Has anyone seen the layout at the Musum of Science and Industry in Chicago? I stumbled on the WEB site a few months ago and it looks like a great layout based on the pictures on their web site (though they’re not real close shots of it). I have a cousin who lives out there, I may just have to pay her a visit.
J.P.
Yes, I just went there! It is a very nice layout. They have all sorts of trains, from longs drag freights, to amtrak trains pulle by p42’s. It is worth admission money if you decide to go. They even have a real pioneer zephyr in the entrance lobby.
I visited the layout just a few months after it opened and was very happy to see the operation on the layout. I had the opportunity to visit the previous O scale layout five different times over the years and thought this was a great replacement for a great O scale layout that was built in the 40’s era.
The present layout is closed off for work on the jet overhead from what I just read about two weeks ago. Be sure to check on the schedule if you are going soon as the other work has to be completed before the layout can go back into operation. They were not sure how long the work would take, but it could be done by now.
CAZEPHYR
It is (too me, at least) a tremendously interesting layout. It is supposed to portray the United State from Seattle to Chicago and the scenery portrays the topography and industries located along the route. Amtrak, BNSF and if I remember correctly, UP are protrayed along the route. What was most amazing to me were the cities (skylines, at least) of Seattle and Chicago. Truly amazing.
The MSI layout is great.
It has just now reopened after the work being done above it.
I’ve seen it twice and I loved it both times. I went with my High school’s robotics team to our tournament in Chicago(At UIC Medical District) Last year, and they day we went home we went to MSI. Everyone else went into the Video game exhibit, I walked through once, and then went and followed the trains around becuase the layout was more interesting than the Video games…
I’m planning on checking the CMSI layout this spring after things thaw out there. Any tips for a visit would be appreciated. I’ve run across this website dedicated to telling the story of the old O scale layout that was the forerunner to the current HO layout.
Model Railroader has also published at least a couple of articles about the new layout. Here are links to them:
(there was also an article in the June 2003 issue that talked about the old layout)