Today was boy’s day out.
I took my 17 month old to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia today.
If you’ve never been it’s a great railroad town. It was the center of the Norfolk Western railroad, now it’s the Norfolk Southern hub.
At the museum they have an incredible U shaped O gauge layout. It’s on several levels, has about 6 independant lines, mountains, gargraves, everything. Here are a couple pictures…
My son appreciated the “kid’s level” at about 2 feet off the floor.
They also have several of the prototypes that Lionel, MTH, and others used including the N& W J 611 and a Virginian with rectifier.
But my favorite item was a one man wooden bicylce looking thingy for riding the rails.
when is Lionel going to make a 1/48th scale one of these?
Anyway, here’s my son, learning how to say train…
Looks like he is 1/48th compared to the engine.
The “wooden thingy” is called a “velocipede”.
Have no idea if they make them in 1/48 scale or not.
Sure hope your 17 month had a good time,I’m sure you did,
and it’s never too young to start them learning how to
appreciate certain things.
Very good pictures,thanks for sharing them.
For the first time since 611 and 1218 were put away I was able to smile looking at pics of them in their “temporary” resting spot.
Nice pics.
I take it you and your son are fellow Hokies (I live in Blacksburg and work at the university). Good to see that the youngster is being exposed to trains–real and model–at an early age. Take him back again periodically and those memories will be planted for a lifetime.
And when he’s old enough to appreciate photos of the real thing, be sure to take a walk over to the superb O. Winston Link Museum in the old N&W passenger station. The images displayed there will blow both of you away!
Walt is correct and yes someone does make it in 1/48 scale as a kit.
here is a link if you wi***o order one
http://www.locopainter.com/speeders.html
tom
Great Pictures Plasiclizard ! the Engine your son is standing next to ran through N.E. Ohio at one time about 10-15 years ago from Erie,Pa to the Ohio State Fair for a Rail Excursion at the time.Some residents panicked and called the Fire Dept when they saw smoke from the railroad tracks not knowing a steam train had just passed through and my Neighbors across the street had a Video of this very Train as it crossed the Erie St Crossing in Willoughby.( Don’t know if they still have it) Very interesting piece of history here. Thank you for sharing these pictures with us. I never got to see this Engine when it passed through town as I was at work that day[V]…Keith
Spanky,
thanks for the link for the velocipede
I just sent an email to order one.