Mack Lowry - Railways of America Largest Model Railroad Layout In The World In Cuyahoga Falls Ohio In 1974 Model Railroader Pictures

I was there many times in the mid /early 70's.  I have several photos and post cards of the layout somewhere in storage.

They also had a semi circle of 1:1 track wrapping the property with display equipment.  After the place shut down some of the collection was on display at Checker Board Square in downtown Akron.

My memory says there were hoards and hoards of 0 scale equipment!!  Maybe a hundred or more brass engines both painted and brand new gold beauties.

I too would like to revisit the layout in the TV program.

So what happened to the layout? 

Perhaps an email to programming regarding archived footage would help

http://static.wkyc.com/contact-us/

What a layout!

Amazing, I lived the first 25 years of my life in Cuyahoga Falls and never heard of it.  There is a facebook group "you know your from Cuyahoga Falls when" that have some members of the historical society.  They are always posting vintage photos and bits of information.  I will put this out to them and see if anyone has any info on it.

The model railroad collection went to Quaker Square in Akron as did some of the full size equipment. It served as a backdrop to a railroad-themed restaurant (Victoria Station?). About four or five years ago, Quaker Square fell on hard times. The restaurant and shops closed and the model RR collection was sold at auction. I don't know what happened to the equipment. The original building housing Mack's layout became a discount furniture store.

Tom...

First, what issue of Model Railroader are the photos above from?

Secondly, I recall seeing photos of Mack's trains....but as I recall they were running above commercial store displays...something like a men's wear store, or something.  I remember the same article had photos of several of the engines in his massive collection.

Lastly, this sort of 'Whatever-happened-to.....?' inquiry has always intrigued me.  There are so many great layouts of the past, great craftsmen of the hobby, iconic names who really changed the hobby for the better, the folks who challenged us to dream and build.  One such layout...again from the pages of Model Railroader...was a fellow who had a beautiful layout, beautiful hand-crafted engines, many of the Norfolk & Western type,.....and it was all in OO scale!!!!  Then there was another issue of that magazine that featured a layout in England that had some of the most beautiful, immaculate, sweeping track work I had ever seen....and have never seen rivaled since.  I believe in was in O gauge, too.  The track had been hand laid, bullhead rail mounted on 'chairs', .....absolutely flawless.  The cover photo of that issue was worth a stare, the article photos jaw-dropping. 

So what happened to these?    .....and others?

As diligent as the hobby journals have been in digging out the history and stories of the major manufacturers...most notably Lionel and Gilbert...it would make wonderful press....IMHO....to give some closure to a few of those memorable layouts that graced the pages past.  Lord knows, as rag-tag as the remnants of documentation/knowledge might be with each passing day, some photos and oral recall might be lost forever by now.  

And, yet, when we talk about the aging demographics of the hobby, I'm reasonably certain that someone somewhere knows...but not for much longer...just enough about an iconic layout or two that to re-tell and bring closure would make great reading.  Of course, not everyone with that sort of info has the initiative to write and assemble a story.  That's where a simple letter to the professionals...."I have some photos, knowledge, stories about so-and-so's layout that once was published in XYZ magazine.  Do you have an interest in seeing/hearing?"...might be appropriate.

Just a thought....

KD

I'd love to see an up to date article on that layout.

Article on the remaining parts of the railroad. 

http://www.ohio.com/news/railr...up-for-sale-1.204020

Tom Sr. here. I knew Mack Lowry personally for quiet a few years. As my son said, I have quiet a few buildings from that layout. Including the Chuch you see in the picture. The layout was there till 75 or 76. When he sold part of it to Quaker Square. Which if you went there, it was a small part of what he had. It seems like after years that have gone by, there has been no mention of this layout, which confuses me why. There are articles, there are post cars, and there is a site which is Railways of America, which could show you partially the auction that happened a few years ago, what was left of the collection. I hope we can get more information on this and more pictures. It's one of those things, when I was younger, I should of and didn't take pictures cause I thought it would always be there. Tom Elesh Sr.

I was sent these by one of the members of the facebook group "you know your from Cuyahoga Falls when"  Some of them are from the actual layout and others from the auction when selling the railroad off at Quaker Square.

Cool photos, Bryan

Great find Bryan - Many thanks!!!!

this is from aug of 1974 model railroader. I used to belong to the western reserve O scale club years back. which mack and Al stauffer were a big part of.its just I would like to let people know that this large massive layout in cuyahoga falls oh was real. when I open my layout soon you will gwt a chance to see some of the buildings     Tom Elesh Sr.

There was also an article about Mack in the September 1955 issue of MR. It mentioned and had photos of the layout in his clothing store as well as his home layout.

Jim

i had seen the building on state rd several times ,but never took the time to stop. as mentioned in prior posts, part of the layout survived at quaker square in the eatery[ i want to say it was called the depot rest. ,but iam not sure on that]  that was next to the tracks. the scratch -built rolling stock and buildings i saw were really very well done. macks layout was truly one of premier collections of of the 50s-70s era.-Jim

A group of us from the DC area stopped to see the display while returning from an O Gauge National Convention.  The display was very large but disappointing from the perspectives of scenery (none) and running quality. At least once Mack had to climb up and walk on the layout to rerail or push stalled trains.  

On the wall he posted a profile of the collection - over 500 Joe Fischer passenger cars and tens of Bill Lenoir custom built locomotives.  After he retired to Florida Mack would be found at TCA for several years with tables filled with the equipment for sale.  I was interested in a PRR K5 he had and was shocked by how he handled the valuable locomotives.  They were stacked one on top of one another rolled in newspaper.  He would unroll and handle them like the guys elsewhere in the trading hall selling common postwar Lionel.  At the time train money was tight and I passed on the K5 (possibly Lenoir) as he was asking $550.  At the time USH K4's were going for around $300 so I passed on the K5  - big mistake!

Ed Rappe

Thanks Jim P. I found that issue of MRR on the Internet and I'm getting that in the mail soon. Can't wait to read that article and see those pictures. Once I see the magazine I'll probably take a some pictures of those pictures and captions in the magazine so everyone can see. And thanks to my dad for knowing the wonderful history of this massive layout of it's day. Also as to what Keystone Ed mentioned, yes there was no scenery. From reading the article in that issue I have from 74, they mention the reason for no ballast on the track is because Mack says of how large the layout is, you won't even see the ballast.