Toy train operating and collecting

For those of you who get the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune, in the sales ad package is a copy of the Chicago Tribune Magazine.  This week's featured article is about "The Train Lady", A.K.A Elaine Silet.

The article talks about her love of trains, her business Huff & Puff Industries (layout design and building), and her intent to donate her late husband's 44 by 27 foot layout to the Chicago Children's Museum.

The article is well written, and includes many impressive pictures of the huge layout that depicts her Husband Harvey Silet's love of and history in Chicago, featuring displays such as Michigan Ave, Millenium Park (complete with "The Bean"), and Wrigley field complete with running 'L' trains, among 16 other trains, and 2 trolleys (Doug Murphy would get a kick out of those, if you haven't already seen the article--Sorry, no pictures of those though).  There are also 61 operational miniatures, 2 custom lift bridges, a complete working signaling system, and a drive in theatre showing movies on a portable DVD player.  4 of the engines also feature cameras that display their cab perspective view on 4 large flat panel TV's near the 6 transformer control booth.

It is an interesting article featuring trains, as well as an enthusiastic modeler and her family.  A great read if you have access to the magazine.  I tried to find the article online, with no luck.  It is titled "Playing Santa with the Santa Fe" by Don Terry if any of you would like to try finding it.  I plan on visiting the layout once it becomes public... And who knows, maybe CTT could even write their own article on the layout if it becomes a part of the Children's Museum....

P.S., Merry Christmas Everyone!  Have a safe and happy holiday!

That's probably the case, the article says the layout has been featured on CNN, the Today Show, and Oprah as well.

I still haven't been able to find much about those articles on the web, though... A few other stories, but I didn't get a chance to skim them.

Hey, Demon,

Danrunner here.  Hope all is well with school/teaching career.  I have a Tom McComas video that features a layout she placed in the Hancock Building years back.  I think it said she owns huff-n-puff industries, etc.

Anyway,  good to see you posting.  Merry Christmas.

Dan 

I caught the story on WGN news - it's quite an impressiove layout.  If only we all had a endless supply of money;)

The clip is available on their website now, definitely worth checking out.  Go to www.wgntv.com, and search for "train lady."   You'll find both the Trib article and the news clip (I'd paste the link here but I'm having problems with my clipbboard). 

 don

dmestan wrote:

I caught the story on WGN news - it's quite an impressiove layout.  If only we all had a endless supply of money;) The clip is available on their website now, definitely worth checking out.  Go to http://www.wgntv.com/, and search for "train lady."   You'll find both the Trib article and the news clip (I'd paste the link here but I'm having problems with my clipbboard).   don

Here'e the direct link to the Tribune article - http://wgntv.trb.com/news/local/coverstory/chi-071220trainlady-story,0,2762087.story

and the news clip - http://wgntv.trb.com/news/local/coverstory/wgntv-122007-trainlady,0,6840256.story?coll=wgntv-coverstory-1

Check out the clip - first it shows her garden railroad with trains running in the snow, then goes inside for the huge O guage layout w/ 16 trains, 36,000 ft of wire, 2 "el"s, and Millenium Park - very impressive.

don 

Hey Danrunner,

Things have been going well, I just finished my second year student teaching, I will be heading into my senior year and off to grad school hopefully.  I hope things are going good for you too after the move and all.  Have you gotten settled into things yet?  Any plans for a layout?

I will have to keep a close eye on whether this layout gets donated soon and upload pictures.  I can't imagine anyone would turn down such a donation, though.  I would love to see a video detailing the layout mentioned in the article, but I doubt youtube would have anything.

-Demon

Demon,  doing well and settling in nicely. 

I have a layout (a tiny one) that has three concentric loops.  I'll post a pic in the next couple of weeks--off to Pittsburgh for the holidays w/ my obnoxious in-laws.   Pray for me--I now see the importance of Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men!!!

Dan 

Train Lady from a Travel Channel show last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxvdYqthuN8

Elaine Silets has launched a new Huff & Puff Industries website:

http://www.thetrainlady.com

DePaul is lucky to have you, Demon ;)

A longer vid is posted on the Chicago Tribune website. http://chicagotribune.com