Miniature Railroad & Village facts for kids

The Miniature Railroad & Village (MRRV) is a huge and detailed model train display. It shows what western Pennsylvania looked like between 1880 and 1930. This amazing display has been a favorite in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for over 50 years. You can find it today at the Kamin Science Center.

History of the MRRV

A model of the Bowdish Homestead, a building that was once real, on the MRRV display

The idea for the MRRV came from Charles Bowdish (1896–1988). He was from Brookville, Pennsylvania. Charles was a soldier in World War I. But doctors found he had a heart problem. He was sent home and started building models of buildings in his hometown.

Every Christmas, Charles would set up his models at his house. He added Lionel trains running through them. On December 24, 1920, he had his brother's wedding at his house. He entertained the guests with his train display. One guest, Alfred Truman, asked if he could bring friends to see it. Soon, almost 600 people showed up! Because of this, December 24 is known as the start date of the exhibit.

Moving to a New Home

Charles kept showing his railroad every Christmas. Each year had a different theme, like a "White Christmas." The railroad took up his whole second floor. He never charged money to see it. Thousands of people visited over the years, even from other countries.

But two things made Charles look for a new home for his display. First, a flood almost ruined his stored models. Second, his insurance company would not cover the large crowds anymore. He first offered it to Brookville, but the town said no.

Eventually, he offered it to the Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in Pittsburgh. This place was later called the Buhl Science Center. The Buhl offered him space. The exhibit opened there on December 1, 1954. It ran until December 31. During that month, 23,885 visitors came to see it!

Growing and Changing

The display was first 14 feet by 14 feet. It was called The Great Christmastown Railroad. In 1957, it was renamed The Miniature Railroad & Village. It became very popular right away. It was, and still is, a big holiday attraction in Pittsburgh. The MRRV was in the basement. Sometimes, the line to see it would go out the door and around the block. People would wait up to four hours!

Later, the display was open from the first weekend of November to the last weekend of February. Then it was taken down and stored. This was because the space was needed for the yearly science fair.

On January 1, 1987, the Buhl became part of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. The Buhl staff wanted to make the science center bigger. They wanted to bring in large traveling exhibits. Joining the Carnegie Museums helped them get the money to do this. The Buhl closed on August 31, 1991. The Kamin Science Center opened on October 5, 1991.

The new building had a special room just for the MRRV. The bigger and better Miniature Railroad & Village opened in the fall of 1992.

What You See at the MRRV

The replica of the Sharon Steel Mill, a very detailed model

The current display is huge! It is 83 feet long and 30 feet wide. That's 60% bigger than the first one. Five different loops have Lionel trains running on them. One Bowser trolley travels through the town. All these trains and the trolley run all the time.

A Living History Book

The new display was designed to be like a big, moving history book. It shows the historic and educational importance of Pittsburgh and the areas around it. The scenes show how people worked, lived, and played between 1880 and 1930.

These years include parts of the American Industrial Revolution. They also cover the Victorian and Edwardian times, the Gilded Age, World War I, the Roaring 20s, and the start of the Great Depression.

All the models you see are made by hand. Staff and volunteers create them. They are copies of real buildings from Western Pennsylvania. The display has the biggest steel mill model ever made in O scale. It's the Sharon Steel Mill from Farrell, PA. It was built using the mill's actual blueprints!

Smart Technology and Maintenance

Experts helped make the new display look very real. For example, a professor from Harvard designed the lighting system. It makes the lights change like the Sun moving and real daylight. A smart computer system controls the whole display. A company called Opto 22 provided the system. This company also supplies control parts to NASA and Disney World!

Every year, two months before Thanksgiving, the display closes for maintenance. During this time, new models are put in. Sometimes, new moving parts are added. These new parts are built earlier in the year. Old models are sometimes put back in too. The scenes are updated, and the whole display gets a very careful cleaning. The exhibit reopens the day after Thanksgiving.

Collectible Boxcars

Since 1999, Lionel has made special collectible boxcars and a caboose. These are part of the MRRV series. Each year, the boxcar has a unique design. These limited edition cars can only be bought at the Kamin Science Center's XPLOR Store. Lionel also made a special Sub car for the Kamin Science Center in 2002.

Historic Buildings and Scenes

• 1869 Indiana County Courthouse
• Lakemont Park's Leap-The-Dips roller coaster
• Luna Park Entrance
• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television show house
• Rachel Carson Homestead
• Sharon Steel Corporation mill
• George Westinghouse Castle
• John Roebling's house and workshop
• Forbes Field
• Fallingwater
• Original Heinz Factory

Facts and Figures

• The display is 83 feet long by 30 feet wide.
• Over 250,000 handmade trees are planted on the display.
• There are over 100 handmade moving parts, not counting the trains. These make the display feel alive.
• There is over 1500 feet of track, all from GarGraves.
• Real water is used, with boats floating down powered by magnets.
• Other real materials used: Coal, coke, limestone, and iron ore.