Evening star., 1925-07-26

designer, inventor, mechanic and chief
factotum of the most extraordinary
steel rail system in the universe.
In the basement of his home, on the
highlands of Ma massachusetts, avenue,
several blocks from its Wisconsin ave-
nue intersection, j. n. Swartzell oper-
ates this remarkable transportation
project, which carries neither passen-
gers nor freight, but which tests out
all the vicissitudes and hazards, the
risks and riddles of the great common
carriers that bisect and crisscrosS our
spacious American continent.
The cherished hobby of a lad in his
teens, who discarded all his other toys
in favor of his train of cars, has been
developed and perfected over score
of years, until today railroad officials
and internationally famous engineers
would be amazed at the results.
The story of the inception and grad
flal perfection of this miniature rail-
road system is a tale of loves labor
devoted unStintingly to an unusual
diversion. 1t satisfies the craving of
its originator for active participation
in the bustling engineering world,
which has always been his faVorite
profession. 1t has been the outlet for
astonishing mechanical ideals ana
ideas.
Probably there is not another rail
roading enthusiast in the country,
who has never engaged professionally
in that work, who can compare with
Mr.. Swartzell in the wide variety or
his technical and practical informa-
1ion on transportation problems.
It has not been with the intention
of ever engaging in the railroading
profession that Mr.. SwartZell has de-
voted so many months of his leisure
to his unique amusement. The pleas
ure which other men obtain from golf,
hunting, fishing, mountain climbing
and exploring Mr.. SwartZeu gains in
the seclusion of his basement work
shop, where he shapes and molds
metal and wood into accurate facstm-
lies of the transcontinental flyers
which are the pride and joy of our
domestic transportation. The man
who has no hobby to fiddle away at
during the long Winter evenings Is
the citizen who courts old age and
the gruff grouchiness of the patriarch
prematurely.
You would be surprised to see the
marvellous hobbies which are ridden
right close to the halls of Congress.
A Cabinet member is an adept anna
teur carpenter and maintains a work
shop where he spends enjoyable hours
at manual labor. A leading national
attorney hammers brass for diversion
from his perusal of Blackstone. A
captain of industry whittles hickory
wands into golf club shafts.
x X
IF you can visualize what the great
Baltimore and Ohio railroad sys-
tenn would look like if it were con-
densed as far as possible and concen-
trated under a single roof, you will
have some idea of the scenes present
ed In visit to the Swartzell basement.
There you will see every conceivable
device and apparatus used on our
modern aA-Steel trains, on our freights
and on our steel-shod cars which speed
perishable foodstuffs from the centerS
of production to the cities of consump-
ton Electricity is harnesSed to aid
in building these miniature marvels
of modern mechanics. Electricity also
furnishes the power which functions
the individual locomotives and the ef-
fcient little trains.
If the brownies were but alive, these
energetic sprites would delight in the
facilities for modern travel provided
by the "B. & o. Junior system" Even
our famous midgets would be willing
TO admit that here, a least, are rail-
roading accessories built more to their
dimensions and liking than those pro-
Vided under the dictates of the Inter
state Commerce Commission. The
Swartzell rolling stock and rail net
work look like juvenile playthings, but
they are quite different from the ordi-
nary toys in that they are mechanical
" accurate to the fraction of an inch
or degree in design, detail and opera
tion simplicity.
Mr.. SwartZell not only realizes the
delights of the inventor and the anna
teur mechanic from his curious hobby,
but he is able also to study the most
complicated puzzles of transportation.
He can utilize his wonderful little
trains, which run by electrical power,
to stage accidents and railroading rid
dies. He can study cause and effect
in the various research set-upS.
You probably have heard about the
toy automobiles and supplementary
models which are used in our munich
pal Traffic Court in showing how mo-
toring accidents and traffic conges-
tions occur. Mr.. SwartZell uses his
model trains in similar style. He can
duplicate all the derailments, wrecks
and defective railroad bridge catas-
trophies of the railroad history of this
country. OF course. if such tests are
tried, temporary and dummy cars and
locomotives are used. Mr.. Swartzell
takes as much pride in his regular
railroad equipment as any president
of a commercial line naturally would.
He would never sanction the damage
and destruction of the marvellous mod
els by using them as the ammunition
for wrecks.
In a visit to the Swartzell railroad
factory, the workshop or place of
production is the factor which first
arouseS your interest. Logically, you
want to know how this amateur work
man makes his marvellous models.
You desire to see the mechanical fin
gers which he uses. You wish to in
spect his tools, which are run by pow
er. And, rest assured, such inspection
will not be in vain. You will learn in
reduced terms exactly how the models
are designed and drafted, how the
castings are made, how the tiny pieces
of wood and metal are turned on Lilli-
putian lathes, and how the painStak-
ing work is performed which ultimate
ly natures into a diminutive Pullman
coach exactly like the one in which
you may journey from Washington to
the seashore for your annual vacation.
X X
THERE is a special bench lathe
made expressly for model making.
1t is an inexpensive back-geared
lathe, which can be used for either
wood or metal turning. 1t is pro-
vided with the complete equipment of
the regulation engine lathe. 1t is
driven by a countershaft operated by
a one-fourth horse power electric mo-
tor. This motor is also used to run
a set of emery wheels for sharpening
chfsels and ctner woodworking tools.
In addition there are several bench
vises, the general assortment of wood
and metal working tools, q designers s
bepch and n drafting board