When I saw the recent photo posted by member @pentax man;
The old time model train. - PentaxForums.com
I started looking around, and did find this model.

I purchased it in the early 1970's, during my grad school days. The German maker claimed that it modeled a GE-built U30CG; there were problems in that only six of the real thing were made, all for the Santa Fe Railroad, but thousands of us purchased this model, simply because it was one of the few of this scale {the model is about five inches long} that actually ran at the time.

If you now move forward in time to the early 1980's, I was now teaching Computer Science at a small college. One semester, I taught a course entitled "Modeling and Simulation" to a class so small that it met in a conference room of our library. I brought this model the first day and we talked about how it differed from the real thing {plastic body, electric motor, shape of 'couplers', paint job,....} how it was similar to the real thing {shape of body, function of 'couplers', ....}, and what could be reasonably modeled using it. On the way out of class I encountered the College President and had to explain why I was using this in class.

[ashurbanipal]

I've always been fascinated with model trains (well, any models really!), but my funds have always been diverted to other hobbies. I remember when I was a kid the local hobby store had a display case along one wall that went nearly to the ceiling, filled with model train cars and engines. N scale intrigued me the most, since I figured it was small enough that I could have a layout that I could keep confined to a single room without feeling overly compromised. Thanks for sharing both the picture and the story--sounds like an engaging lecture!

[reh321]

I've always been fascinated with model trains (well, any models really!), but my funds have always been diverted to other hobbies. I remember when I was a kid the local hobby store had a display case along one wall that went nearly to the ceiling, filled with model train cars and engines. N scale intrigued me the most, since I figured it was small enough that I could have a layout that I could keep confined to a single room without feeling overly compromised. Thanks for sharing both the picture and the story--sounds like an engaging lecture!

Well, there weren't enough students to 'lecture' - just me at the 'board' writing our ideas and five of them passing the model back and forth as we talked. Incidentally, the hand-rails at front and back of the locomotive were "too thick", but that, and the absence of any other handrails, is why I felt safe with our handling it all class. We even managed not to drop it.

[ashurbanipal]

Well, there weren't enough students to 'lecture' - just me at the 'board' writing our ideas and five of them passing the model back and forth as we talked. Incidentally, the hand-rails at front and back of the locomotive were "too thick", but that, and the absence of any other handrails, is why I felt safe with our handling it all class. We even managed not to drop it.

Ah, that's even better than a formal lecture! Glad it survived.

[Vmax911]

Hey I have a N-scale loop that's sat unfinished for years!

[reh321]

Hey I have a N-scale loop that's sat unfinished for years!

Well, Winter is supposed to be a time of finishing not-yet-finished indoor projects!

[grog85361]

Great story! Thanks.

[reh321]

Great story! Thanks.

and thank you for your compliment!!

[Vmax911]

Well, Winter is supposed to be a time of finishing not-yet-finished indoor projects!

You are correct, it is "supposed" to be. Other things always tend to get in the way!

[Archimedes the Dog]

Great story! I still intend to have an N-gauge railroad someday, when i have the space.

[reh321]

Great story! I still intend to have an N-gauge railroad someday, when i have the space.

Thank you for the comment.

Yes, N scale is the scale to think of when space is tight - which is exactly why I purchased this equipment while a grad student {but now I never seem to have the time, even when 'retired'}