Celebrities and Model Railroading

[cwclark]

One of the Houston news reporters ..Dave Ward on channel ABC 13 is a big modeler..i see him at a lot of the train shows...let's see..walt disney, neal young, frank sanatra, michael gross, and gary coleman are the other one's i know of...does anybody remember Captain Kangaroo?...he had a really cool O gauge layout on his show once in awhile..i still remember it from a kid...chuck

[wjstix]

NFL Hall-of-Famer Carl Eller is a model railroader. I see him once or twice a year at local flea markets here in the Twin Cities area, and he's usually looking at HO stuff so I assume that's what he models. He's a very nice guy by the way. [:)]

[whitman500]

I heard that Hermann Goering had an extensive layout at his home that combined trains with model airplanes, particularly Stuka dive bombers. Supposedly, the layout was set up so that the model planes could bomb the trains like they did in real life. The Soviets leveled his house after the war so unfortunately the layout is probably gone.

[Anonymous]

I recall reading a brief article in Continental Modeller a few years ago regarding one of the most infamous model train enthusiasts (Goering). Apparently the stock for the layout was loaded into his baggage and was captured, along with the ex-Reichsmarschall, by Allied forces. The article concluded that the stock was most likely sold off through a charity shop of some kind and invited anyone who may have surviving items to contact the author, though as there's been no follow-up reports it seems likely that either nothing survives, or that any surviving items are with people who are either unaware of their previous owner or are unwilling to come forward.

[waltersrails]

well wacthed some christian music videos last night from 2003 and one of the guiter players had a southern railway shirt on today i'm reseaching him to find out if he's into trains.

[loathar]

I wonder if Spencer Chritian has a layout (weather man, narrator of Tracks Ahead)
modlerbob-I'm a big Becker fan, I'll have to look out for those trains you spoke of.

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by loathar

I wonder if Spencer Chritian has a layout (weather man, narrator of Tracks Ahead)
modlerbob-I'm a big Becker fan, I'll have to look out for those trains you spoke of.

I actually saw him on a cruise ship I was on, should have asked him. LOL.

--Randy

[tcf511]

I have three locomotives that once belonged to Mel Torme. I'm told his layout was quite extensive.

[Anonymous]

GOD has a huge layout collection...The realism is outta this world beyond belief. Hes got every main line, short line and spur, major line, minor line, foreign line and domestic..He's also got real running water on all of his layouts not to mention rain, wind, sleet, snow, ice and autumn colors to boot.. What a layout....

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tcf511

I have three locomotives that once belonged to Mel Torme. I'm told his layout was quite extensive.

As I recall, some years back MR had a retro piece in the magazine that referred to Mel Torme's (the Velvet Fog) hobbyist interest and how he built car kits and such in his hotel room while on the road with the band. Another piece addressed one of the Marx brothers, who was also a model railroader!

If I might ask, tcf511, what sort of locos from Mel do you have (brand, type & roadname)?

CNJ831

[rrinker]

I vaguely recall the Mel Torme thing - might have been in one of John Page's "Looking Back" columns. I KNOW he did one on another entertainer who stopped by the MR offices, might have been Vaughn Monroe or maybe that WAS the Mel Torme one - the cartoon accompanying the article had the subject holding out a model loco over which the male staffers were going gaga over, while the ladies on the staff were gaga'ing over the celeb. OK I'm going to stop now before I go research this and then head for my MR collection and dig out the actual issue and look - it's past my bed time!

--Randy

[tutaenui]

Neil Young is a big fan, His song "transformer man" is about his handicapped son and a device he developed so his son could control the trains.

[Champlain Division]

Jeez, I can't believe nobody has mentioned MRM's Golden Boy, Rod Stewart.  Two articles in print about him in MRM.  I'll bet if he were ever to auction off any of his stuff for charity it would bring fetch gorgeous penny!

[PennCentral99]

Champlain Division

Jeez, I can't believe nobody has mentioned MRM's Golden Boy, Rod Stewart.  Two articles in print about him in MRM.  I'll bet if he were ever to auction off any of his stuff for charity it would bring fetch gorgeous penny!

maybe it's because the last reply was nearly 7 years ago. There are other threads on the "Rod Stewart" modeling.

[Lake]

Champlain Division

Jeez, I can't believe nobody has mentioned MRM's Golden Boy, Rod Stewart.  Two articles in print about him in MRM.  I'll bet if he were ever to auction off any of his stuff for charity it would bring fetch gorgeous penny!

Wow, dude. you need to look at the dates of the post.

[delray1967]

I heard Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory (sorry, I don't know the actors' name without checking IMDB; but love the show!!!).  One episode, he doesn't move to another town because 'it doesn't have a model train store'.

Don't forget, the Addams Family had a great layout! lol

I saw a layout on 2 1/2 Men, forgot who on that show is into trains (Herb in the show, but not sure in real life).

[wjstix]

IIRC Pete Waterman also has a pretty extensive collection of full-size trains, including engines and coaches.

Neil Young was mentioned a couple of times, not sure if someone brought up his being a part-owner of Lionel??

One thing you have to be careful of is assuming that anyone wearing or holding anything relating to trains is a train collector or model railroader or whatever. Back in the forties and fifties, many celebrities visited Lionel and American Flyer's factories and had publicity photos taken with them holding a train or running trains on the company's showroom layout. But they weren't really modellers or anything. I'm pretty sure the shot of Secy of State Dulles holding a Lionel engine with an engineer's cap and bandana was just a one-off picture, never heard of him actually being a railroad fan.

[csxns]

Clickaticlack

Will Smith and Jay-Z are big into the hobby.

I know who Will is but never heard of Jay.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

csxns

Clickaticlack

Will Smith and Jay-Z are big into the hobby.

I know who Will is but never heard of Jay.

Here he is: Jay-Z

[aj1s]

CNJ831

Perhaps one should really step back and first address the question of whether these famous people are actually model railroaders, or simply the owners of commercially built model railroads, before jumping to any conclusions about them being part of our hobby. I'd have to say that very few real celebrities ever participate in the modeling aspect of the hobby these days (they certainly did many years ago but times have definitely changed). Likewise, celebrities often purchase or have custom made anything that momentarily catches their fancy, not out of any enduring interest in a subject or item. Very brief, flighty interest in a multitude of subjects is often what people with a lot of money have. And, at least in my book, those that might be toy train (Lionel, AF, Marx) collectors are just that and not model railroaders...unless they have a layout of some sort to run their trains on.

CNJ831

Ouch. I just use unitrack, don't weather my stock or custom paint/decal them. I haven't built any structures from a laser kit, let alone scratch. I just like to watch 'em run, put out and pick up cars, etc.

Makes me wonder if I fit in this hobby of yours...

For very busy people that have money but not time, they have little choice in the ways in which they can enjoy the hobby.

BTW, it's called model railroading, not railroad modelling. Their money still supports the suppliers just the same as yours and mine. The more, the merrier. 

Andy

[Geared Steam]

He posted that remark 7 years ago, and hasn't been on this forum for over a year. Chances are he isn't going to answer you. I wouldn't let it bother you. 

He also made the argument with me that Model Railroader would never publish their historical mags in a DVD format and make available to sell. 

Just when you think you know everything.......

[NP2626]

Joe Regalbuto, who was Frank Fontana on the comedy show Murphy Brown was an avid Model Railroader and in fact his Layout appeared in Model Railroader sometime in the late 1980s or 90s.  

Sam Posey had an article in MR on photographing layouts to take best advantage of your most realistic aspect.

[dm9538]

For those old people like me from the Chicago area, Ringmaster Ned from the Bozo's Circus TV show was supposedly an avid model railroader. 

[delray1967]

I just remembered a show called Trailer Park Boys (episodes available online).  Its a Canadian independent series, the last season has the most about model (Lionel) trains.  Their idea was to use a model train to smuggle drugs across the border.lol  Several of my friends think the show is dumb; it is for mature audiences (strong language, drug use, absurd stupidity.lol) so be prepared.

I think one of them stole a locomotive belonging to Patrick Swayze? or another famous-type person.

[Steven S]

I saw Michael Gross's name mentioned earlier.  Here he is hosting a video on how to build a model railroad...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou8MmhFZnXo

Steve S

[acgilbert]

The former mayor of Milwaukee, Frank Zeidler, was an avid model rairoader.  He had two well-known modeling pals, Bill W. and Al K.

[Randy Stahl]

If Frank would have had his way the North Shore and the rapid transit in Milwaukee would still be intact. Its no coincidence that Zeidler park is in the hub of Milwaukee's former transportation hub. Anyone know what the parks name was BEFORE it was renamed Zeidler park ?

 

Randy

[MikeFF]

And, Posey wrote a great book, "Playing With Trains."  Definitely not about playing!

[acgilbert]

I think Zeidler Park was previously known as 4th Ward Park.

[robert sylvester]

I worked in Memphis year ago at a competing station doing the same job as Dave Brown and he likes trains just as I do. Even Warren Buffet has a great collection, he can afford it. Tom Snyder, former NBC host of the Tomorrow Show was an avid collector as is Manny Pticken, Chicago Hope fame. In fact it was always in his contract that he would have a Lionel layout on the set.

 Neil Young was at one time a part of Lionel and designed his train layout for his son whom I believe is in a wheelchair, quite a jesture.

Don't forget Rod Stewart, todays his birthday, he is 68. There was even an engine designed for President Bush the elder, in HO. He collects. By the way, when Sally Jesse would travel she had a briefcase with a Z Scale layout in it.

What a hobby

Robert Sylvester, WTRR