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Minton Cronkhite March
26, 1892 - November 1971
 Minton
Cronkhite and wife, Santa Fe photo, 1941.
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The "Walter" Myth
- "Walter Cronkite story" Model
Railroader, resurfaces
off and on since 1960's. Those familiar with Cronkhite comments believe this myth first surfaced in a letter to
Model Railroader
and later
in a republication on the O Scale Kings website and in other "Hall of Fame" articles published by other
magazines which state "And yes, Minton was Walter's older brother." (While rarely corrected, at least one magazine amended their online electronic
copy so that later PDF versions did not show this error; and late in 2002, the O Scale Kings website deleted the
reference.)
- "Walter Cronkite, an ONLY child, in his own words "Well, I didn't really grow up in St. Jo. We moved from St. Jo when I was barely one,
or a little less than that. I spent quite a bit of time in St. Jo; my grandparents lived there, and uncles and
aunts and cousins, so I was up there a lot. But I grew up in Kansas City primarily, for ten years and then we moved
to Texas, and then I found myself continually returning to Kansas City for one business reason or another. It just
seemed to have a magnet affect for me. I thought it was a great time to grow up; I guess everybody does in their
young years. We lived in a middle class neighborhood. My father was a young, struggling dentist at the time, and I was an only child. We lived on a hillside in the southern
part of Kansas City. There were a lot of vacant lots in that area, which gave us plenty of playing room, places
to dig caves in the hillside, build tree houses and that sort of thing."Thanks to Midwest Today for
allowing us to excerpt their Spring 1997 article.
- Bottom line, an ONLY CHILD
does not have an OLDER BROTHER, and the last names are spelled differently. Still this myth resurfaces every few
years.
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Model Railroader 1:48
scale "Q" equipment. Handlaid Q gauge track (mostly outside 3rd).
- Minton Cronkhite collected
various scale equipment.
- Most examples that we have
seen were noted as Q gauge ("O" on 1-3/16" track), some 17/64, some later models based on commercial
O (painted/detailed/changed but a decent brass import underneath).
- Al Kamm (who also was around when the Chicago layout was built and helped with track) and William
Cronkhite (who helped out his father along with brother Bruce and sister Sallie) concur that Minton's own layouts
were "Q" as were most of the demonstration layouts including the Chicago layout built for the Museum
of Science and Industry… and as he built them to 1/4" scale with the track gauged to 1-3/16". He also
built models in other scales and gauges to order including some nice display pieces in 1/2" scale, but overall
he built for "Q" — 1:48 on 1-3/16" track; for those who have seen 3rd rail shoes on some Cronkhite
caboose/obs, these were not to power the train but rather to come into contact with a very short piece of 3rd rail
that was positioned near each signal. As the train passed, the shoe came in contact with the 3rd rail section and
changed the signal.
- Initial plans for his home
layout listed gauge as Q. The track was all handlaid during this period (and kits sold less tracks & couplers),
and despite some arguments on the matter, we are fairly sure that all of Minton's layouts were handlaid to 1-3/16":
Q gauge. The Q gauge was in use when he wrote his article for Model Railroader in 1938. In the layout story that year and referred to the gauge as "Q" not "O".
- Looking for additional
copies of news stories regarding the exhibition layouts as well as any notes and letters regarding his home layouts.
Waiting to see if promised materials materialize from either the East or West Coast (and who knows, someone in
a fly-over state might find some information for once first). See layouts below for more information we have dug
up to date regarding his home & exhibition layouts.
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Layout Builder
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| Home Layouts |
- first
permanent home layout, 110' x 30' San Marino & Santa Fe (approx. 1927).
- plans in 1938 Model Railroader story note this was Q gauge (1-3/16").
- scratch built right down
to the working block signals
- have a query here... is
anyone old enough to remember having visited this layout early on?
- two-rail handlaid Q gauge
track
- handlaid switches
- handlaid turnouts
- 1945-1965.
2nd home layout,
mere 25' x 40'. dismantled following his retirement… only a few pieces remain in the family, the majority of his
equipment was in use at a round-robin club. Most of his models went "missing" following his death. His
son, William (California), has been trying to reassemble the Cronkhite collection with little success.
- The recovery of these missing locos remains a
dream.
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Display Layouts A
multitude for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.
- William Cronkhite on layouts."I have the
complete sets of blueprints for all the World's Fair Layouts Dad built for the Santa Fe which includes the signal
and automatic train control circuits and photos."
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1933
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad display — World's Fair. Century of Progress. Chicago, Illinois
- temporary demonstration
layout (Q gauge, models detailed on one side, no record of name)
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1935
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad display — California-Pacific International Exposition (aka San Diego Industrial Exposition). Balboa Park San Diego, California
- San Diego & Santa
Fe
- temporary demonstration
layout (Q)
- Minton Cronkhite scratch built an ATSF #3450 in
1934 for this Exposition and this locomotive disappeared from sight following his death (stolen).
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1936
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad display — Texas Centennial Exposition. Dallas, TX.
- temporary demonstration
layout (no record of scale/gauge)
- Texas
& Santa Fe
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1939 Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe Railroad display — World's
Fair. Treasure Island.
San Francisco, CA
- temporary demonstration
layout
- From his son, William. A few details on this ATSF
layout.
- "E-1's were built by my father Minton Cronkhite
for use on the ATSF layout built for the San Francisco World's Fair on Treasure Island.
- "A half scale model that stood on the pedestal
in the center of the layout was to be the ATSF #3460 "Blue Goose" but it was changed at the last minute.
I have the photos of the diesel model as it arrived by flatbed truck at Treasure Island. The Santa Fe was very
good at photo recording the progress of each layout.
- "The streamlined nose of the E-1 is a bronze
sand casting and the remainder of the units are sheet monel metal because of the property of not conducting heat,
being easy to solder and having the weathered look stainless steel. Dad built both Pullman and Budd passenger cars
from these materials. I have a complete set of these diesels ( 2 powered A-units and a dummy 'B' unit). The ventilator
on the rear of the roof should rotate as this was the reversing switch when they were AC powered."
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1939 to
2002 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad display — began construction on Museum & Santa Fe 1939, opened January 1941. Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Illinois.
- Torn down May 12, 2002,
remnants auctioned on eBay December 2002 without fanfare or previous warning.
- This jewel follows Cronkhite's
other layouts into history as it will be discarded and replaced after 60 years. *** OSN exclusive: while the Cronkhite
exhibit will no longer be exhibited at the Museum of Science and Industry, rather than placing these items in the
garbage to donate some of the prototypical parts (sheathing, CTC, etc.) to a local railroad museum and the rest
of the Q gauge and O Scale products that have been used and or displayed on the layout over the past 60+ years
will be sold by auction at a later date. A special thank you to all those who read the OSN website and contacted
MSI to remind the powers-that-be of the display's value. An auction of the modern structures and rolling stock
on the layout along with any leftover 1:48 scale gear in the museum will be conducted later this year following
its deaccessioning by the museum. The 2-Rail O Scale layout was replaced with an HO pike. Hopefully a very sturdy
HO layout (time will tell).
- original layout two-rail
handlaid Q gauge track (1-3/16")
- Al Kamm
was working on
the layout when the Q gauge track was put in. OSN had questioned this since the museum had several samples they
referred to as "original track" that were 1-1/4". Looking back, he remembered that some of the original
track was replaced shortly after World War II and this replacement track in addition to the later CLW areas and
diesel hump yard were O gauge. He has visited this
layout off on on for the last 60 years and could still spot some of the Q gauge areas in the 1990's. To the best
of our knowledge, all the track was redone after a 1990's meeting with a chain saw but perhaps one day he can go
back with us and review this layout. Only then can we be sure what is truly 'original and what is modern. The original
layout was thoroughly dissected in a March 1941 issue of Model Railroader. The
one exception to the standard 2-Rail Q gauge trackplan related to the layout's original signal system. Near each
of the working signals online there was a three inch long section of outside third rail. There was a 3rd-rail shoe
on each caboose or obs operating on the original layout that made contact with this short section and 'switched
the signal. Al does not recall seeing a similar shoe on the locomotives but he noted that it would be logical to
assume that some may have had one.
- The track was completely
redone by local firms in the early 1990's and after a fatal encounter with a chain saw (see description further
down of the museum's attempt to disenfranchise the layout and replace it with a more modern 1950's plane) a few
years later — the entire layout was redone once again with House of Duddy flex track.
- permanent model railroad
display
- handshake agreement (no
contract ever signed) between Cronkhite and president of Santa Fe railroad, the company that was paying for construction
of the model railroad display and the Transportation Wing at the Chicago museum.
- CHILD LABOR or HOBBY INSTRUCTION?
His son, William noted that "Even
at 8 years old Dad had me soldering relay panels under that layout." The experience did leave him with an
appreciation for large models.
- Initially constructed in
Q gauge with 1/4" scale locomotives and cars built by Minton Cronkhite for the Santa Fe Railroad, The layout
was updated over the years by various persons. The layout was owned and maintained by the Santa Fe until the late
1980's when the ownership of the layout was transferred to the Museum of Science and Industry. The layout was updated
every few years to reflect the state of the railroad industry in the USA.
- In a WHERE IS IT NOW? trivia questions. From time to time
we've wondered what has happened to the original "pieces" of the Museum & Santa Fe layout built in 1941.
- A decade ago we answered
part of this question in the last OSN feature on this noting that most of the steam locomotives and passenger equipment
was returned to the ATSF over a period of time as the layout was dieselized (reflecting the end of their Steam
Era).
- Minton's son, William,
informed us that many of these models were returned to his father (and some were later stolen).
- Myron Weber has most of
the original Oil Refinery in 1/4" scale that Minton made for the layout. His home layout will be open on the
2002 layout tours and that may be a good opportunity for him to tell you how he got it and show it off. We noted
paint-marked initials as well as a museum mark on the vehicles that have moved through the OSN office, but Myron
(and Al Kamm) tells us that there is no such marking on the structure and they don't recall seeing this on rolling
stock they saw in the layout's early days. So rather than being a way to identify Minton Cronkhite pieces, if you
see this on a model it may only mean that employee or volunteer X in the 1940's handled the item you are examining
(and had way too much time and paint on their hands). The oil refinery looks good on a layout, but Minton's work
was not designed to be super-detailed and viewed from a distance of INCHES. Like his rolling stock, you have to
put it on a layout and step away to get the full effect.
- Greg Heier worked with
the museum on other railroad-related programs as well as the story about the last restoration of the layout by
the Santa Fe before their merger with Burlington Northern, and he was given a few of the molded cars from the layout
(that otherwise would have been discarded). Joy received a few damaged mementos in late 1994.
- Majority of the artifacts
remaining on the Cronkhite layout and collection at the Museum of Science and Industry at close of day May 12,
2002 will be auctioned in mid-2002. End of an era.
- The auction, held on eBay,
was rather disappointing. Numerous models "disappeared" sometime between the announcement of the layout's
closing & the accounting for sale. The remnants were scattered worldwide.
- The replacement, HO layout,
has proven to be a) more expensive than expected and b) less popular than the older, 2-Rail O Scale layout it replaced.
Its modern computerized operating system is prone to breakdowns. The HO locos and rolling stock are less expensive,
but also less durable (operator has access to cases of replacement pieces). Oil leaks from a jet above the layout
onto the tracks leading to a need for DAILY track cleaning, and the updated "museum quality" HO scenes
are aging badly. How long will MSI continue to toss cash at its rails? A sad end of an era.
- Numerous model craftsmen and
women have worked on the layout over the years. Only a few are listed in our archives and we don't even have all
of the names of those who worked with Minton. Please write or email if you know of anyone who should be added to
this list.
- Rollin
Lobaugh
of Lobaugh Scale Models was contracted to build some of the original rolling stock for this layout and he was assisted
at that time by his father, I.E. Lobaugh and Jerry White
- Barney Stuempel's vacuum-formed styrene rolling stock
[see OSN 107].
- Bob
Smith
of Central Locomotive Works (1994 member Hall of Fame) rebuilt the layout in conventional O Scale in 1953, possibly
so that the conventional O Scale equipment sold by CLW could be used on the finished pike was my first thought,
but Bob's memory later in life was that he did not replace ALL the track, almost all to be sure due to the addition
of the hump yard and some reworking as well as all the worn track. Still in the areas that were not involved with
every day operation the track did still work. This question came up while discussing MSI. At the time, we had thought
Bob had relaid ALL the track around the layout, Bob Smith said that he repaired/replaced track and maintained the
equipment up until he moved to Florida. At that point, CLW continued to sell the drives, wheelsets and other misc.
parts to MSI for the Museum & Santa Fe but the trackwork and building replacement were handled by others (and
in his opinion with much less care than he had given the layout).
- Blame the operators, not
the quality of the drives for the reason that the Museum of Science and Industry "uses up" so many motors.
Central Locomotive Works (then and now makes a very FINE motor/drive system; these are the only ones that would
last for more than days or even a few weeks considering the abusive environment they are find themselves in. Take
any motor and set up a system where an operators can "crank up the juice" to the point of burning out
rheostats and motors… until they discover a way to control this operation, the solution is to keep shopping and
repairing.
- It's just a pity that the
"operation" is left in the hands of unskilled employees and that when older, more skilled, applicants
show up to apply these people seem to be pointed toward a door marked "volunteer." Anyone who wants to
stay and watch the unskilled operator damage more equipment is welcome to volunteer. Seems to us at OSN that perhaps a few skilled operators hired and assigned specifically
to this layout would save the museum a lot more money in the long run. Why not look at a few retired real model railroad operators who might end up saving the museum a little money and adding
to the enjoyment of visitors by actually knowing
the answers to railroad-related questions?
- All of the original steam
locomotives were built by Minton at the Santa Fe shops directly from erection shop blueprints. After rebuilding
of the layout in 1953 which marked the end of steam on the Museum & Santa Fe, the steam locomotives were returned
to the Santa Fe and at least one of these locos was given back to Minton Cronkhite ending up in California and
where it now sits on display in a family home.
- The original rolling stock
was also custom built by Cronkhite. The cost at that time was a mere $18 per car for a stainless-steel passenger
cars and freight cars cost $9 each (about half of that latter order was built by Lobaugh Scale Models of California).
As with the locos above, underbody of these cars have museum ID number stenciled and painted M.C. on some in storage.
- all cars had Bakelite wheels
& dummy couplers.
- 1992, layout rewired by
proclaimed experts (in HO perhaps, but not O scale modelers). This group did not follow NMRA standards for O gauge
and introduced a whole new series of Gremlins to operation.
- In the 1990's, the real railroad transferred ownership of the model layout to the Museum of Science & Industry.
Soon the management of the museum attempted to destroy the display (1993) and replace it with another in their
expanded collection of aircraft. The first "attempt" almost succeeded! The maintenance superviser (Mr.
Nowaki, later terminated) authorized a scrapper to us a large Sawzall (reciprocating saw) on the layout to cut
the exhibit into four equal sections. Lacking time to further breakdown the layout and remove the fluted metal
sides (identical to those on the prototype Zephyrs),
he 'tarped' the four sections of the once beautiful Cronkhite layout and pushed the pieces into a corner in preparation
for removal the next day.
- A then-museum employee
not directly involved with the layout (David Gonzalez; an N-scaler, and then Manager of Safety for that museum)
called OSN to chat about an 'obituary' for the Museum & Santa Fe layout (obviously NOT a member of that museum's press corp). Having grown up in the Chicago
area and having featured this layout in our 20th anniversary issue… OSN was not amused. Still, what can a bi-monthly
magazine do? The answer was call up some friends. Luck was with Cronkhite's masterpiece for everyone we called
had time-free to say their own pieces at WGN radio, FOX television, and the Chicago Sun Times. Luckily it was a
slow news day in Chicago. More picked it up and many people cared enough to pay to make comments on several tv
stations. We expected a comment or two but not the reaction that followed.
- The next morning, museum
officials felt the heat. The Chicago
Sun Times
had published a large
commentary
in the front of the newspaper [almost a full page with photos and call-in telephone numbers for both their daily
survey AND the Museum of Science and Industry's main switchboard which was overwhelmed for over a week with calls
about the beloved layout!] and additional comments in editorial. Other reporters waited for the doors to open along
with crews from just about every television channel in the Midwest! Associated Press, Reuters, and other news services
picked the story up (a very very slow news day?). O Scalers were probably the last
folk to call in, the first calls were from ordinary Chicago residents who just loved that layout, school kids wrote
by the classfuls, railfans stomped through the lobby, and those visiting snapped photos and complained. Thousands
of them called, thousands wrote, and another horde sent email. The switchboard overflowed! (L., a museum employee,
who was called to switchboard duty that day still talks about it to this day. Nothing since has created as large
a swell of people needing to make their views known.) For a few more years, thanks to an N-scaler, OSN, the sometimes-hated
media, and all of the wonderful people in Chicago and around the world who called in that week to demand that Minton Cronkhite's treasure
be saved the layout operated in peace (though never quite as well as it had before
professional museum personnel had monkeyed with its controls, wiring, balance etc.
- The museum was backpedal
FAST in the 1990's. Slow news week? The story did not end on Chicago TV until the news the beloved layout was SAFE
and being repaired was released.
- Since the layout had been
''unassembled' in a rather permanent fashion… that museum ended up paying over $100,000 to restore it to its original
configuration. Then bided their time until the a year after its 60th anniversary when there were more exciting
things in the news and the classic Cronkhite layout could be destroyed quietly.
- Engineers were hired to
rewire the layout (all of the chain-sawed wiring was the same color!). Damaged structures that could be repaired
were restored, others replaced.
- 4000 feet of House of Duddy
(Micro Engineering) flextrack was ordered from Ed Duddy to replace the damaged track. Bob Smith, then owner of
CLW, had a new rush order to fill, as did MTH and Weaver Models and others.
- A crew of specialists from
Hollywood were hired to come out to repair signs of chain-saw damage to the exterior and top of the layout. Before
the CHAIN SAW incident, the layout was sided by a single, uncut section of fluted steel, now television monitor
stations have been added to the sides of the layout where the cut marks are still slightly visible. Take a peek
next time you visit. AS BUILT, the entire layout was banded in one piece of fluted stainless steel with no cuts
visible to the public.
- Since those days the management
of this museum has again changed and today the railroad rolls on its last miles in the shadow of a 1950's jet plane
theater before being thrown away once the power is cut May 12, 2002. Until then the lighting changes and storms
pass… lucky modelers can go upstairs and skip the in-flight movie, to just gaze out of the airplane's window at
those beautiful O Scale locomotives lumbering by. The Museum & Santa Fe travels its last runs. The Cronkhite layout was very
badly damaged by the 1993 attempt at deconstruction and barely limped to its 61st birthday.. After reviewing costs,
the museum decided to turn it off on Mother's Day The layout was the central attraction for that wing and the area
will be closed while the displays are redesigned. To avoid a repeat of complaints on replacing the layout, a minimal
HO scale display will replace the big
layout. The older and larger models would be sold off at auction later in 2002 and the era of 2-Rail O Scale public
displays in Chicago ended.
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Manufacturer, Crovan Railway Models
- As a business man, his
companies modeled what sold ("Q" kits) and no true real quote survives. In the end, perhaps his greatest
gift was the whole of his work… his love of model railroading led to a successful career in manufacturing and layout
building. His subsequent promotion of his works also did wonders to promote our favorite hobby. And at the Museum
of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois, one of Minton's great layouts, the Museum & Santa Fe, still operates. All reports of models on the exhibition layouts note that they were built
to Q scale. The earliest news piece available The composition and appearance of the trains may have changed over
the years, but a little of the wonder he brought to the hobby is still visible as they glide majestically around
the absolutely huge layout that Minton Cronkhite designed
for the ages.
- 1924-1936, Crovan Railway
Models. CROVAN
was founded with H.B. Vanderhoef and Carl Otto Noack also was a later principal per Dan Henon. Following Noack's
death in 1936, advertising dwindled and the company disappeared.
- Q gauge models
- Additional information
is available upon request from the Walthers Collection library of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). E-mail for details.
- Modelmaker ad (1935) advertised:
"O Gauge,
1/4" scale, Locomotives Built To Order, reinforced sheet aluminum passenger cars a specialty, cast aluminum
freight cars, a full line of "O" gauge railway supplies carried in stock, circular 10 cents" The
address given for was: CROVAN RAILWAY MODELS, 201 Summer Street, Stamford, Conn."
- And in from yet another
one of the earliest reference texts known: 1936, Model Railroader, it was stated that Minton Cronkhite, H.B. Vanderhoef, and Carl Otto Noack in 1924 developed
"…the first O gauge scale models that could be called such by present day standards" referring to Crovan
which at the time advertised "Q" kits in the same issue. The NMRA library was unable to locate any old
catalogs of the full line of that company when OSN last checked.
- 1930-1939, Minton Cronkhite
- Minton's
own "Q" creations. Use 0 gauge track of the day, have 1:45 scale detailed bodies.
- Limited
runs, based on prototype. Mostly Santa Fe.
- One
reader suspects that train he owns is duplicate of the equipment at the Texas Centennial Exposition. Quite 'clunky'
by modern standards, but very nice for its day.
- "scale"
of cars and detail may be applied more loosely than current standard. These pieces are not 'factory style' copies.
Surviving examples will not win a beauty contest, but show charm, style, and do resemble their full-size cousins
to some degree.
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Additional Reading:
- Locomotives by Minton Cronkhite" (roster)
pg. 44 Model Railroader, June 1966.
- "The Texas & Santa Fe Railroad"
(layout article) Model Railroader,
November 1938.
- "The San Marino & Santa Fe" (layout
article, Q gauge) Model Railroader,
October 1936.
- "The Santa Fe in miniature: A view of the
work of Minton Cronkhite" Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society's newsletter Warbonnet, October 1996.
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| Author "The
San Marino & Santa Fe" Model
Railroader, November
1938. |
