Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Illinois
I’ve had a lifelong love affair with trains, from getting my first model train set for Christmas when I was three to embarking on my first train trip to Washington, DC, in Junior High to taking my first trip across the United States by train when I was 20. When on the road, I embrace the chance to visit train-related museums. A major highlight of visiting the Museum of Science and Industry is “The Great Train Story,” a 3,500 square foot HO Scale model railroad that displays the 2,200-mile journey from Seattle to Chicago. In real life, I traveled the entirety of this trip when I was 20, and again, I took the Spokane to St. Paul part of the trip with Adrienne and Wyatt when I was in graduate school. I was intrigued to see how close the model was to real life.
One thing that I noticed was the HO-scale design of the Chicago Skyline. A model building of the Sears Tower (yes, everyone knows that it has another name) was going to require a lot of ceiling space, so it is good that the model floor plan is in an open space. The HO-scale Sears Tower is 14 feet tall from the layout’s base.
Another was the area modeled around Glacier National Park. The Empire Builder, in real life, connects East Glacier, Essex (South Glacier), and West Glacier and provides many travelers with a great way to access the park. The modeled snow sheds and mountain goats were a nice touch.
Seattle, like Chicago, is not entirely to scale either, but there is not enough room to model the entire city to scale.
Model Railroad layouts are great entertainment for the young and the young at heart. I spent at least an hour walking around the layout, not just looking at the intricate details but also at the other museum patrons engaging with the display.
My only complaint was that parts of the layout were collecting dust. Most model layouts rely upon a team of volunteers to keep them in running condition. Model railroading is a rewarding hobby, and if anyone has an interest in joining a local group, a simple internet search will usually lead them to a local group where they can participate or join.