shilohmm wrote:The art museum up in St. Joe had a train layout for Christmas years ago -- totally cool, but they've never done it again. :( I do think that sort of thing is art, myself. :)
Not all model railroads
are art, but then neither are all paintings.
The great thing about model railroads is that they range from a circle of tinplate around the Xmas tree to large operations that meticulously copy in miniature the locomotives, cars, buildings, scenery, and even the operating rules of a seleted prototype. When done well, photographs can fool even a trained eye.
Personally, I think that a model railroad is a storytelling device. It can evoke a time, place, and mood as well as any other form of art, plus it's a moving device that shows how things change in real time. It's a popular hobby for Imagineers, I've met several over the years in the hobby, with John Olson probably being the most prominent.
And I think we all agree that when the Imagineers cut loose, the result can be exquisitely artistic. Think of your model railroad as a miniature theme park, and you're on your way!
Plus, anyone who thinks the Santa Fe was a class operation....