Miniature Railroad & Village

The display was first constructed by a Brookville, Pennsylvania resident named Charles Bowdish, who had served in the military during World War I. After returning to his hometown, Bowdish began making miniatures of the area around Brookville. His first railroad was completed in time for Christmas of 1919 and garnered attention from his neighbors. For decades, Bowdish tinkered, adapted, and sculpted this piece within his home, showing it to the public of Brookville every holiday season.

Eventually, Bowdish decided to consult local venues to display his work. His annual layout had grown to take over the entire top floor of his home. In 1954 the Buhl Planetarium agreed to provide space for Bowdish to present his work, with the railroad’s original creator still acting as overseer. Bowdish continued to work on his masterpiece at the Buhl Planetariumuntil his declining heath left him wheelchair bound. Bowdish died in 1988, but his legacy lives on in his display.

Upon the closure of the Buhl Planetarium, the railroad was moved to its current location at the Carnegie Science Center. The new display was expanded and renovated, now featuring a day to night lighting cycle and animated scenes. Each year, replicas of famous Pittsburgh locations are added to the display, from the iconic Primanti Bros. Sandwich Shop to the TV home of the legendary Mr. Rogers. Other sites included are Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, the Sharon Steel Mill, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Even Charles Bowdish's Brookville home is represented. The display continues to chronicle life in Pittsburgh during the early 20th century, just as Charles Bowdish would have lived it.