Huge HO layout at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry 

you know the layout is old when it still has the pre-earthquake waterfront of seattle

I'm from Chicago,, and have been to the museum many times in the 70's. I see it's changed a lot from watching your video. Thanks again, you two are great !

I have no words to describe this goliath of a museum. The HO train and City of Chicago exhibit is truly a Modern Marvel! It took me two full days to see the entire museum...and even then I had to "keep moving with my camera."

Awesome...visited Chicago in 2013..loved it..awesome.. Had no idea about this Museum. Loved the Chicago display

Thank you for your video and I am glad you had a great experience. I worked at MSI for 23 years as an Electronic Technician. I takes a great team of individuals and the organization as a whole to make those experiences possible every day. Please come back!

Thanks for sharing your video of this HO layout and the other information. I grew Up in Chicago and have visited the museum many times. I remember the old Lionel O Guage layout which previously operated within the museum. Appreciate your details presented.

I loved the O-scale railroad that was there in the 196-0s and 60s. I think it was funded by the Santa Fe Railroad with freight and passenger trains running. Scenery features included the Grand Canyon, orange groves, a detailed steel mill and, if you were really lucky to be there on a day they OPERATED the railroad, a working hump yard with actual operating retarders. There isn't very much information on what happened to that model railroad and only one or two pictures can be found inline. It was wonderful! I visited it as a little boy many times - my grandmother would take me.

The best thing about the model layout of Chicago is when you climb up to the next level where the actual passenger jet is housed. You can look down past the jet and the model looks like it is in perfect scale for 10,000 feet down. It is a truly masterful job. Like you said most of the model is not track, which makes it fairly unique and more realistic.

Grew up in the region and its fantastic seeing all the updates to the museum! Thanks

We used to hitch-hike all the way from Minneapolis to visit these museums in the early1960s!

Wow, what a nice tour! I visited Chicago and I went to the Field's Museum, the Aquarium, the Planetarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the main library and a wonderful mansion that belonged to a wealthy family that has been turned into a museum [can't remember the name], but I missed this museum and I dare say, this is the best! I have to go back to see this!

A credit to the people who actually built this layout and other great replicas in this museum.👍

Fantastic video I loved it Thank you for posting Have a wonderful day today

Amazing museum and exhibits! Thanks for showing! :) Jack

AWESOME!!!!! I really enjoyed your video and can't wait for more. Thank you for sharing and keep up the good work.

Well done! A nostalgic journey for me, as I grew up in Chicago, and first saw the museum, sub, and layout in 1959, when I was nine years old! 🤓 Many thanks!

Coming from someone who watches ALOT of youtube videos, your videos have an awesome charm to them. You're informative as well as funny. Keep it up

Having grown up in the part of the country.I been to the Museum many,many times.The layout is pretty new.The old layout was in o gauge maintained by the Santa Fe railroad.In the 50's when I was a little kid they ran steam engines.No computers in those days they ran it with block signals.Coal mine used to scare me.My have to take a road trip, live in Fla. now.Thanks for the video,brought back many memories.

Great video. Love the reference to the Blues Brothers. The last time I was at this museum, was when they still had the old O scale Santa Fe layout. That was back in '88 or '89. Loved the video.

I’m from Chicago and I didn’t even know some of the history you shared! I too model Ho scale trains Mainly UP C&NW and BNSF. Glad you enjoyed your visit a few years back

Great train set. Love the submarine

What a great educational video.Thanks for posting.

The museum of Science and Industry is tres neat! So cool! You did a neat job! So good and like you said you couldn’t see all of it in one day.

@Toy Man Television, good stuff here--and I especially appreciate your positive attitude and insightful commentary. As an aside, the last time I saw U-505 was either 1959 before my father was assigned to MAAG Taiwan or 1961 when we returned to the States. Thank you! Subscribed--and not only for the trains.

Been there, done that. Toured the U-505 several times when it was kept outside. Also been through the faux coal mine. Back in the day, admission to the Museum was free. I continued to have weird dreams about the Museum into my mid-50's.

This is the best railroad display I have ever seen! GOOD JOB!

Took my breath away. And you....Toy Man....your video production is top drawer. Glad I found your channel. By accident.

That museum was incredible! there was so much to see. I was so amazed to see everything that was there!

Another interesting Vid by you . Thanks . I bought the Great Train story DVD when they first did it, but its nice to see some of the other exhibits. Les

This is a wonderfully produced video!

"We're on a mission from God". LOL! Blues Brothers reference.

thank you for unlocking forgotten memories of that museum

I am quite impressed by the quality of your videos. Very well made!

Great Layout!!

Excellent video!

New subscriber here. I remember seeing this layout with my folks in the Summer of 1963. It has changed with the times, of course. Back then it was almost all Santa Fe, a bit less "urbanized," and had a definite Far Western Horizons flavor. But today they've done a good job showcasing BNSF to Seattle, with a good nod to UP as well. Glad to see they brought the U-505 indoors, and gave it such a dramatic display. The coal mine exhibit looks unchanged, which is as it should be. Thanks much for sharing this video!

Saw this in person and it is amazing.

Nice video, well done and very informative!

Your near my home town here, I've been to MSI a number of times when I was younger. They always has a number of cool exhibits, it's even more crazy in the winter, where the museum does "Christmas Around the World" displaying Christmas trees for many different cultures from various places around the world.

That museum is awesome. Going to haft to make it up there this summer.

Good to see Long-Airdox mentioned in the coal mine! I used to work for them. Thanks again for another awesome video

Great video! Me and the wife are planing on taking the southwest chief to Chicago from Los Angeles next year, we are definitely going to go to the museum now! We enjoy watchIng your videos!

wow this is beautiful!!!!!!!! thank you for your excellent videos !!!!!!!!

Dale, I'm so glad you and your wife visited the Museum of Science and Industry, and I hope you'll come back again so that you can stay for an extended time to see the whole, entire thing. There are a couple of other places in the general area you should see, too. One, is Railroad Park in Rochelle, IL. That's where the UP and BNSF railroads cross the diamond. They have a pavilion situated between the two lines, and it's a great place to take pictures! The other place you should see, and maybe heard of, is the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) located in Union, IL. It's the largest railway museum in the country. I go there with some friends about three times each year. I was just there yesterday, in fact. Admission is $14 for adults, and $12 for Senior Citizens. Those prices allow you to ride on the trains, trolleys, electric buses and trains they have running on certain days during your visit. Look it up on Google, and you can see many pictures of this fabulous museum! They have many barns where old executive rail cars, locomotives (steam and diesel) are kept, and a LOT of wonderful railroad memorabilia all over the place!

Thank you. Lou

I just fell in love with you two and your style, panache and extraordinary knack for sharing enthusiasm! 😂🍀❤️🌹 Oh, did I mention the surplus humor? You had me in stitches - stitches I tell you! You might ask a huge commission from the museum. I doubt they'll ever get better promotion than yours...

Thank you for another excellent video. As a suburban Chicago kid in the 1950's, I visited this place many times. Mom had to pry me away from the magnificent "Museum and Santa Fe" O scale layout that occupied 50 by 60 feet. Viewing it from the balcony was mesmerizing. It's a shame it couldn't be saved. It was built pretty much by one man, Minton Cronkhite, who was an excellent scratch-build train guy. Circa 1940, when it began, it had steam trains. When I saw it as a kid, it had only two trains running on a double track convoluted figure eight: a spectacular AT&SF stream-liner and an almost equally cool freight train. Twenty years ago, I saw the HO version. I suppose if you had never seen the old layout, nostalgia would not kick in and you would love it, but shucks, I couldn't do that, although I appreciated the new one, too. It has many fine features, but once you've seen the real Super Chief in person during its glory days, well, you know what I mean.Thanks again. This was really fun to watch.

You guys are dorks! Ha! Thx for another fun video. Marty

Dale, enjoyed this video very much. I would love to visit. I think you and Karyn looked pretty spiffy.

Thanks for all your interesting videos. I am always enter-trained by them (sorry, I had to say it).

Just a little update on the exhibition. One of the reasons It was white was that it was a Major Open house for electric lighting. It was also just what Nicola Tesla need to prove that AC current was better that Edison's DC system. At the time it was the largest usage of electric lighting. Just imagine an all white city with all of those classical structures, rides, fountains, huge statues, and streets kit with the old unfrosted bulbs. Also Tesla made his own lights as Edison would have nothing to do with it.

Toy man and wife. Thank you for the video. its good to see they add some suburban landscap. The next time your in town you must check out Beverly Shores. I can't recall the year, but there are houses that were barged over to the coast. many of them are being restored. Its a great trip to make. The lake looks fantastic. Especially with the the vintage houses. thanks again guys your great.

Simply stunning!!!!!

Once again what a video you spare no stops LOL thanks for sharing as always. 🙂Thomas over at The Model Hobbyist

Awesome video man!!!

If I come to Chicago I'll definitely visit that museum but it's a long way from Melbourne Australia.

OMG Nothing has changed since I was there in 1994! I remember getting a little Space Shuttle out of that Mold-O-Rama.

Went there while in BOOTCAMP. It's one of the best I've ever been to.

Fantastic museum!!!!!

I saw that back in December 1991AD I also loved the collection of Star Fleet Starships (Not sure if this is still present) I think I watched the HO Scale railroad for hours hehehe if you are in Chicago please do go to the Museum of Science and Industry (Also be sure to take in ALL of Chicago's Museums including the Natural History Museum (??? Not sure if this is the correct name) there are exhibits for everyone. (I loved the Submarine but when I was there she was still located outside) Nice channel too

Awesome well done video

THANK YOU!!! GREAT VIDEO - GREAT VOICES --- WHAT A TREAT!!! YOU MAKE RU-vid AWESOME!!!

Fun video...thanks!

Nice video! Thanks

love the blue brothers reference!

Great video Brother...:-)

I would like to point out that this HO layout replaced a long running O gauge layout sponsored by the Santa Fe ( later BNSF). I marveled at this train set as a child and young man. All the locomotives and rolling stock were hand made. The engines were so unique that when they finally ran themselves worn, they could not be repaired because the parts were not available. I miss it very much, the HO stuff just doesn't do it for me because you know the trains are store bought.

This museum is so far south of down town Chicago and museum row, that many people miss is. Yes, the Field Museum, Shed Aquarium, Planetarium, Grant Park, Millennium Park, etcetera are all interesting, but the Museum of Science and Industry has always been my favorite place to go since I was a little boy in the forties and fifties. The Illinois Railway Museum is a long way west of the city but it is a great place to go. With my interest in everything railroad (especially steam), I find it captivating! I think you will too.

If you guys ever are in N.C. You have to go to the transportation museum in spencer N.C. And little Choo Choo shops right across from it. It's unbelievable and words cant express how Awsome it is

oh wow that was cool from start to finish but i loved that mine what a neat huge place :) awesome clothes to they were really cool

Hello Mr. toyman, G I wish I knew you were here three years ago I would love to meet you go out to for lunch or something because I live in the suburbs of Chicago and Villa Park Illinois. Anyway enjoy your videos and be safe out there on the highway take care

This place is on my list still

wow, greats vídeo!!! thank you for information!!! regards from Argentina.

that's nice museum!

Well done.

Looks like a fascinating place Elwood!

I went here when I was a little kid, it is quite a good place to go, it’s a great place to go even if your not interested in model trains, or real ones for that matter

There was another German Untersee Boot exhibited in Chicago. This was after or at the end of WWI. When they were done with it they towed out onto Lake Michigan for Naval Reserve gunnery practice. It's still out there

Haha! I build steam locomotives out of Lego! Mostly New York Central or Union Pacific. Great video!

Great video, Jack and Elwood were cool (only a certain bossa nova background music was missing). This museum seems excellent, the U-Boot is well presented. But it didn't seems less spacious than the more modern Japanese sub I have visited. The HO layout is indeed huge, must be fun to program all these trains.

Really Really Nice! Holy Cr*p! As Harry Cary would say!

Nice tour guys! I was there July last year, spent the whole day there but could easily go back for another look! I was speaking to one of the guys who runs the layout, would you believe it is DC only, too much drama with DCC and decoders in all the locos. He said they manly use Kato and Atlas for reliability , with some Athearn thrown in and the locos do some amazing miles and don't last very long at all, even with regular maintenance and repairs!! I wonder where all the used ones go?????? would be some nice bodies out there..LOL Chicago was a bit daunting for an Aussie from a small city, but I loved it and would gladly go back for some in depth rail fanning! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Cheers Gregg.

Amazing

Wow this museum looks amazing, got me thinking you guys should go on a mission to that model airport in Germany

This is a very good and Interesting video

The Will County Model Railroad club which my dad is a member of volunteered to build some of the smaller buildings and structures along with some of the other Chicago Land area model railroad clubs. Also there is another Burlington Zephyr train set that is preserved in operating condition at the Illinois Railway Museum which was featured in the movie A League Of Their Own about the Rockford Peaches and the women's baseball league during WW2 that lasted all the way to the 1950s. I live in Rockford Illinois not too far from the Rockford Peaches old baseball park which some of it was preserved and is in the process of being restored. BNSF offered to restore the Zephyr train set that is at the Illinois Railway Museum and operated it on the BNSF from Chicago to Nebraska and back. =^.^=

L&MR Rocket was not just famous for the Railhill Trials. The locomotive incorporated 'new' engineering techniques to locomotives in 1830, which then became the mainstay of locomotive designs for the following 100+ years. Including; multitube boiler, exhaust blast pipe to help the fire burn and articulated motion. Engine was quicker, more powerful, and economic. Free steaming and could be prepared in quicker time. It was a prototype designed to win a competition. Within a month it was obsolete and sold to the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway following several modifications. The original is now at home in the Science Museum, Kensington, London.

Correction at 2:34 he points out the wrong building . A little more up and to the right

I was confused, it was PRR 7002 that set a speed record but was scrapped. A stand in was sent to Chicago for the RR fair.

Hello from Kansas 🇺🇸

Ain't nothing like the old Lionel Display.

Very detailed informative video. Thanks. One correction: the wheel was never sent to Paris. In fact the Paris World’s Fair happened in 1889 years before the wheel was constructed. However, after the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893, the wheel was setup again in Chicago at Clark and Wrightwood in 1895. It was finally installed at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 where it was subsequently demolished after that fair.

I like your style

From wikipedia....... The museum had an earlier model railroad layout, dating back to the early 1940s when Minton Cronkhite built the original Museum and Santa Fe Railway; a 2,340-square-foot (217 m2) layout in O scale.[1] This layout had over 1,000 feet (300 m) of track and over 20,000 hand-laid ties. The project was financed with a $58,000 grant from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Cronkhite began construction in 1939 and the exhibit made its public debut in January 1941. Much of the rolling stock and locomotives were hand built from scratch by Cronkhite using original Santa Fe plans. It featured Santa Fe’s southwestern freight and passenger operations, including a depiction of the Grand Canyon and quickly became a favorite with children and adults visiting the museum. In 1953 Central Locomotive Works owner Bob Smith rebuilt the layout in O scale and added several diesel locomotives. It was updated again in 1988 during a year-long effort once again financed by Santa Fe. Santa Fe transferred ownership of the layout to the Museum in the early 1990s. Wear and tear from six decades of continuous daily use gradually took its toll, and by the time of its demise the layout had only a couple of operating loops. The Museum and Santa Fe Railway was closed in May 2002.[2] That summer, the exhibit's surviving items - several original buildings, rolling stock (both used and surplus), and pieces of scale scenery - were placed into forty lots and sold in an eBay auction. The auction generated over $21,500 for MSI.

As much as I want the 999 to be the first, Flying Scotsman has proof, which to me disclaims both 999 and city of Truro. Great video by the way, especially u-505

I love ho scale trains I have a layout on the wall in my house

Did you see any of the Easter eggs like the cows referencing the Chicago Fire or the super heroes

looking dapper. i love suits. more of a vest guy personally. but very sharp look.

I been going there since i was a kid. I live about 40 minutes away from there. Grew up alot closer.

You would have loved the original O-scale model railroad. Only a couple of pictures are on the Internet. My grandmother took me often to visit that layout which, incidentally in addition to other features, had an operating hump yard with working retarders!