model railroads

An old obsession rears its head, thanks to a MetaFilter post about Peter Feigenbaum's urban model rail site. I will try to ride it out this time by simply creating the model_railroads category and linking to some informative sites. A dangerous, dangerous obsession.

The San Bernardino County Museum is putting on Train Days this coming weekend. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

If you love trains, this is the day to be at the Museum! Check out real train artifacts and play special train games with us! Visit the circus, operate a locomotive, and design your own railroad logo! Watch as model trains and trolleys steam past country scenery or zoom through the cities!

That's four exclamation points, so you know it's going to rock! ;D

It's the regular museum admission prices: $8 for adults, $6 for senior or military, $5 for students with ID, and $4 for kids 5-12. You can get a family museum admission for one year when you join the Museum Association for $40, by the way. Great deal, as they often have cool events.

I'm hoping to be there, elbowing children out of the way for a better view of the train layouts. ;D

Download PDF flyer.

A light railway that served a psychiatric hospital in East Sussex in the early 20th century. What's not to like? According to Wikipedia:

The railway was constructed in 1899 and opened to passengers on 20 July 1903, following its electrification in 1902. After the railway grouping of 1923, passenger numbers declined so significantly that the hospital authorities no longer considered passenger usage of the line to be economical, and the service was withdrawn. The railway closed to freight in 1959, following the hospital's decision to convert its coal boilers to oil, which rendered the railway unnecessary.

Even better, though, is one Philip Parker who has built a model of the railway.

I built the model because of the delightful drawing on the front of the book called “The Hellingly Hospital Railway” by Peter A Harding which aroused my interest in unusual railways. I also wished to build a model that could be transported on the back seat of my VW Beetle so the scenic section was limited to four feet long. The model is set during the end of the construction of the line. The contractors, with their own locomotive, are finishing their work and the electric locomotive and tramcar are running.

Gallery here.

Video of the largest model railway in the world. So awesome.

Big cats prowled London's tower

Two lion skulls unearthed at the Tower of London have been dated to Medieval times, shedding light on the lost institution of the 'Royal Menagerie'

US menus and Romans may aid future fish stocks

Americans scorned lobster until the 1880s while the ancient Romans loved fish so much that their catches depleted the Mediterranean, according to a study that may give clues about how to restore damaged world fish stocks.

Your choice of food

A survey has shown that the Japanese tend to eat a greater variety of different foods every day than Westerners (27 different foods a day whereas the recommended minimum in the West is 30 different foods per week); they are less prone to the 'diseases of civilization' - diabetes, heat disease and cancer - than Europeans, and their varied diet is thought to contribute to this.

Dieting Italian style

Let's face it: We Americans love Italian food, maybe more than anybody except Italians themselves. It started with pizza, which conquered New York shortly after World War II. Progressed to spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, lasagna. In the golden age still dawning, we have learned to savor an endless variety of regional dishes, from polenta to porchetta to zuppa de pesce. In recent years, too, we've been hearing the unbelievable -- that this food we love is good for us. This Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, tomatoes, pasta, can protect us against heart disease and cancer. Our infatuation bodes well for our health. Alas, something is lost in the translation. A simple dish of pasta is ladled with enough heavy cream to cramp your stomach. A pizza is paved with five kinds of meat, and four of cheese. We've taken the not-insubstantial fat content already present in Mediterranean food, and we've biggie-sized it, with a side of fries. Not exactly what the dietitians have in mind....

I have a question. Why does the Metrolink HO Model Locomotive cost $65? Don't collectors have to be able to afford collectors' items so that they can start collecting them?