Mini trains chug alongside tracks of Europe in Nowon

The Dolomites rise behind the Colosseum exhibit on the Italian Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

As the daylight that after lit up the Matterhorn fades, so does the tempo of the trains working alongside the mountainside. Yellow mild begins to spill from carriage home windows, and villagers scattered alongside the slopes swap on their lamps one after the other.

Simply minutes after nightfall settles in, the lyrical evening view of a Swiss village begins to glow. A tram rests contained in the station, however on the subsequent observe stands a well-recognized silhouette: a Korean KTX high-speed practice.

This rigorously crafted scene unfolds at Nowon Practice Village, positioned inside Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul’s Nowon District. Right here, Switzerland has been scaled down to simply over 1 p.c of its unique dimension, with miniature trains working by way of landscapes recreated in outstanding element — all the way down to particular person wires.

Hwarangdae Station on the Gyeongchun Line served as Seoul’s final small rural station for 71 years earlier than closing in 2010. Since 2017, the realm across the former station has been remodeled right into a railroad park that has develop into a favourite low-key journey vacation spot. Households with train-loving kids, {couples} in search of an uncommon date spot and railway lovers alike now wander the grounds with ease.

A railroad park the place retired stations meet retired trains

The narrow-gauge locomotive Hyeogi-1 on show at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul / Hankook Ilbo

The coal chute of the Mika-5 No. 56 steam locomotive on show at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul / Hankook Ilbo

Within the years instantly following the station’s closure, the positioning suffered from unlawful dumping and parking, changing into a headache for the encircling neighborhood. On the similar time, its distinctive asymmetrical design and historic worth led it to be designated as a registered cultural heritage website, successfully ruling out demolition or redevelopment.

That constraint prompted Nowon District to pursue an unconventional answer: filling an area that had accomplished its position with objects that had accomplished the identical. Consequently, retired trains from around the globe have been dropped at Hwarangdae.

Amongst them are two trains that after ran at Seoul Youngsters’s Grand Park within the Nineteen Sixties. One is the imposing steam locomotive Mika-5 No. 56, now displayed in entrance of the station.

It hauled freight alongside the Gyeongbu Line from 1952 till 1967, retiring with the arrival of diesel locomotives. But the sense of energy conveyed by its stable mechanical construction stays undiminished by time. Its black physique, uncovered piping and rugged coal chute provide a uncooked, industrial attraction distinct from in the present day’s smooth electrical trains.

The opposite is the slim gauge steam locomotive Hyeogi-1. Slim gauge refers to railway tracks narrower than the usual gauge of 1,435 millimeters; through the steam period, such strains usually measured simply 762 millimeters, roughly half the usual width. The identify Hyeogi comes from “kyouki,” the Japanese pronunciation of slim gauge.

Hyeogi-1 ran on the Suin Line between Suwon and Incheon, and on the Suryeo Line between Suwon and Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, from 1952 to 1973. Regardless of being smaller and slower than commonplace gauge trains, it served as a spine of short-distance rail transport within the metropolitan space. In the present day, the locomotive is displayed alongside two wood passenger vehicles, the place guests can sit on the unique wood seats and soak within the environment of a bygone period.

A dad or mum reads to a toddler inside a kids’s library created from a Czech tram at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

A baby operates a Hiroshima streetcar on show at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

Three trams — now not often seen in Korea — are additionally on show. A purple tram from Prague has been transformed right into a kids’s library, the place traces of Czech graffiti mix with image books to create a heat, whimsical house. Mother and father studying quietly to their kids add to the attraction, and in spring, the realm turns into a preferred cherry blossom picture spot.

A donated Hiroshima streetcar was added the yr after the park opened. Nowon District officers had initially traveled to Hiroshima intending to buy it, however native authorities waived the fee after sympathizing with the park’s mission.

With each driver cabins open, the tram is very in style with kids keen to take a seat on the controls. One other tram, often known as “the primary tram of the Korean Empire,” options open sides with solely a central compartment and was restored by the Nationwide Folks Museum of Korea earlier than being put in on the park.

The preserved wood ceiling of the Hwarangdae Station Museum at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul / Hankook Ilbo

A nighttime view of Nowon Mild Backyard at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul / Hankook Ilbo

The previous station constructing now operates because the Hwarangdae Station Museum. The previous ready room and ticket workplace have been preserved, and faint writing on the wood structural ceiling stays, origins unknown. Reveals inside embrace a scale mannequin of the station in its heyday, Edmondson-style tickets and punch machines from the Nineteen Sixties, and private gadgets donated by the station’s final stationmaster.

After darkish, the realm across the station transforms right into a backyard of sunshine. Alongside roughly 400 meters of former observe, the Nowon Mild Backyard illuminates themed shows that change periodically. Media facades are projected onto the station constructing, whereas an “Avatar Tree” close to the practice cafe glows softly, bringing heat to what may in any other case really feel like a quiet, deserted station at evening.

A mini European practice village that delights all ages

A mannequin practice runs by way of a mountain tunnel beneath the Matterhorn exhibit on the Swiss Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

Mannequin trains run on the Swiss Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

A mannequin of the Schwerer Gustav railway gun is on show on the Swiss Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village. Hankook Ilbo

Exploring the out of doors sections of the park shouldn’t imply lacking the indoor exhibition. Nowon Practice Village, which opened in November 2022, is a diorama museum showcasing working mannequin trains set in opposition to numerous European backdrops.

The displays are constructed at 1:87 scale, the worldwide commonplace for railway fashions. All the trains really transfer, and a few controls are open for guests to strive.

At current, solely the Swiss Pavilion (Corridor 1) is open, with the Italian Pavilion (Corridor 2) scheduled to open later this month. Contained in the Swiss Pavilion are recreated Alpine peaks such because the Matterhorn and Mount Jungfrau, alongside cityscapes of Zurich, Lucerne and Geneva. Greater than 40 landscapes are featured, with 18 mannequin trains working alongside 14 tracks stretching a complete of 410 meters. Guests can expertise each day and evening views, with the lighting switching each 10 minutes.

Guests are particularly inspired to cease by the second-floor statement deck, the place illuminated villages and winding mountain railways come into sight. Youngsters’s eyes mild up as miniature trains make their approach alongside zigzagging tracks, and fogeys, for a second, discover themselves feeling like kids once more.

On the aspect of the staircase resulting in the second ground is a restore workshop run by Korea-Brass, an organization that produces motorized mannequin trains. When repairs are underway, guests can watch the method by way of clear home windows.

The second ground additionally includes a motorized mannequin of the Schwerer Gustav railway gun — the biggest cannon ever constructed — in addition to a rotary practice depot. Faithfully recreating each stage of operation, from shell loading to the firing sequence, the siege artillery gun stays one of the crucial in style displays.

A mannequin of the Colosseum is on show within the Italian Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village at Hwarangdae Railroad Park, set to open later this month. Hankook Ilbo

Lights illuminate the Parthenon exhibit within the Italian Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

Mild shines by way of the colonnade of the St. Peter’s Basilica exhibit within the Italian Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

For the reason that yr following its opening, Nowon Practice Village has drawn about 100,000 guests yearly, establishing itself as a centerpiece of the railroad park. Constructing on the success of the Swiss Pavilion, the Italian Pavilion will open three years and two months after the museum’s debut.

The brand new pavilion is 1.5 occasions bigger than the Swiss Pavilion, and whereas the overall observe size has been barely decreased to 140 meters, the variety of featured landmarks has elevated considerably. It contains Italian landmarks akin to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, in addition to a statue of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon put in at St. Peter’s Basilica in 2023.

The recreation of Venice and the Mediterranean concerned using actual water; clear epoxy is often chosen as an alternative attributable to upkeep challenges.

Because the Italian Pavilion locations higher emphasis on historic landmarks, it additionally embraces extra lifelike staging. Passengers on a cruise ship, crowds within the Colosseum and vacationers in cliffside villages are all wearing period-appropriate outfits and posed in scenes that really feel convincingly actual. To seize Italy’s on-the-ground environment — in a rustic recognized for meticulous structure — even the smallest exterior particulars of buildings have been recreated with care. The precision is hanging: Tiny marble statues no larger than a fingernail show delicate musculature and facial options that draw admiration.

The miniature studio stated it designed and produced the items itself, primarily based on photographs taken throughout on-site analysis journeys. Broken sections of the Colosseum have been restored to a kind near the unique by cross-checking historic references. Excluding the design section, manufacturing alone took greater than a yr.

Drinks ordered on the Surroundings with a Practice cafe are delivered by rail at Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

An area shuttle prepares for launch on the café “Surroundings with a Practice” on the railroad park. Hankook Ilbo

One other in style attraction is the Surroundings with a Practice cafe, recognized for a service during which a miniature practice runs alongside tracks by the home windows, delivering drinks on to tables. After putting an order on the counter, clients take their seats, and a tiny practice quickly approaches with a whistle. It stops at every desk for about 30 seconds earlier than departing — simply lengthy sufficient to snap a photograph and retrieve the drink.

Along with the drink supply practice, a second observe runs alongside the ceiling, and an area shuttle launch is staged each 20 minutes, including to the cafe’s playful environment. Drinks might be collected solely on the primary ground, however the cafe spans three ranges, with the higher flooring providing views over all the park.

Because the solar dips towards the horizon, kids might be seen protesting that they don’t need to go away. Some break into tears, and shortly others observe swimsuit. Anybody who remembers throwing a tantrum exterior a toy retailer as a toddler can’t assist however smile on the scene.

Households with younger kids go to Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

A nighttime view of the Swiss Pavilion of Nowon Practice Village in Hwarangdae Railroad Park in Seoul / Hankook Ilbo

This text from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of the Korea Instances, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Instances.