Be Amazed by the San Diego Model Railroad Museum

· by · in San Diego, Travel. ·

Be prepared to be amazed by the realistic looking model railroads and model trains inside the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.

“At 27,000 sq. ft., the museum is one the largest indoor model railroad displays in the world and the only accredited railroad themed musuem in USA. The individual HO and N scale layouts are among largest of their type. Construction of the model railroads is accomplished by volunteer club members (approximately. 320). Each club is responsible for the design, construction, funding, and operation of its exhibit.”

I had a great time admiring the model trains and came away with a greater appreciation for this hobby and for their preservation of train history in California and the United States. Although we will not be playing with train sets anytime soon (I will rather ride the real thing), I love that we have museums like this one that keeps all the enthusiast (young and older) engaged. Hope you enjoy these pictures. 🙂

San Diego Model Railroad Museum | 1649 El Prado #4 | San Diego, CA

22 responses to “Be Amazed by the San Diego Model Railroad Museum”

    • Hi LC, that town does look very British, but there are so many towns there. They are all themed. Some are historical San Diego. Some have cowboys and indians, some are just valleys like the green one up there. I could only feature this one though… Since you are a photographer, you will notice that these aren’t exactly good shots of the place. Everything is blurry. I struggle to take pictures here as I am still learning how to take pictures of moving objects. So all the pictures are a bit blurred due to the moving train or it may just be me. 😦 Also, the other towns I do want to show are behind these glass partitions, so they reflect back and or have a glare. So there, these are the best of the lot in the pics that I took though they aren’t that great either…

      • Hey, I am not a photographer.
        Just an amateur.
        Define good photography to me.
        You see, beauty is in the eye of beholder.
        What makes good photos look good?
        That depends on how you see things, not what you take.
        I think so… Don’t you agree?

        The Natural History Museum of Geneva in Switzerland is really cool.
        They installed their glass partitions 45 degrees tilted inwards, to avoid any reflection or glare.
        Pretty clever, eh?!

        • LC, I think you take wonderful pictures, so for me, you are a photographer. 🙂 That 45 degree tilted glass to avoid glare is a very thoughtful thing to do. Thanks for the info.

  5. I (like most people) am fascinated by these things, and miniatures in general. Around Christmas time, it’s one of the things to enjoy in New York, at the MTA Museum and Botanical Garden. However the biggest and most detailed, that used to be displayed at the Citicorp Bldg., no longer is, for some (sad) reason. I know it sounds infantile but I think boys love this sort of thing. There’s also a video about a little miniature city in Germany, forgot exactly where, on YouTube. Thanks for stopping by at Colltales, by the way. Have a great day. W.

    • Thanks for the information. I have never been to any of the museums you mentioned and certainly never been to NYC during winter. Sounds lovely. I also don’t think it’s infantile that kids (esp boys) love model trains and such. I think it’s awesome. I saw a lot of retired “boys” and some ladies too there at that museum really enjoying the building and maintaing of the trains and such. Thanks for the youtube tip. That sounds like a delight. Have a great day! 🙂

  8. I used to be a member of the San Diego Model Railroad Society many years ago. They have the largest display in Balboa Park, with smaller displays by the La Mesa and Pacific Beach Railroad Societies.

    • I had no idea that you were a member of the SDMRS. That’s great! You must really like model trains. 🙂 So very impressed with the Balboa Park displays. Thanks for sharing that info.

      • I come from a railroading family. I think I’m the only one who never worked on the railroad but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy them. Here in San Diego I have access to the San Diego Trolley, Metrolink, the Coaster, Amtrak, and the Sprinter. I love it here!

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