Regarding an old GM promotional film--

I have to admit to being a little put off by the general theme that "newer" is always "better" (especially since I like older houses, and think the best looking cars are from the very late 1920s to perhaps 1935).

Still, we have an interesting movie, particularly showing how stylists were working in clay on a wooden "buck" to develop proposed designs in three dimensions. I know this was still being done at least into the 1980s; I wonder if it's still done today.

The models are interesting, too, not only for proposed styling, but for their workmanship. This segment starts at around 12:40.

What would be of interest to this crowd is a large scale model of "The Train of Tomorrow." As we know, this was actually built, a joint effort between General Motors and Pullman, as a demonstration of the newest styling and technology for railroads. One car of the train survives today, in altered and horribly decrepit condition.

I wonder what became of the model?

The train shows up around 13:45:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfBd6GJ62ak

The prototype.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEfznj0-Ac8

Thanks for posting. It is fascinating to see how designers had to be sculptors "back in the day". I wonder Henry Dreyfus and Otto Kuhler sculpted out their streamlined locomotives in clay.

Not positive but I’m pretty sure both Kuhler and Dreyfus drew their designs on paper. The engineering department would take the paper and either design the model or the real thing for fabrication.

I was just reading a reference a week or so ago which discussed the advent of 'clays' in automotive styling studios. I will have to find and post information from it... but I have to 're-find' it first...

EMD as I recall used carved wood models with some of the color schemes printed and glued on.

I think Loewy used plaster from time to time; IIRC the large Pennsylvania locomotive in his New York offices was wood. Does anyone remember what the large model of the S1 that PC sold was made of?

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has a large model of a P-5a electric locomotive carved from wood.

Your remark tickled some brain cells, and I think one of those wooden models is an E8 cutaway job that was eventually donated to the Smithsonian, and is currently on loan to the B&O Museum. I saw it when it was still in Washington, and I can tell you it's a beautiful piece of work, wonderfully finished. Scale is supposed to be 2 inches to the foot, or 1/6 scale.





Source for the images above.

http://www.rgusrail.com/mdboroundhouse.html

A somewhat more reasonable size, though without the details we can see in the bigger versions.