Ok, so I went to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn this weekend. I had heard that the standard gauge Carrail layout landed there. Apparently it hadn't because nobody seemed to know what I was talking about.
Well, somehow I could live with my grief because the collection under this roof IS astounding. Exactly as I remember it from when I was a kid only better. It has been updated and I actually appreciate it this time around.
Look, Michigan is a strange place. Ya gotta drive EVERYWHERE (mass transit is diddly in Michigan) and it is cold. It is also really spread out. The place is strip mall heaven (yes, I am being kind) and parts of Detroit aren't exactly friendly. And yes, they have casino gambling although I am not sure why (maybe they wanted to look more like Atlantic City?)
But ----
They have some very cool stuff there besides what's left of Lionel. And I mean alot of it. The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are two places you have got to visit at least twice in your life. There just is nothing like them.
If you haven't been there, here's a brief summary: Henry Ford was a sharp guy. He was lots of things to lots of people. Not everyone loved him but everyone recognized that he had vision. Henry Ford had a very strong sense of legacy and so does his current-day family. Ergo, this amazing museum and rather large village of buildings (both original and replica) outlines and highlites major inventions and transportation in the 20th century.
You cannot go anywhere and see the depth and breadth of mint items in appropriate settings like you can see them at the Henry Ford. I urge you to check out their website for visiting details. The museum itself is broken up into a couple of areas. Trains, Planes, Auto, Steam Power, etc..
Yes, I know, you want me to talk about 200 Series Truck Variations as well as late Classic Period Lionel Stamping technology. Take a gander at some of these pics and tell me that you don't want to fly into Detroit Metro to get a peak sooner than later! By the way, the above engine is an articulated and it is huge. Not many places where you can actually touch one of these things in real life. But wait, there's more.
M
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