Miniature railroad & village fascinates kids, young at heart
PITTSBURGH – The S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel stands on top of a snow-covered mountain, recreated in its entire splendor as a new miniature in the Carnegie Science Center’s Miniature Railroad & Village. “There it is,’ points out exhibit manager Michael Orban. “That’s the way it stood in real life – on top of a hill. It’s incredibly beautiful, especially in that location.’
Now part of the famed miniature railroad at the science center, located on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, the original S.S. Grand View Ship was once located on Route 30, The Lincoln Highway, in Bedford County.
“The Ship,’ as it was affectionately known, was destroyed in a fire in 2001. But it was a famous landmark during its heyday with a guest log that boasted such celebrities as Clara Bow, George Burns, Joan Crawford, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Greta Garbo, Lillian Gish, Tom Mix, J.P. Morgan, George Raft and Mary Pickford, along with visitors from every state and 72 foreign countries.
According to information provided by the science center, Dutch immigrant “Captain’ Herbert Paulson purchased the 13-acre site 17 miles west of Bedford in 1923 and opened a roadside stand. At first state officials resisted the construction, believing that anything built on the property might slide off the side of the mountain.
After they relented, Paulson built a four-story hotel using a castle theme with an observation deck restaurant and gift shop on the top floor.
Paulson later decided to enlarge again and after noticing how the fog in the valley below resembled the sea, he began constructing the Ship Hotel over the top of the castle. Paulson added a fifth floor for 14 “first class’ hotel rooms and called the lower floors “second class’ and “steerage.’
Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy recreated The Ship in a miniature for the science center. It is a large white building that does resemble a ship with faded red awnings and green smoke stacks on the top. It flies a U.S. flag with 48 stars and when the railroad turns to night (as it does every several minutes) small lights glow in the front.
This is the second year that Murphy has built an exhibit for the famous miniature railroad. Last year, he turned the historic John Woods House – a 1792 structure that is considered the oldest stone residence in Pittsburgh – into a miniature.
The mayor has made a hobby of building miniatures for years and even took lessons from Charles Bowdish, the founder of the science center’s miniature railroad.
In fact, the science center is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the miniature railroad moving to Pittsburgh in 2004.
Orban said the science center is hoping to create some events and noted the Train Collectors Association of America will host a convention in Pittsburgh next summer. This is also the 50th anniversary of the association, which had its start in Strasburg, western Pennsylvania.
Bowdish began the miniature railroad in his home in Brookville, Pa., Jefferson County, in 1920, building it for his brother’s Yuletide wedding. The railroad became an annual event with people throughout the region coming to see it.
When a 1953 flood damaged the Bowdish home and the display, Bowdish was forced to find a new home for it. Buhl Planetarium in Pittsburgh agreed to take it over in 1954. The railroad remained there until 1992 when it was brought to the new science center.
Over the years, the miniature railroad has remained a holiday tradition with the science center staff unveiling two new miniatures annually just before Thanksgiving.
Orban said staff works on the new exhibits for about a year before they are placed in the display. The railroad is shut down for about two months each year – from the end of September until Thanksgiving – when repairs are made and the new models installed. About 350,000 people visit the railroad annually.
In recent years, the science center staff has sought to add replicas of actual structures and has reached out to include landmarks in as many western Pennsylvania counties as possible.
Fayette County has one landmark represented – Searights Tollhouse, which is located in Menallen Township along The National Road, modern-day Route 40. In the model railroad exhibit, the tollhouse is located near the baseball field and behind the podium from which the engineers run the trains. Any child who stops to toot the train’s whistle will be standing near the tollhouse.
Besides The Ship, this year’s other new miniature is a replica of The George Westinghouse Castle, a national landmark in Wilmerding that was once the general office building for the Westinghouse Air Brake Co.
According to science center materials, Westinghouse built the Westinghouse Air Brake Co. office building, also known as the “Castle,’ in 1890 on Marguerite Avenue. It had a swimming pool, bowling alleys, a restaurant and a library. Westinghouse’s office, along with those of his staff, was located on the third floor. It also had a tower that contained steel vaults on each floor.
Orban noted that Westinghouse had all valuable papers stored in the tower in case of a fire, and he was proved right when in 1896 fire destroyed the original building but the tower survived.
Westinghouse had 361 patents – including the air brake system, rotary steam engine and technology for generating and transmitting electricity – and founded 60 companies, including Westinghouse Air Brake Co., Union Switch & Signal, Westinghouse Electric Co., Westinghouse Machine Co. and Westinghouse Appliances.
Today, the George Westinghouse Museum is located in the old office building, which was added to the national Registry of Historic Structures in 1987.
Orban explained that railroad volunteer Velma Liveratti, who lives in Wilmerding, originally suggested recreating the Westinghouse building. But the structure was too big to display in the railroad. Then Orban later read a local history book on Wilmerding that showed the original portion of the building, which was constructed in 1890 and was small enough to be included. And even without the extension, built in 1926, the Westinghouse building takes up considerable space in the miniature railroad. The science center staff moved two generic tenement houses to provide a spot for the Westinghouse. The science center staff does extensive research on its new models, enlisting the help of local historical societies. In fact, Edward J. Reis of the George Westinghouse Museum came to a press preview for the new miniatures dressed as George Westinghouse.
Another volunteer suggested the science center make a replica of The Ship hotel and the idea was mentioned to Murphy, who at one time was thinking of buying the original structure.
The science center welcomes suggestions for new models and Orban recommended they be sent through letters. The staff looks for something that is a community symbol that is set in the time frame of 1890 to 1930, which is the setting for the miniature railroad.
“It doesn’t have to be a place. It can be an event like the women’s suffrage parade in 1914,’ said Orban, referring to the parade recreated for the miniature railroad’s town. Orban noted the new miniatures always provide the staff and volunteers an opportunity to talk about local history and technology.
“We have such a wealth of history in western Pennsylvania,’ Orban said. “It has changed the world, and there’s a lot to draw on.’
The miniature railroad remains a popular draw, especially this time of year.
“People have made it part of their holiday traditions,” Orban said.The Carnegie Science Center, located on Pittsburgh’s North Shore next to Heinz Field, offers free parking. For more information on hours and prices, phone the science center at 412-237-3400 or visit the Web site at www.CarnegieScienceCenter.org.