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Mister Rogers Model Trolley Layout!

23K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  tjcruiser 
#1 ·
White-collar worker


On the spur of couriousity, what scale did Mister Rogers use for his Neighborhood where the Bakery, the Music Shop and his television House were? And what scale did he use for the Neighborhood of Make Believe models in the Kitchen, and his "real" trolley to the Neighborhood. I'm most courious about the layout and the kitchen models for myself (want to recreate it partially), and the "real" Neighborhood Trolley from the living room, as a Summer model for my Papa's Garden Railroad. Would a Tyco Trolley be a good start, to recreate the Neighborhood Trolley for the first two? They look very alike.

Seriously, I've always wanted to have the models, since they really inspired me, and he helped me learn about life. He never talked down to children, like on all the other shows, and trancended age barriers (My 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher. Who was an Army Vet, who was stationed in Germany in the 1970's or 1980's, used to search for Fred on the television, when he got mad, and he told our whole class that; their words still weigh on my mind, day to day.). Fred Rogers, no matter what is said, is a great man, who's legacy, is encouraging us to be better, thinking, doing, living people, than be mindless drones, that media makes many of us today. Thank you sir.

So, any advice for incorporating the Neighborhoods of Mister Rogers into my Modeling efforts? And one other thing, this is for all to enjoy! - :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFzXaFbxDcM&feature=player_embedded

The latest viral video on the web! He's still got it. - :D
 
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#3 ·
This won't help but a copy and paste,

Rogers used simple songs and, on nearly every show, segments from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe (NOM) to make his point. A scale-model trolley was often (but not always) used to segue into the Make-Believe segments, said neighborhood being inhabited by puppet characters including King Friday XIII, Lady Elaine Fairchild and Daniel Striped Tiger.

Here is a picture of him with a piece of the neighborhood almost looks like HO houses & the trolley? Maybe S? Looks too small for O and too large for HO.
Came from a wiki,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers'_Neighborhood

Games Recreation
 
#4 ·
The layout itself was HO scale, the trolley on it was a modified TYCO Brill. It had no motor but was instead pulled across the layout by a string that was operated by a stick underneath. It was a successful, unauthorized surprise installed by one of the TV crew between seasons that Rodgers fell in love with the moment he saw it. The larger one was scratchbuilt by a well known model maker of the day and electrically operated on approximately 3-4" gauged track. There is a life sized one in an amusement park in Pennsylvania that was dedicated by Mr. Rodgers when it opened. There is an article in Model Railroader magazine on it that caused a furor equal to any on graffiti about the appropriateness of it in a "serious" hobby rag.
 
#5 ·
Cool I am headed over to Model Railroader.:D

A picture for gurrruu,
Do you think the trolley he is holding is G scale?

The real one.

Transport Vehicle Botanical garden Building Leisure


Sitting
 
#6 ·
the one he is holding is certainly g-scale. I wonder if it was a scratch built item made by the prop house. Perhaps you could contact the production company (if they are still around) or maybe a PBS Network would have the info in their archives
 
#7 · (Edited)
Thanks Guys!!!

Thanks Guys; I thought there was a similarity to the two, and I've always wanted to visit Idlewild, and I can't believe that I was right on the money. What Model Railroader issue was that, that had Fred in it? I want to get it for my archive. - :D - If any resource would serve vital, it would be that issue, or did I misinterper?
 
#8 ·
Don't know exactly what month or issue, but I remember reading that article. Shay summed it up nicely. I began watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood again because of that article.
Funny the fury that article sparked. Bunch of uptight stuffed shirts that don't know how to have fun with their trains. I quit reading Model Railroaded after they removed "Model Railroading is Fun" from the masthead. Apparently it isn't supposed to be fun, rather, a job that none of those clowns could get in real life so they play work to make themselves feel like somebody.

Sorry. Rant over.

If you build it Guru, we wanna see!
 
#11 ·
Hello friends!
This is my first post and I wanted to say how excited I am to see a mention of Mr. Roger's trolley. I grew up watching the show and always had a fascination with the trolley! I've seen a lot of photos of the trolley over the years, but I've never seen anyone post a picture of the mechanics of it. I've seen a lot of trains and things but I've never seen a setup like this. Is this something that was scratchbulit too?

Matthew :)
 

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#12 ·
Matthew, you are briliant! Welcome to the forum; where did you get that image? Yes, Mister Rogers comes up once in a while here. Thanks for this little, very insightful photo. - :)
 
#13 ·
Thanks! That photo is actually a screecap from a 1970 episode.

Most people don't know that the trolley that we have all come to know is actually the second that the Canadian model maker made for Fred. The original is a lot different and has an alternate spelling of neighborhood ("Neighbourhood") on its roof. When the show moved to the U.S. the trolley we know was made for the 1968 series.

Neither trolley was built with a motor. They were originally pulled by a string by a crew member. The only one that was motorized is the classic red one we all know. I'm guessing that the unique drive mechanism was created to fit the already designed wheel block.
 

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#19 ·
Satires and Butternut Square!!!

How did that fly under Fred's radar??? If Burger King can't get away with Mister Rodney, and the kids are asleep while Eddie does his satire while the kids are in bed, how does Johnny get away with it? Like Eddie? Who knows? - :confused:

Further on, does anybody have Fred's Butternut Square trolley pictures?
 
#21 ·
How did that fly under Fred's radar??? If Burger King can't get away with Mister Rodney, and the kids are asleep while Eddie does his satire while the kids are in bed, how does Johnny get away with it? Like Eddie? Who knows? - :confused:
Fred loved parodies of himself, he just didn't want products or the appearance of an endorsement associated with his name, especially fast food.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Here's a link to my little layout. I have another one of these started and the wheels will look more realistic when completed. This was my first project and I learned a lot while doing it. The next one should be much better once I find the time to finish it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTPkh1MGRIA

I was surprised when a TV production company contacted me and asked if they could use a clip from my video for a commercial that they were working on for the Indian Flower and Patio Show last year. Here is a link to that video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v37gcZCI6DI
 
#25 ·
Man I know the real one in PA I have been going there sence I was a littel boy. Everytime we would go back and see my family we would go to idawild park. I was great. I hope to be able to take my little girl there sometime. We are in obx NC right now and are going up to PA for a day or so. I might have to try and take her this time. For anyone who has not saw it you should make the trip. You would think that you where really on the tv show. If I get to take her I will try and get some pic and put up here for you guys to see.
 
#28 ·
I am trying to find the layout for Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, and contrast it with a "Southside of the tracks/Mr. Robinsons Neighborhood (Eddie Murphy of SNL fame), but I only found photos of Mr. Rogers layout...http://www.askbiography.com/Image/Entertainment/Television/Mister_Rogers_Neighborhood.jpg
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...pvt=Mr.+Rogers+Model+Neighborhood&FORM=IQFRML
I also saw a photo that looks like a model of "the Southside of the tracks" neighborhood, but it was photo editing...http://www.flickr.com/photos/dicksoto/3252458725/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/dicksoto/3252458725/

Dave
 
#31 ·
Does the model look like the buildings in PGH? I've actually gotten written permission to make my layout in Lego :) They've provided me with some screenshots too. I've done a rough drawing of the layout but I'm wondering if anyone can suggest an easy digital tool for making my layout? I don't need it to any particular scale, just want to get the buildings, trees, roads put on there. Probably the colour etc.
 
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