Scale models and the enthusiasts who build them will be on hand Sunday, August 7, 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. The family-friendly museum admission, including the model show, is $5 for adults and seniors, and $4 for youths age three to 12.
The club members will be demonstrating their techniques and offering 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 ship builders 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 approval from management.
Building scale models is a hobby as well, and finds work in a range of scales that reduce locomotives, buildings, ships, and scenery to convenient size. However, as 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 operating 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 or call 585-533-1113.
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