Carnegie Science Center looks to give mini railroad exhibit a makeover
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The Carnegie Science Center’s beloved Miniature Railroad & Village has been around for more than a century. Now, after 100 years of wear and tear, the Science Center is looking to make sure the railroad keeps running for centuries to come.
It is launching the Miniature Railroad & Village 100th Anniversary Campaign on Sunday, a crowdfunding effort seeking to raise $30,000 for upkeep of the train layout.
The Science Center is looking for contributions to add new carpeting, fresh paint, updated signage, a new entrance video, and LED lighting.
The renovations will include motion-activated digital text panels and contributions will also fund online digitization and publication of an archive, featuring photos and letters from creator Charles Bowdish.
“I think what’s so unique about the miniature railroad is that the Pittsburgh region really feels like it’s theirs,” said Nicole Chynoweth, Carnegie Science Center marketing manager.
“People are incredibly passionate about this exhibit, so whenever it came time to decide how we wanted to fundraise to implement these improvements, we thought it would be a great opportunity to let the public be a part of that effort.”
The online campaign for the miniature railroad can be found at bit.ly/MRRV100.
The miniature railroad came into existence in 1919 when Bowdish created a holiday display on Christmas Eve 1919 in his home in Brookville, Jefferson County. It included handcrafted replicas of regional landmarks, like Forbes Field and years later Fallingwater.
The display became so popular that hundreds of thousands of people, including busloads of school children, came to see it every holiday season.
After 35 years, Bowdish transferred the display to Pittsburgh’s Buhl Planetarium in 1954. In 1992, it moved to its permanent home in the newly created Carnegie Science Center, where it has grown and become a year-round attraction.
Today, up to five trains and a trolley weave through the streets and farms, over rivers and bridges, and through tunnels in a 2,300-square-foot, four-season landscape.
Chynoweth calls it a walking tour of Western Pennsylvania history.
“The miniature railroad story is our community story and it’s a key reason why it’s important to continue preserving this exhibit,” Chynoweth said. “This is the way we’re able to teach future generations about pivotal moments in Western Pennsylvania history.”
The railroad exhibit, which still has some of its original pieces, is one that can’t be touched, so Chynoweth says they’re planning to add stuff that people can touch.
“We’re hoping to add some more interactive digital elements that people will be able to swipe through to learn more about different (aspects) of history.”