Model Railroading > Not OT: RIP, Stephen Hawking: child model RRer

Stephen Hawking has passed away, one of the most brilliant minds of the past 100 years, and an avid model railroader as a child! That is why this thread is not "OT". He describes his childhood love of model trains in his autobiography, "A Brief History of Me". He really wanted a model train that would run by itself -- an electric train set, and did not get one until his father brought a simple [Lionel?] train set back to England from America.

I had no idea Hawking ever had any interest at all in anything related to trains until I read the first part of his autobiography tonight. You just never know what famous person may have liked this wonderful hobby!

There is a picture in Hawking's book (on page 12) that shows the American electric-powered train set, and the locomotive looks like some kind of streamlined Eastern US steam locomotive. He absolutely loved that train set! (He later got into model planes and boats. Jut liked to see things move, and figure out how systems worked.)

We have lost a giant. I am beyond grateful for what he contributed to our knowledge of the universe. And I am delighted that he loved model trains as a child.

R.I.P., Stephen Hawking.

Interesting, thanks Margaret! Besides his scientific contributions I really enjoyed his presence in TV shows (Star Trek and Big Bang Theory) and the ways he reached out to try to teach us all.

- tum

Thanks Margaret. I did not know that either. May Steve enjoy his much deserved rest.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Model Railroading AND the idea of a doughnut shaped universe (as explained to Homer Simpson). Two more things to like about the guy.

Hawking spent a lot of time telling people there is no God and that the universe was created from nothing, or from something very small. I guess he'll find out if he was right now.

The set is mad by marx

Someone once said he would rather believe in God and when he died find out there is none than to not believe in God and when he died find out there is one.

Love those Marx tinplate trains! That's how I got started in about 1941...
No where near accurate but lots of fun!!

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

RRTom Wrote:
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> Hawking spent a lot of time telling people there
> is no God and that the universe was created from
> nothing, or from something very small. I guess
> he'll find out if he was right now.

Actually, if there is no God and we return to the basic elements that formed us, then he nor any everyone else will ever have an answer to that question.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/18 17:39 by ATSF3751.

If there was no God then how would there be a red and silver Warbonnet paint scheme?

Santafes95 Wrote:
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> If there was no God then how would there be a red
> and silver Warbonnet paint scheme?

Awwwwww.....I like that! Or a Daylight red and orange paint scheme? Or the original California Zephyr? Etc.? < G >

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> Love those Marx tinplate trains! That's how I got
> started in about 1941...
> No where near accurate but lots of fun!!

AND, virtually any Marx loco you may find, all beat up, dusty, dirty, etc. set it on the track and it will run like a Swiss watch!

My late father loved Marx. He had O scale and HO Marx both. He passed away @ age 80 and ran model trains till almost the end. He'd be 94 in May had he lived. He was also a WWII Normandy Combat veteran.

Streamliner Wrote:
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> MojaveBill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Love those Marx tinplate trains! That's how I
> got
> > started in about 1941...
> > No where near accurate but lots of fun!!
>
> AND, virtually any Marx loco you may find, all
> beat up, dusty, dirty, etc. set it on the track
> and it will run like a Swiss watch!