BERLIN, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Intermodellbau trade fair for miniature models of ships, trains, airplanes, cars and other figures started in the German city of Dortmund on Thursday.
The Intermodellbau trade fair "presents the entire range of model-making," Andreas Weber, press spokesman of the trade fair, told Xinhua and added that this year the fair would be once again "the world's largest fair for model-making and model sport".
Around 500 exhibitors from 18 countries are registered for this year's trade fair, including those from Germany, "almost all" of its neighboring countries, as well as from Britain, Italy, Hungary, Russia, South Korea and China. The organizers announced that the total share of foreign exhibitors was 16 percent.
"All those who love the big world in miniature" come now to Dortmund again, "Regardless of whether tinkerers or speed fans, everyone gets their money's worth," said Steffen Kahnt, managing director of the German trade association for toys (BVS), prior to the Intermodellbau fair on Wednesday.
Germans spent around 260 million euros (291.9 million U.S. dollars) on the three major areas of model railways, plastic model-making and remote-controlled cars and toys in 2018, according to calculations by BVS.
According to BVS, model railways account for the largest share of this with 150 million euros. "Railways connect generations. Recently, it has been observed that more and more grandparents are introducing their grandchildren to model railways and model-making," explained Kahnt.
For the first time, micro pulling competitions will be held at this year's Intermodellbau. In such competitions, small-scale tractors, powered by combustion engines or electric motors, have to pull a brake lorry weighing up to 25 kilograms. Whose tractor can pull the brake lorry the furthest will win the race.
In addition, there will also be gladiator fights with robots, races with remote-controlled cars, a water basin of over 500 square meters for miniature ships as well as air shows at this year's Intermodellbau, which will take place until Sunday this week. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars)
