Sunday was the spring edition of the twice a year model (and some memorabilia) train show in Scranton Pa @ the Lackawanna Station Radisson.

Part of the area was devoted to a "G" guage layout about 8 by 16 feet I'd estimate. There were three trains running.

What was most interesting was that at the time we were there-there were the children sitting in absolutely rapt attention-mesmerized faces tucked firmly in their hands were about 12-15 kids ranging in age from about 3-8.

It would've been great to have been able find out what fascinated them- but maybe all that mattered was the trains were big enough to see but small enough not to be intimidating.

It didn't matter that PRR E-units are a machine of prior generation or that they were running alongside a Geep.

Maybe models aren't "preservation" in the strict sense-but maybe they are the best way to introduce the young to trains-even if only 1 in a thousand becomes an active successor and our successor(s).

superheater@rrmail.com

> Should "G" scale layouts situated to allow close inspection by youngsters be a part of EVERY museum/heritage operation?

superheater@rrmail.com

Its a very active part of ours. We designed a G-Scale set (a Heartland product) to look and mimic an average three car GTR train from Edison's period, including a decent replication (for kid's sake anyway) of our ex-GTW combine, and replications of all the stations between Detroit and Port Huron (Fort Gratiot), including using the original names of communities. Its amazing how much interest it generates, very often from people who say things like "I've never heard of Utica Plank or Lenox" (today's Fraser and Richmond) or the kids who literarily follow it around the museum in circles. When its down, its a pretty big disappointment, and we hear it pretty quickly. I'm in the market right now for a backup engine, as ours has close to 60,000 hours on it now.

TJG

Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

The next gengeration likes our models at the San Francisco Maritime Park too.

It is interesting to see them cluster around a seven foot high case with quarter inch to the foot models of our ships and then tell you can go over and see the real thing.

Some professional exhibit builders do not like them, but he public and I sure do.

Ted Miles


ted_miles@nps.gov

Maybe models aren't "preservation"
> in the strict sense-but maybe they are the
> best way to introduce the young to
> trains-even if only 1 in a thousand becomes
> an active successor and our successor(s).

It has been that way long before you were born!
"Nothing is new only that which was forgotten"

We have a "G" scale layout running around the top of the kids'room in the Museum. The little trolley mockup with a controller features a video in front of the "operator" shot from the front of a car running on the layout.

Every February the Garden Railway and Live Steam people set up two "G" gauge layouts in the Museum (the steamers go in the shop bay)

It always draws a good crowd.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

If you REALLY want to amaze and thrill the kids, run Thomas (the tank engine) on your G-gauge display!
kids go nuts for it! :)

At my G-gauge club (Genesee G Gauge, Rochester, NY) We have both Thomas and James running..
2-year olds know which is which!
we now keep Thomas and James running as permanant exibits, we even have "regulars" who come in every Tuesday night to see them!
(the regulars are young children..they bring their parents along..)
and we now always run Thomas & James when we take our modules to shows..
I agree..G-gauge is a great draw..people love the sheer size of them.

here are some movies and pictures:

http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic ... C_ID=21052

http://www.trainweb.org/gggrs/pictures.html

Scot

sscotsman@yahoo.com

Good to hear. STEA has had that nice HO layout for a decade or so, too.

While models may not be "preservation" they sure are "interpretation."

Interpretation is preservation's tricky friend. Preservation can be simple: look, that rusty thing is preserved ain't it cool?

Interpreting something can be tricky, especially since sometimes things are preserved for less than interpretive value.

Of course, in my book, things that are preserved for less than interpretive value belong in flea markets, but that's just the whining of a cranky guy lit on cough syrup.

And where there is not enough left to preserve and interpret, models are excellent tools.

Rob

> Sunday was the spring edition of the twice a
> year model (and some memorabilia) train show
> in Scranton Pa @ the Lackawanna Station
> Radisson.

> Part of the area was devoted to a
> "G" guage layout about 8 by 16
> feet I'd estimate. There were three trains
> running.

> What was most interesting was that at the
> time we were there-there were the children
> sitting in absolutely rapt
> attention-mesmerized faces tucked firmly in
> their hands were about 12-15 kids ranging in
> age from about 3-8.

> It would've been great to have been able
> find out what fascinated them- but maybe all
> that mattered was the trains were big enough
> to see but small enough not to be
> intimidating.

> It didn't matter that PRR E-units are a
> machine of prior generation or that they
> were running alongside a Geep.

> Maybe models aren't "preservation"
> in the strict sense-but maybe they are the
> best way to introduce the young to
> trains-even if only 1 in a thousand becomes
> an active successor and our successor(s).

Can't hoit-can it ? A G scale layout that is.

Seriously, how many ended up in preservation based upon exposure to toy/model trains versus exposure to the real thing ?

Think about it....

> Good to hear. STEA has had that nice HO
> layout for a decade or so, too.

> While models may not be
> "preservation" they sure are
> "interpretation."

> Interpretation is preservation's tricky
> friend. Preservation can be simple: look,
> that rusty thing is preserved ain't it cool?

> Interpreting something can be tricky,
> especially since sometimes things are
> preserved for less than interpretive value.

> Of course, in my book, things that are
> preserved for less than interpretive value
> belong in flea markets, but that's just the
> whining of a cranky guy lit on cough syrup.

> And where there is not enough left to
> preserve and interpret, models are excellent
> tools.

> Rob


locoeng@verizon.net