Melbourne man discovers extensive model train network underneath house

原始链接: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/i-was-shocked-melbourne-mans-unbelievable-find-after-buying-house/m4sksfer8

Daniel Xu, a train enthusiast and engineer, experienced a surprising discovery after purchasing a home in Melbourne: a vast model train network hidden beneath the house. Unmentioned during inspections, the elaborate setup, featuring extensive tracks and miniature landscapes, filled the undercroft. Xu was astounded, as was his wife. The previous owner's father built the network in the 1960s, but it had been unused for years. Coincidentally, Xu's profession involves designing and constructing rail lines, fueling his excitement further. He plans to restore the vintage train set, aiming to modernize the technology and share his passion with others. Despite not being part of his original renovation plans, Xu is committed to revitalizing the nostalgic model train network.

A Hacker News thread discusses a Melbourne man discovering an extensive model train network under his house after purchasing it. Commenters express surprise that the previous owners, real estate agents, potential buyers, and especially the home inspector, failed to notice the hidden area. One commenter questioned how a house could be purchased without checking the foundations or basement. Another pointed out that home inspectors in Victoria and Tasmania typically only inspect accessible areas, and wouldn't investigate closed-off spaces by default. Another commenter claimed that some inspections are cursory, even conducted without visiting the property physically, particularly when buyers plan to rebuild. Finally, a commenter joked about the hypothetical discovery, suggesting its unexpected nature.

原文

Key Points

After finalising the purchase of a home in Melbourne's northern suburbs, a Melbourne man found something unexpected.
There had been no mention of the expansive model train network beneath the home's floors.
Coincidentally, new owner Daniel Xu is a keen train enthusiast and engineer.

As any new homeowner will know, there are always unknown things to be found in a new place.

From a kitchen cupboard that never seems to close properly, a curiously painted over area or the real performance of an air-conditioning unit, discoveries abound.

But after Daniel Xu and his wife finalised the purchase of their house in Melbourne's northern suburbs, he found what can only be described as a train enthusiast's dream beneath their feet.

Underneath his new home, Xu discovered a model train setup, designed around an extensive network of train lines and miniature landscapes.

Xu, a train enthusiast himself, had no idea this was what was under the home he ha just purchased. Source: SBS News

With plans for renovations, Xu needed to get beneath his house, much of which is raised, sitting above a carport.

Entering the undercroft of his new home via a small door, Xu was shocked to find the area, which is just tall enough to stand in, entirely taken up by the elaborate setup.

"To do the renovation, I would have to go downstairs to have a look and do some inspections and when I got down I saw this massive incredible train model just sitting there," he told SBS News.

"I was shocked and I immediately asked my wife to come down to have a look — she was shocked."

"It's unbelievable, so massive, so huge."

He said nothing had been mentioned about model trains during the open home inspections.

Coincidentally, Xu is a train enthusiast.

He works as a rolling stock engineer for a company that manufactures new trains and designs and constructs new rail lines.

The model train set was put together by the former owner of the house Daniel Xu recently purchased and could be about 60 years old. Source: SBS News

His love of rail started when he was young, through a Japanese cartoon about a crime-fighting train.

"It tells you how trains act like people to protect children," he said, describing the show.

Xu has since been in touch with the previous owner, who told them their father built the train network in the 1960s when they were a child.

The set had likely not been used for some years, with the area full of spiderwebs when Xu first went beneath the house and found the dusty set.

It is not the project he had in mind when buying his house, but Daniel Xu has committed himself to restoring the old model train network he found beneath his home and hopes to upgrade some of the technology. Source: SBS News

Xu, who said he already had a number or train toys and model trains, plans on getting the lines cleaned up, in order to test what still works and get the entire network back up and running.

While the separate control desks for each of the different zones of the train tracks likely represented modern technology when first installed, Xu hopes to upgrade it with some newer technology to share his love of trains.

"My friends kids come and play, they don’t want to leave, they spend the whole afternoon here although there is no power at all [running through it at the moment]," he said.