A giant miniature world
Called “Dribblers” because they left a trail of water behind, the first model trains – invented in England in the mid-1800s – were steam powered. Tinkerers soon figured out how to eliminate the mess by using clockwork mechanisms to make the trains move instead. A German toymaker, Marklin, created the first wind-up train that ran on a track. In the early 1900s, an American company, Lionel, produced brightly colored electric-powered trains – setting the standard for model railroaders. It was a keen marketing move when Lionel convinced department stores to display its train sets under Christmas trees, and an iconic image took root.
Founded in 1941, the Pasadena Model Railroad Club celebrates this time-honored hobby by holding regular meetings for its members, who have been building, maintaining, and modernizing the club’s 5,000-square-foot model railway system for more than 75 years. The Sierra Pacific Lines, as the railroad is called, claims to be one of the biggest HO layouts in the world. Most members have a certain expertise in modeling, from constructing scenery and train cars to electronics and tech.
Info
Address 5458 Alhambra Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90032, +1.323.222.1718, www.pmrcc.org, webbmaster@pmrrc.org | Getting there Unmetered street parking | Hours Members meetings: first Tue of the month 7:30pm–10pm, Sat 1pm–5pm. Nonmembers are welcome during meetings, but must call ahead to arrange a visit. Open houses occur in the fall and spring; check website for upcoming dates.| Tip Visit the Trina Turk outlet store (1030 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030), just a few miles away. Loaded with Turk’s designer duds at discounted prices, the shop is a bargain hunter’s Shangri-la.
The display room is dazzling. Laid out before you is an intricate and vast miniature world, duplicating, to scale and speed, various passenger and freight trains on more than five miles of track. It takes 45 minutes for a train to travel from Alhambra to Zion. The detailed landscape is reflective of West Coast terrain, featuring redwood trees, mountains, and lakes. There’s a harbor with ships, a power plant, and a logging area. Each train has a purpose; one carries grain from the fields to the silos, while another transports mail. Surprises abound in this marvelously detailed Lilliputian world. Keep your eyes peeled for the nudist colony, the Bates Motel, and a bear chasing a man up a tree.
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