a minimum of 300 square meters, with considerable room for expansion.
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An integral part of this exhibition will be its interactive element.
The provision of:
1: A replica railway station signal box which will allow visitors to take control of the movement of various trains.
2: A replica of a passenger carriage with compartments will enable visitors to experience a journey throughout the layout of the exhibition as if they were on a model train. This will be a real-time experience and visitors will see everything as if from the inside of the carriage, scenery passing by, other visitors standing around, etc. Our guests will be able to feel they are a part of this little world for a time.
3: The locomotive cabin replica will allow visitors to experience the joys of driving a train. This will again be a real-time experience with the driver's viewpoint of sitting within an actual train within the model railway layout.
Additional Features:
Add on or additional features of the exhibition will include various themed elements such as day and night displays, seasonal changes or additions such as Winter, Summer, Christmas, St Patrick's Day, Halloween and other traditional Irish cultural activities and holidays. A life-size replica of a modern railway control centre will show how the railway network is currently operated.
Our ambition also is to include replicas of certain buildings and areas of Sligo and the North West region of Ireland. Benbulben, Knocknarea, Sligo MacDiarmada Rail Station, Sligo Town Centre, Sliabh Liag Cliffs, just to name a few.
It will take time to complete this task but this will be a growing exhibition, constantly developing. The best description of it is a never-ending project!
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The Model Makers Corner:
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This will be an area allocated for model makers and train enthusiasts to expand their interests by giving them the space and tools to generate their own projects.
Professional advice from in-house experts will be provided. Railway and other modelling has been a popular hobby for many decades and for good reason. Building and operating a layout can provide a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment, as well as opportunities to learn new skills and connect with others who share similar interests.
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Once created this new tourist facility will be a one-of-a-kind experience that will be unique to Sligo, and Ireland. As other model railway layouts may exist, but not to this scale and they do not provide the additional interactive elements. It will be an experience that all age groups and interests will enjoy and will enhance a tourist's overall experience of Sligo.
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It is proposed that the Sligo Modellers Association will have their home there. This is a club gathering people of interest in modelling, not only about model railways. All sorts of modelling fans will be welcomed. They will be able to exchange their experiences, show what they doing, have a space to work on their projects. The Association will establish contacts and cooperation with similar organisations in Ireland and abroad, to let them know about Sligo Miniature World, advertise it, and invite them to visit our facility and the north west.
The Association will also be organising workshops for school groups and other people. The Association will also provide information about Irish and Northwest Railways history.
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The Sligo Miniature World will not only be directed at tourists. This will be an additional offer for families with children in Sligo Town, as we have so few at the moment.
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The Sligo Miniature World will create a number of job positions suitable for disabled and able-bodied people alike. We will provide an equal opportunity environment for all, as both a workplace or a place to visit. These activities provide a therapeutic aspect for everyone as well as individuals with disabilities.
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Along with the main activities, we have established a communication department responsible for popularising this facility among tourist agencies in this country and abroad. The aim is to attract as many new tourist groups as possible to this new tourist attraction and ultimately to Sligo. Cooperating with other local tourist attractions we will create a tailored offer for Sligo for a 2 or 3 day stay. According to the Clubs and Societies Directory (UK), there are over 500 model railway clubs in the UK. The Federal Association of German Railway Enthusiasts cooperates with more than 400 affiliated associations. This is an example of two countries in Europe showing potential for further development of the tourist channels for bringing more visitors to Sligo. Let me emphasise - these are model railways enthusiasts, eager to see any new facilities. They travel with their families. This is a specific part of the tourism market. If we establish this unique offer, they will come to Sligo. This is in addition to the regular visitors which will be invited as well.
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The Sligo Miniature World will also provide an online service making the exhibition available worldwide. This will be an extra way of advertising it and Sligo itself. Not to mention, our ambition for Sligo Miniature World to be one of the largest facilities of this type in Europe.
Locomotive Simulator
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Calling all train drivers.
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Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to drive a train? Have you imagined sitting in the drivers seat of a large locomotive? Now you no longer have to imagine with the all new Locomotive Experience.
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At Sligo Miniature World we will have a real-size locomotive cabin replica equipped with the controls of a real engine. You will be able to take the seat of the driver, start up the engine, and make a virtual journey through Sligo Miniature World. Sligo Miniature World encompasses town, villages, forestry, coastal and mountain scenery. As the train travels around our railway track you will have a real drivers experience with turnouts, semaphores and signals to obey. As you drive around you will have complete control of the model train, stopping, slowing and increasing your speed, switch on and off lights, sound signals and make passenger announcements. Just make sure you stop the train when semaphores show the sign to stop. After a successful train journey don't forget to collect your Sligo Miniature World Train Drivers License.
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Railway Signal Box Replica
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Railway signal boxes are buildings constructed specifically to house the control equipment used to safely space, route and locally coordinate railway trains. They also provide signalling staff with a vantage point from which to safely observe and efficiently control nearby trains. At Sligo Miniature World we will have a replica of the railway signal box. A designated station, with a specially designed traffic control system, will be supervised from this point. If you want to manage the trains at this station and the adjacent routes - this is your chance.
You will be able to stop the train at the station, change its direction, give a signal allowing the train to proceed, let express trains pass first. To make this possible the position of the turnouts must be appropriately changed. You will need to check whether there is another train on the designated route, whether the route has been set correctly, and finally, turn on the signals allowing the train to move. Fortunately, the system will not allow you to make wrong decisions. If you can handle this, you will be able to proudly say that you were a signalman. This will not be a computer simulation. Everything will really happen. Only the trains will be smaller than usual. But the rules are like at a real train station. It won't be easy - take my word for it.
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Time To Travel
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Please take a sit in our replica of the passenger carriage at Sligo Miniature World Rail Station. The train will depart shortly. Be on the platform 1. Before boarding the train, make sure you have your ticket to hand. You will be on a journey through the entire exhibition layout. You will see everything as if from inside the train - train stations, villages, towns, people on platforms, other trains, cars, mountains, rivers, woods, scenery passing by, your folks, other visitors standing around, literally everything that is there. It will be a completely new experience. You will be able to compare the views as if you were inside and outside. You will be part of this fairy tale for a while. Sit back and enjoy the journey. Don't miss the train!
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Traffic Control Centre
A traffic control centre is a place that houses all signallers, signalling equipment, ancillaries and operators for a specific region, route or rail station. It supplants the work of several other signal boxes which have thus become redundant. This is a modern way of managing railway traffic. The train traffic control process is computerized. Each command enabling the train to move is secured by a specially designed system ensuring the highest level of safety. The line layout is displayed on large screens, allowing operating crews to visually locate trains and make changes to their routes if necessary. Line operators have direct contact with drivers. They can inform train crews of any unexpected events that may happen on the route. The control centre also has a live view of important sections of railway lines. At Sligo Miniature World we will have one of the modern control centres servicing the railway lines of our complex model railway system. Thanks to it, we will be able to manage our entire railway network and make sure that everything runs smoothly. Feel free to take a look.
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Looking Into The Past
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Do you miss old trains? Finding yourself in a train station with steam locomotives is a rare sight these days. To smell the smoke from a steam engine, sitting in an old passenger car, feeling the atmosphere of the old ways of traveling by train - we don't experience this anymore. At the Sligo Miniature World, we want to bring that back. As proposed for a home of the Sligo Miniature World, the building has a railway line linking to Sligo Rail Station, and we would like to establish regular heritage train services. It will be like old times. Many of us don't even know what the first trains looked like. There will be an opportunity to learn about the railway's past. This will be an incredible experience for everyone. The trip may not be long, but it will certainly be a memorable one.
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More information about this project will be provided soon.
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