Introduction

Welcome to sunny Utrainia.

About Utrainia

The country of Utrainia is located deep in Europe. It is spread across a diverse geographic zone, and its seasons are as varied as they are extreme. Stormy coastlines border Utrainia to the south, while in the north high mountainous passes lead to neighbouring country Trainsylvania. It's interior features vast prairie lands with legendary grain crops.

While most of Utrainia is sparsely populated, there are several cities that support both long distance passenger trains, and high density local commuter trains.

The name "Utrainia" is a combination of "train" and "utopia". It's a fictitious country where rail is the transport mode of choice. Passenger trains are fast and luxurious, while freight trains transport everything from coal to containers.

The history of Utrainia

Under Soviet rule Utrainia received a vast rail network, however the maintenance regime left a lot to be desired. Following independence from the USSR in the early 90s the rail network rapidly declined and much of the equipment was scrapped. Luckily some forward-thinking laws made it near-impossible for the lines themselves to be scrapped, and over the next couple of decades a number of international railway companies took advantage of Utrainia's open-access rules and prime geographic location. This has lead to a resurgence in the railway industry, with many companies establishing niche operations.

Thanks to Utrainia's coastal borders, foreign motive power is easily purchase and shipped, and that is why Japanese passenger trains are often seen passing EMD and GE locos from the USA. A recent rail connection to Switzerland lead to the purchase of a luxurious Swiss passenger train for use in the breathtaking scenery to the north.

About the railway

Utrainia is a collection of Free-mo-N modules that span a diverse set of regions. Currently there is a coastal scene, a blizzard scene, and a prairie scene. Each module is made from a lightweight shell of polystyrene and plaster, and framed in pine, plywood and MDF timbers. Computerised control through an NCE DCC system and Arduino + JMRI + C/MRI plus a custom iPad application allow easy control of all aspects of the railway.