Voting is open for next model in Miniature Railroad
Voting is officially open for the next model to join the Miniature Railroad and Village at the Kamin Science Center.
Votes can be cast once a day through July 31 at kaminsciencecenter.org. Visitors to the Kamin Science Center can also vote by using their general admission wristbands as ballots at a kiosk when exiting the museum.
This year’s nominees celebrate Pittsburgh’s nickname as the City of Bridges:
-Smithfield Street Bridge – Built in 1883, the Smithfield Street Bridge is the oldest bridge in downtown Pittsburgh at 143 years old. Designed by Gustav Lindenthal, this state-of-the-art lenticular truss bridge replaced the Monongahela Bridge, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1845. At 1,184 feet long, the bridge is one of the first in the country to use structural steel in its construction.
-Hot Metal Bridge – Completed in 1900, Pittsburgh’s Hot Metal Bridge was constructed by Edgemore Boiler Works in two stages. The railroad traffic side opened in 1887 and the side for carrying molten iron, now known as the Hot Metal Bridge, was completed in 1900. At peak production, the locomotives hauled 4,300 tons of molten iron across the river daily via the 1,174-foot bridge.
-Panther Hollow Bridge – Since 1896, Panther Hollow Bridge has been a feature of Schenley Park in Oakland. Henry B. Rust designed the bridge with the Shultz Bridge and Iron Works of Pittsburgh. The bridge represents an old and rare example of steel arch technology with a three-hinged deck arch.
The Miniature Railroad and Village has been a Pittsburgh tradition since 1954, when it was first displayed at the Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. The exhibit was created by Charles Bowdish of Brookville, who began building miniature railroad villages in 1919.
His intricate models quickly became a holiday favorite, eventually finding a permanent home at Kamin Science Center in 1992. Spanning 83 feet long by 30 feet wide, the Miniature Railroad features dozens of meticulously crafted models that celebrate local history pre-1940s.
The Miniature Railroad and Village is included with general admission to the Science Center. Visit KaminScienceCenter.org to learn more.