GetOut Magazine

Mesa Southwest Museum hosts exhibit on model railroads
By MICHELLE BURGESS
Get Out
Oct. 3, 2002

A decade ago, the Mesa Southwest Museum put together an exhibit on model railroads. It was successful, attended mostly by collectors.

This time around, though, museum director and exhibit curator Keith Foster predicts even bigger and better things.

There has been a rebirth in interest in model trains, he says. Thats mainly because of things like Thomas the Tank Engine, a popular show for preschoolers, and the introduction last year of the Hogwarts Express train in the Harry Potter movie.

But its not just collectors and kids, Foster says, who will get something out of The Art of Model Railroading. Art lovers as well should appreciate the exhibits focus on the aesthetics and craftsmanship of the trains and their accessories.

I really wanted to talk about the artistic aspect this time around, Foster says. So many of the scale models they build today are perfect. Most of the earlier models were not scale reproductions of their prototypes. People who are familiar with those kinds of model trains will just be amazed at the detail. These are clearly not things just glued together out of a box.

The Art of Model Railroading was created by the museum and showcases exact-scale reproductions in all sizes of many types of engines, as well as representations of nearly every type of rolling stock cars (box cars), cabooses and passenger-train cars in existence. The history of model trains from 1812 to the present is covered through displays and dioramas.

Opening day of the exhibit is Family Day, during which visitors can make crafts and take a free tour of nearby Sirrine House, Mesas only historic-home museum, which is run by Mesa Southwest Museum.

After the home tour, visitors will receive free tickets for the Sirrine House Express, a large-scale model train set up around the house. The train runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Foster says he and many others who work at the museum see the exhibit in part as a tribute to model-builders.

We feel that a lot of us in the museum profession have learned quite a bit from modelers, Foster says. We have learned a lot from them that we use in creating exhibits. This is also a chance for people to get a look into collecting; its like an inexpensive way to see what collecting model trains is all about.

Collectible pieces, he says, cost from $40 up to nearly $1,000. Saturday workshops introducing participants to the hobby will be offered for an additional cost through Nov. 16.

For several years, Foster says, collectors set their sights on things like Star Wars figures and other pop- culture subject matter. This exhibit hails the resurgence of interest in one of the original forms of modeling and collecting.

Kids will love it, families will love it, collectors will love it, those who appreciate art will love it, he says of the show. Trains are always fun.

Contact writer Michelle Burgess at or .

'The Art of Model Railroading'

Where: Mesa Southwest Museum, 53 N. Macdonald
When: Saturday through Jan. 5. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
How much: $6, $5 for seniors and students, $3 for children 3 to 12, free for children younger than 3. Additional cost for workshops.
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