This is probably for the more "seasoned" members of the forum.
In the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, in the "Hall of Transportation", in the 1960's, there used to be a large HO scale model train layout. It occupied a large part of the hall across from the big steam engine. I think it was removed sometime in the 80s as when I visited it in the mid 80s the layout was gone (but I could still see the "footprint" on the floor where it had been).
Does anybody have any information on this layout - who built it and what became of it? Pictures are probably too much to hope for but would be great.
Thanks, in advance
-George
"And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father's magic carpet made of steel..."
I was a frequent visitor to the Franklin Institute Layout during my early high school years back in the mid-60's. I was impressed with the size and range of the layout, but even as a young teenager and a newbie model railroader, it was evident to me that it was a club layout in serious decline. My recollection is of dusty scenery, strings of ore cars haphazardly set upon the track and a generally worn look to the layout.
I mean no disrespect to the members, it was an impressive work; I just wish I could have seen it in it's better days. It did teach me a lesson that all things have a life cycle.
When I visited in the early 1990s, there was a large scale layout in The Hall of Transportation. There was also a half scale mock-up of a locomotive cab, painted Conrail blue of course - I think CR was a major contributor to the project. The cab had controls for the layout where the control stand would be and a TV monitor, where the front window would be. A camera in one of the model locomotives transmitted layout images to the monitor in the cab.
It's been years since I've been back. Does anyone know if that layout is still there?
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
I remember it too.. it came out by the mid to late 70's, but it dated to the mid-50's. The "Urban legend" at the time of its demis ws that somehow Linn Wecott was ivolved in the design and/or construction, which is not too far fetched. I ahve a post cars I can scan dating to a visit in the 60's. It was pretty out-dated by then. A lot of brickpaper/Ideal/Skyline structures, and Mantua (pre-Tyco), Penn Line and John English motive power and rolling stock which were fine-I own some-but require a lot of maintenance. The Institute itself has had to re-invent itself over the years. In the early 70's, it was really geared towards a 50's audience. Fortunately it is pretty up with the times, and the BLW one-of-a-kind 4-10-2 demo, the 60000 still rolls on.