Hey,Iwas just wonderin'...if there ever was or ever will be a US president who was a model RRer !!.Of course,if he or she built it in the White House it'd better be dismantlable in 4-8 years...But how cool would that be anyway,huh?..Or, Live Steam on the lawn !! Mark
As cool as that would seem, I would prefer that the president not be spending his limited time in office with an in depth hobby. I know how much time I spend on my railroad, often distracted from other things I should be doing. Sure, they could have it built for them but isn't construction of a layout a big part of MRR? Don't get me wrong, it would be a HUGE boost to the hobby if it carried a presidential endorsement. However it would not be appropriate for the leader of the free world to be seen "playing with trains" instead of tending to matters of state. Unfortunately I don't think it would be perceived as dignified. After he/she leaves office it would be "ok" as it is for any retiree. Sure would be great if it lived on in their presidential library for years to come after they are gone.
I think in view of the Prez playing golf, playing around his ranch, or any of the other 'engagements' we found out a Prez got to enjoy for 'relaxation', it would seem he could afford to have a layout the same as many CEO's do in their offices. It certainly would be entertaining to visiting Officials from other countries too. He wouldn't be expected to build it, building is only a part of the interest some people enjoy. Frank Sinatra didn't build his, but he enjoyed running it. There are many people who have the money, but not the time to build their own, who get just as much fun running as we do. Only difference is, we get old before we CAN run ours. I do not look down on our hobby as being undignified at all! And I AM a real railroader! Mark has a valid question here, and isn't political at all, it applies to any rich person who may not care to build in his spare time.
There have been several presidents who have had Lionel Christmas layouts in the White House but I can't recall any that ever have professed to actually be model railroaders (there have been several senators/congressman, however, who have). NYW&B
Perhaps no model railroaders in the Oval Office, but at least ONE recent resident has had a 1:1 scale diesel locomotive done up special for him. Currently on the UP, as the 4141, in Presidential colors. Of course, if you want a model railroader in the White House, you COULD vote for ME in 2008........... I'm all-inclusive when it comes to scales, and would have a multi-scalar layout (or several different layouts, a la Caboose Hobbies) to make everyone happy. "Friscobob for President"............has a nice ring, dunnit?
Its probably less desireable to have a toy train layout in the White House now that most trains aren't made in the US anymore....... If a terrorist attack ever succeeds when a sitting president is known to have a train layout, I shudder to think what the press would write! "The President, rumored to be at the head of his HO scale Amtrak layout, was caught totally off guard by the attack." For that matter, his opinion on Amtrak and other rail matters would be viewed as compromised.
I like Friscobob better than any of the other 23 candidates for prez in 2008. Let's start a campaign! :teeth:
"Let's go Frisco in 4-8-0" Works for me. Headlines: "Missiles Healed Toward Washington Shot Down by Lionel, 'Auto Defender Car' ". "To Save Space and Money President Pushes Bill Downsizing _everything to 1:160" "Micro Trains Declared 'Official American Railroad' "
WOOF,WOW,GEE,didn't mean to cause a flair up! I only meant..Hey,it'd be nice to learn the president is an avid MRRer..I'd rather know he's doing that than what so many do,play golf..The office isn't 24/7..They get lots of down time..W's on one as I speak...And as far as terrorist attacks; this Pres, if you recall,was reading children's books on 9/11/01..How good did that look?.Better he'd been IN the White House, at the layout in the basement, if you ask me...Mark
Hey, it will give him a new excuse the next time something is underwater or burning to the ground. "Govmunt response? naaawh I wuz playin with my trains!"
Well a railroad automatically comes with the job....Amtrak. I can tell our curent president doesnt like trains because he hasn't given Amtrak enough to operate on.
I'm not sure if this is relative to this topic and I've done a web search but came up empty. I seem to recall that the first model train was (commissioned/presented ?) to the head of state ( Czar, King ?) in Europe/Asia somewhere. This is a vague recollection so anyone should feel Free to provide any real information.
Well, there's plenty of room in the Executive Mansion part of the White House, the central part. Most people don't realize how big it is, 55,000 square feet, and that it has six floors: two sub-basements, the ground floor, the State Floor, and two residence floors.
This does sound familiar. Right now, I can't think of a resource to check for confirmation. Boxcab E50
Indeed, this was an item by the famous Faberge and commissioned by Czar Nicolas of Russia circa 1900. One of the czar's amazing Easter egg gifts to his family, this was the so-called Trans-Siberian Railway Egg. The egg's exterior was engraved with a map of the route of the Trans-Siberian Rwy, wherein each station stop was marked with a precious jewel. The egg contained within a mavelous removable miniature replica of one of the railway's trains, including a locomotive made from platinum and gold, plus five tiny golden coaches! Even more extraordinary was the fact that the tiny locomotive contained a mechanism which allowed it to actually run under its own power! NYW&B
Ah, the Toys of the Rich and Famous. I wonder what happened to it after the revolution? I doubt if its disposition was high on the Czar's priority list......:sad:
If it still exists, and location is unknown, someone is sitting on a BIG chunk of change! mg: Boxcab E50
