scale could stand for ENORMOUS scale. It is modeling in a size range that is im- practical or unaffordable for 99.999% of all model railroaders, with models that get up in the range of ¹⁄₃ or more of the size of the prototype. In “E” scale the size and expense of the infrastructure to operate on appropriate scale railroad track would approach the cost of comparable installations in narrow gauge railroading. Consequently, models in this size range are usually produced as display items for parade or trade show use, constructed to fit on truck or bus frames, and designed to carry a driver who may or may not be anywhere near the loca- tion that the engineer would occupy on a locomotive. The railroad industry leader in model railroading in “E” scale was the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD), located in La Grange, Illinois. The construction of large locomotive models for use in parades and public events was a very logical move for EMD, considering General Motors long-time involvement in Charles Kettering’s “Parade of Progress” exhibit which traveled through- out the United States in special bus-like vehicles. In the darkest days of the Great Depression, Ket- tering had convinced GM management to produce a traveling display of the company’s technology and products modeled after their Science and Technology exhibit built for the 1933-1934 Chicago Worlds Fair. The pre-war “Parade of Progress” was well received but was discontinued after 1941 due to World War II. It was so successful that it led to a similar program started after World War II that used twelve “Futurliners,” a very streamlined and distinctive bus with large side panels that opened to reveal displays which were provided with lighting from a Detroit Diesel generator for night time viewing. The Futurliners were also equipped with elevated lighting bars that were ex- tended up on supports above the vehicle to light the surrounding area for the public. Electro-Mo- tive participated in the parade with their own exhibit, featuring shallow silhouette models of their latest locomotives that moved to the sides to reveal a rolling viewing screen telling the history of the GM division and displayed images of their products. The post-war Parade was introduced in 1953 and retired in 1956.
Modeling in “E” scale “E”
At the height of dieselization of the U.S. railroads in the early 1950’s, Electro-Motive took their own public display ideas an enormous step forward with the building of a very large scale 4-6-2 Pa- cific type steam locomotive model. This locomotive was as reasonably accurate a rendition of the prototype as was practical, considering that it would be operated on public streets during parades. Numbered 1936, for the year the EMD La Grange plant was first opened, the locomotive was let- tered for the “Pre-Diesel R. R.” and was used to represent the “old” technology of railroading. The companion to 1936 was a similarly-scaled model of the GM Aerotrain locomotive GM-T1, also a very accurate representation of the prototype. The more “automotive” styling of the Aero- train allowed the model to be much more conventional in arrangement than the companion steam locomotive. The two locomotives generally appeared together at public events and surviving photos show them at state fairs, railroad industry trade shows, and in town parades in the Chicago sub- urbs on national holidays. They were also displayed at the EMD plants in La Grange, Illinois, and Cleveland, Ohio, during open house events. The representation of locomotives on a highway vehicle chassis presents an interesting design problem, as the supporting vehicle still has to be able to function and ride properly, being able to negotiate pavement profiles while entering parking lots or being parked for storage in the plant buildings. The simulated railroad wheels and trucks had to have enough road clearance to do this while still looking presentable as a display. The steam locomotive appears to have had the wheel arrangement of a farm tractor with two wheels close together under the steam chest, and it may have been built on a lengthened tractor chassis, while the Aerotrain probably used a more conven- tional truck or bus chassis. Considering the limited visibility available for the driver and the lack of suitable automotive lighting and accessories, it is likely that both models were transported longer distances to display events on heavy-equipment trailers and then moved under their own power for parade use or positioning in displays.
While models of this size are generally confined to advertising and public relations uses, their pur- pose is remarkably similar to scale model railroading. They provided entertainment and a point of in- terest designed to capture the attention of the viewer in much the same way that a model railroad does, while portraying prototype equipment in a size that was practical for the available space and intended use. The exact fate of the 1936 and its Aerotrain companion is unclear, they probably were disassembled by the 1960’s, but they provide a fascinating look at model railroading in “Enormous” scale. PRESTON COOK
40 APRIL 2011
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