Vancouver local builds a virtual SkyTrain world in Roblox
Vancouver local builds a virtual SkyTrain world in Roblox
North Vancouver resident Julian Lam left the city for university.
Being away from friends and family, it had him feeling homesick, so he built a piece of home online, one he can visit (and virtually ride) anytime.
As a transit fan and a Metro Vancouver local, nothing reminds Julian more of home but the SkyTrain.
Since 2022, Julian has been building a virtual SkyTrain world in the computer and mobile game, Roblox. Like the game Minecraft, users can freely explore, build, and create characters and worlds (also known as “experiences” in Roblox).
It’s also an online multiplayer game which means other users, wherever they are across the world, can ride the SkyTrain and see Metro Vancouver sights virtually!
How Julian built the SkyTrain network in Roblox
The SkyTrain network in Roblox took years to build. It requires a huge amount of patience, dedication, and passion to create an entire world from scratch. Creating the model of the Mark V SkyTrain alone took about a week, spending about an hour a day, or eight hours if worked on non-stop. Not to mention the time it takes to gather and photograph reference materials.
For more than four years, Julian has been able to build the Expo Line from Waterfront to Columbia stations, including everything in between. That includes every model of SkyTrain, SeaBus, bus, West Coast Express, iconic sights such as Science World and the TELUS “boot” building, the interior and exterior of SkyTrain stations, and even the TransLink Customer Service Centre.
While he has spent years working on this world, he is far from done. Julian is currently building the Canada Line — train, stations, attractions and all — during his spare time.
Why the SkyTrain?
Born and raised in Hong Kong, where transit is the primary means to get around for most residents, young Julian was surrounded with trains. In Hong Kong, trains travel mostly underground. So, when he moved to Vancouver, where trains travel on an elevated guideway most of the time, his appreciation for trains grew.
He recalls a memory when he was seven — Julian, in a car, asked his relatives if they could ride the Canada Line train. His relatives granted this simple request and together rode the train from Aberdeen to Lansdowne Station, a 2-minute ride, just one station over. Although it was a short ride, it was a ride he’ll never forget.
Now residing in Toronto for university and taking the underground subway there, Julian appreciated even more how SkyTrain isn’t only getting one from point A to B but also takes one on a tour to the iconic sights it runs along.
“Every time, the Expo Line goes through something unique. When you pass through Kingsway, it’s the TELUS building,” says Julian. “It’s not iconic to outsiders, but you know, if you’re from Vancouver, you would know that building.”
Good news is, Julian can visit that building even while in Toronto, through the comfort of his phone. And if there is an attraction that he’d like to visit, or a ride he wants to take, he can create it.
Here’s a series of photos in real life and what they look like if you visit Julian’s SkyTrain world in Roblox:
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