1939 World's Fair - Railroads at Work

[lionelsuperotrack]

I have always wondered about the MASSIVE train layout created for the 1939 World's Fair. This model train layout at the was 160 feet wide and 40 feet deep. It featured over 3500 feet of O gauge track, 500 pieces of rolling stock and 50 locomotives. Now visit the show, by way of the scans of an original Souvenir Program. Hopefully you will enjoy this layout as I have.

< http://www.trainweb.org/nyworldsfair39/Railroads%20At%20Work/Page1.htm >

Wonder what this would look like on RR Track planning software! Wonder if anyone has photo's? The track plan is outstanding.

Very best, Mike

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[3railguy]

Massive layout is right. Pretty high tech stuff in its day.

[cnw1995]

Mike, there's a lot here in Chicago about the '39 World's Fair. An exhibit just closed a few blocks away that looked at different aspects of the fair. I have a book at home - one of the Kalmbach books - which one I can't recall- that features this layout with pictures. Interesting, the layout while massive was pretty 'simple' or 'clean' in design.

[lionelsuperotrack]

Doug - Would be most interested if you could identify the book. I find the layout quite interesting. Makes me wonder where the cars and locomotives yet other parts of the layout landed. I presume it was 2 rail.

Thanks, Mike

[Anonymous]

I've heard about this layout and have always been fascinated by it. It's too bad I was born too late to see it in person! Once, a few years ago, someone on ebay was selling freight cars that were actually used on the layout.

Someone needs to do a recreation of this layout!

[cnw1995]

I'll look. There are also some obscure references in some local places. A local university where I used to work, Illinois Institute of Technology, used to be the location of the Association of American Railroads test facilities and lots of old rail-related and World's Fair rail-related items are in its library - there is also an ancient model railroad club there too.

[pbjwilson]

I still think the old train layout at the Museum of Science and Industry was the best. Two rail O gauge, it was in a scale that you could see the trains. The new one in HO is just to small. In a space that big O gauge is the way to go.
I did'nt know about the layout at the worlds fair, very interesting.
The other thing that was interesting is the country was in the depths of the depression and still Chicago pulled off one of the greatest worlds fairs. And there are still buildings around from the fair. A Chinese restaurant in town here is in a building brought up from the worlds fair.

[lionelsuperotrack]

From what I heard from those who had knowledge of the Chicago Museum of Science layout the worst part was the maintenance of the rolling stock and most particularly the locomotives. Very expensive and time consuming. They even had an automated hump yard. I cannot ever remember more then 2 or maybe 3 running at the same time. Here is a link of the old layout which was 2 rail scale:

< http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/great_train_story/history/history_01.html >

Having seen the old layout many times my prefence was the old but, time marches on................the new HO layout is really quite nice. It is linked below:

< http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/great_train_story/index.html >

What amazes me is how busy both layouts are/were with visitors. Sure a lot of interest from the public. When it is all done and said, I prefer the 1939 World's Fair layout.......I think!

Very best, Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by pbjwilson

I still think the old train layout at the Museum of Science and Industry was the best. Two rail O gauge, it was in a scale that you could see the trains. The new one in HO is just to small. In a space that big O gauge is the way to go.
I did'nt know about the layout at the worlds fair, very interesting.
The other thing that was interesting is the country was in the depths of the depression and still Chicago pulled off one of the greatest worlds fairs. And there are still buildings around from the fair. A Chinese restaurant in town here is in a building brought up from the worlds fair.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Boy does this bring back memories. In 5th grade, my class made the long journey, 3.5 hours to the Museum of Science and Industry. At the time I was running my Lionel on a 4x4 piece of plywood sitting on top of a card table. Needless, to say awstruck would be an under statement when I gazed upon the massive museum layout.

When I travel to Chicago, I always enjoy a trip to the museums.

For my money, the best museum layout I have seen for several years is in Cincinnati. The S scale layout is a depiction of the Cincinnati area around 1920 including Crosely Field, home of the Red Legs. A very nice display is also at the Railroaders Museum in Altoona, PA. Of course Horseshoe Curve is the real attraction in Altoona.

[lionelsuperotrack]

Can you post a link to the Cincinnati S layout?

Best, Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by Buckeye Riveter

Boy does this bring back memories. In 5th grade, my class made the long journey, 3.5 hours to the Museum of Science and Industry. At the time I was running my Lionel on a 4x4 piece of plywood sitting on top of a card table. Needless, to say awstruck would be an under statement when I gazed upon the massive museum layout.

When I travel to Chicago, I always enjoy a trip to the museums.

For my money, the best museum layout I have seen for several years is in Cincinnati. The S scale layout is a depiction of the Cincinnati area around 1920 including Crosely Field, home of the Red Legs. A very nice display is also at the Railroaders Museum in Altoona, PA. Of course Horseshoe Curve is the real attraction in Altoona.

[lionelsoni]

Mike, apparently two rail:

"...the rolling stock is of such a complicated nature as to require special construction in the trucks to prevent the passage of electricity from one wheel to another."

[lionelsuperotrack]

More information about this layout:

<<<The Cover of the December 1938 "Model Builder" magazine proclamed:
"First Pictures of World's Fair Railroad". Inside were four pages
covering the construction of buildings, industry, and model trains.
Some highlights of the model train exhibit from the December 1938
Model Builder:
"70,000 wood ties...ballasted with loose crushed blue stone. One
hundred twenty-five switches...and include ten double slips and two
rigid crossovers. The signal system will require 3,000,000 feet of
wire. Three dispatchers will control the layout. All foreground
rolling stock will be 'O' gauge, but to produce a distance
effect, 'OO' models of the same trains will be used, and an 'O'
gauge train will disappear only to reappear as 'OO' far back in the
layout...<snip>...locomotives will total about 30, mainly Hudson,
Pacific, Mikado, Pocono(4-8-4). oil electric, overhead electric,
streamline steam, steaming diesel, and multiple unit cars.
Propulsion current will be D. C. at 24 vols and distribution will be
two rail. Rolling stock will total 400 pieces.">>>

Anyone willing to make a copy?

Best, Mike

[lionelsuperotrack]

More information:

From The December 1938 Issue of Model Builder:
1. The Worlds Fair layout was funded by the Eastern Presidents Conference an organization of Eastern Railroads.
2. Parts of the layout were built in a loft on the West Side of Manhattan in NYC owned by the Ivel Corporation the folks under contract to build the layout.
3.Operating accessories included a coal tipple, rotary car dump, coal conveyor at the coal mine, turntable, steam ship and a car ferry "that will ply back and forth across the wide mouth of a river. Cars loaded with a double track and then unloaded again on the opposite bank" . The main line had operating block signals. All the accessories were apparently hand built and look prototypical and seem quite complex in the engineering required to make them operate.
4. Sound effects were used in the steel mills and in other structures
5. Cities and towns consisted of over 1000 scratch built buildings.Can you imagine the time required.
7. Real water area of 1200 sq ft was part of the layout.
8. There was a lighting system that dimmed and changed the time of day to dusk to dawn where the lighting of the layout was adjusted.
8. Over 400 pieces of rolling stock were used and there were about 30 locomotives.
9. Three dispatchers (or operators) will control the layout.
10. The layout was 2 rail mainly O scale but some OO trains were used in the background to give the illusion of distance. It was housed in a building 150,000 sq ft. and was said to be the largest display at the 1930 Worlds Fair.
10. There was little mention of the people involved in building the layout but one; a modeler by the name of Mario Donaudy is mentioned.

That is what I call a layout! It sounded like a task of phenomenal proportions.

Best, Mike

[Buckeye Riveter]

Mike,
Here is the link to the Cincinnati in motion exhibit.
http://www.cincymuseum.org/cmc/attractions/cincy_in_motion.html
I hope you have a high speed internte access, so that you can run the remote control camera and really see the exhibit in action.

[lionelsuperotrack]

Some actual pictures of the locomotives on exhbibit:

http://homepage.mac.com/clgrover/PhotoAlbum26.html

Best, Mike