THE ART OF TOY TRAINS: THE CHICAGOLAND LIONEL RAILROAD CLUB AND THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
By Edward H. Mazur and Pictures by Herbert W. Koch
Imagine setting up a toy train layout 19’ X 21’ (CLRC has the capability to enlarge this several times over) with three mainlines and a classification yard. Better yet, the layout would be in the Art Institute of Chicago. An added bonus accompanying the CLRC’s various freight and passenger consists would be the Institute’s collection of masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and works of art.
This became reality for the Chicagoland Lionel
Railroad Club (CLRC) in January 2002.
The catalyst was the opening of an exhibit entitled MODERN TRAINS AND
SPLENDID STATIONS. This exhibition, the
third in a trilogy exploring themes of transportation, highlights current and
future proposals for intercity train travel.
Through plans, drawings, computer renderings, models, and photographs,
the exhibition presented the latest developments in the design of trains and
the architecture of new train stations in the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia.
As a way of developing interest in the hobby of toy
trains, CLRC interacts with the larger metropolitan Chicagoland community. In
1998, the CLRC set up and operated its modular layout in one of Chicago’s other
cultural icons, The Shedd Aquarium. To
celebrate this event, CLRC designed and offered the rare Shedd Aquarium Car to
its members. In the intervening years,
CLRC has set up and run trains at various shopping malls and at national toy
train conventions including LOTS and LCCA.
Martha Thorne, associate curator of the Department of Architecture of the Art Institute approached President Herb Koch, the Board of Directors, and the general membership and asked if CLRC would set up their interactive hands on modular train layout. This was an undertaking with significant commitment of people and time. The layout would have to be transported to the Institute, set up, secured after each operating session, and eventually broken down, repacked and removed from the run site. The layout has modules that represent rural, suburban, and urban themes. There are industrial parks with factories, oil pumping and storage areas, agricultural development, passenger stations and many operating accessories. The club agreed to set up and operate their layout on three weekends in January.
The CLRC, like Chicago, the railroad hub of America,
thrives on challenge. Undaunted, the
club forged ahead. The initial run took
place on January 5. Approximately one
dozen members arrived at the Art Institute loading dock before 8 a.m. to meet
the CLRC trailer and unload the modular components, power sources, motive
power, rolling stock, and operating and non-operating accessories. From the loading dock, members and equipment
went through several security checks and were eventually escorted to the Kraft
Auditorium in the center of the Institute.
The Institute’s art collection includes pieces that are worth “more” than
a mint in the box pre-war 773 Hudson.
The CLRC
layout was featured alongside an exhibition on Vincent Van Gogh and Paul
Gauguin and their Studio of the South in Arles, France in the late 1880s. In addition, the Institute has one of the
world’s greatest collections of French Impressionists, Oriental Art, and
renowned sculptures and armor. Finally,
Chicago’s sometimes-fearsome January weather was a no-show. The temperature was in the mid 30s and
Chicagoland residents flocked to the Art Institute.
During setup, curious visitors stopped and commented
“Wow, electric trains”, “how long will they be here?” “Can we help?” “I had a
train like that one over there.”
By 10:30 a.m. CLRC was set to run its first
train. A gray 221 NYC locomotive
pulling three blue and silver passenger cars slowly circled the track. The audience “oohed and ahhed.” Soon other consists including a Santa Fe
Alco and a Boston and Albany steam locomotive were moving around the
layout. Both traditionally operated and
train master control trains were featured during the six operating
sessions.
Within a short period of time the crowd was four and
five deep. Little kids in front while
their bigger moms, dads, and grandparents stood in back. Club treasurer Bob Ciolino and his train crew
soon had the kids operating the trains. Within minutes, boys and girls were
operating hand held remote controls and trains were racing around the
tracks. Some even went so fast that
they left the tracks! Whistles and
horns blarred non-stop. Puffing smoke billowed over the layout. Operating accessories, including log
loaders, barrel loaders, culvert loaders, operating gatemen, the hobby shop,
crossing gates, and more thrilled one and all.
After several hours of non-stop operation, one of
the Art Institute’s curators informed President Koch that more than 1,000
visitors had come to the train exhibit.
By the end of the day, it was over 1200. Typical Saturday attendance at the Kraft Center is 200
visitors. This was only day one of six
run days. There would be five more
scheduled operating days. Between
January 5 and January 20, approximately 6,000 children and adults participated
in CLRC’s amazing world of toy trains.
Every kid, young and not so young, who “operated”
trains at the Art Institute earned a CLRC engineering certificate for
achievement in toy train operation. Since the only difference between boys and
girls and moms and dads is the price of the toys, many adults qualified as
“engineers.” The club distributed information about itself and about locations
in the Chicago area where trains could be watched, purchased, and repaired.
The experience of CLRC at Chicago’s Art Institute is
another chapter in the organization’s history of bringing the delight of toy
trains to the general public. For some, this rekindled memories of their own
past adventures with toy trains. For
others, it served as an introduction to the hobby. The run sessions became an
opportunity to gain new members. For
existing members, the experience served to reinforce and add to their enjoyment
of the hobby.
Many people say, “oil and water activities do not
mix.” The CLRC experience demonstrates
that those who enjoy spending an afternoon with artists such as Van Gogh and Gauguin
also enjoy the art of Lionel trains and accessories. Our experience tells us
that kids of all ages, gender and backgrounds like trains! Life is good.
  
|
|
