Scale models and the enthusiasts who build them will be on hand Sunday, August 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the New York Museum of Transportation hosts members of the ROC City Scale Modelers. The work on display will include planes, ships, military armor, autos, and even space and science fiction. Admission, including the model show, is $5 for adults and seniors, $4 for youths age three to 12.
Club members will demonstrate their techniques and offer tips for aspiring modelers, covering a range from beginner-level kits to sophisticated scratch-built dioramas.
Scale models have been used for commercial purposes over the centuries, such as when inventors filed patent applications and shipbuilders sought funds from royalty for new vessels. Similarly, today, no new automobile or high-rise office building gets the go-ahead without the use of scale models to assist in the design work and secure approvals.
Building scale models is a hobby as well. Work in various scales reduces locomotives, buildings, ships, and scenery to a convenient size. However, as the size gets smaller, so do the details. This calls on the skills and creativity of the modeler to reproduce these details at a level that passes close scrutiny. When recreating a historic vehicle or scene, care also must be taken to accurately recall correct colors and markings, often requiring extensive research through photographs, library files, and even museum visits.
The New York Museum of Transportation offers several model railroads to augment the ROC City Scale Modelers’ show. It also features full-size trolley cars, highway, and horse-drawn vehicles, a steam locomotive, and the Midtown Plaza Monorail.
The museum is located 20 minutes south of Rochester at 6393 East River Road in Rush, one mile north of Rt. 251 (I-390 exit 11). For information, visit www.nymtmuseum.org, email info@nymtmuseum.org, or call 533-1113.
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