Ellen's Mandy Patinkin Page |
Classic Toy Trains October 2000 |
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Mandy Patinkin gets his dream layout
So why is he disappointed? |
GREAT, EVEN BETTER than I expected," I say in amazement. Bill sets up his photo equipment, and I just stare at the O gauge layout unfolding before me. A gritty freight yard, sweeping curves of parallel main lines, breathtaking cliffs grab my attention. Suddenly our host bounds up the stairs and begins offering tips: "Don't miss the animated carnival in the far corner. Did you notice the operating ski lift? You'll want a picture of that covered bridge." Mandy goes on to describe the superb electrical work and special effects that round out the picture. Then we watch the four trains set loose simultaneously run without a hitch. We all know we're looking at a terrific layout, one any of us would be thrilled to own. Mandy Patinkin and his family are thrilled, too. The star of the Chicago Hope television series and winner of a Tony Award for his work on Broadway enjoys operating Lionel trains and putting assorted postwar accessories through their paces.
Get him started, and Mandy doesn't hesitate to point out the structures named for his wife, Kathryn Grody, and their sons, Isaac and Gideon, and to boast about the scenic features each of them built. He'll gladly demonstrate the sound system, activate the overhead lighting, point out the backdrops painted by family friend Steven Parton, and discuss the intricacies of command control. He's truly the proud papa, eager to show off his baby. Everybody's happy, right? Not exactly. Listening as Mandy talks about what he hopes to achieve with his railroad, I detect a note of disappointment: “I only wish I could have built every part of it.” So full of energy and imagination is this phenomenal entertainer that he feels compelled to do it all. Fulfilling this wish would have held back his dream and prevented him from developing the layout. For running trains is merely the beginning. Mandy and his family want their layout to inspire others to learn more about the world, just as long ago Lionel promised its trains would do. Mandy's mix of pleasure and frustration stems from the demands he places on himself. Eventually it will motivate him to do more with his trains and dreams than he originally planned. The dream has roots going back more than 35 years. As a boy growing up in Chicago in the early 1960s . . . oh, you know the story. Mandy spent hours playing with the Lionel trains his parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles bought him. Gang cars and steamers, Evans auto loaders and operating log cars, even a traveling aquarium car filled his roster. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. Many thousands of kids had the same experience in homes across the United States. Most of those kids were content just to assemble a loop of track and let everything run. Not Mandy, who recalls being fascinated by the electrical aspects of building a layout. Transformers, switch machines, and accessories wired in parallel enthralled him, as did electrical blocks and insulated track sections. With the skill of a future (television) surgeon, he wired the 4 by 8-foot model railroad he had put together. Scenery and structures could somehow take care of themselves. But Mandy had to personally handle the electrical work every step of the way, as though doing so would prepare him to one day build the O gauge empire of his dreams. Those dreams never vanished. Others joined them - performing on Broadway, acting in motion pictures, recording albums of standards and classic show tunes - dreams that have become reality over the past two decades. Still, Mandy didn't cast aside the vision of an enormous Lionel layout. On the contrary, he sketched in the details until he had transformed a loosely defined notion of a model railroad into a grand plan that included his family. In his mind, it turned into a project that his wife and sons would help design and build. Bonds between them would grow tighter, Mandy predicted, thanks to the layout they would create together. So Mandy waited. He didn't jump into the planning or construction of his dream layout. First he found the perfect site. The railroad would be housed, he decided, in the loft of a refurbished barn. Once he made this decision, Mandy let his imagination take off.
Gradually, Mandy's sons spoke their minds. Gideon requested an amusement park with rides, lights, and figures. "Don't leave out the sideshows and refreshments," he added. Isaac had become a skilled rock climber. "Put in cliffs and miniature climbers," he insisted. Mandy listened and, although his sons' ideas differed from his, wisely let them change his vision. Kathryn had plans of her own. She agreed that the layout ought to draw the four of them closer. With Mandy on the road or in the studio, having a project that everyone could work on when he was home would be ideal. As she talked with her husband, they reminisced about living in Creede, a town in the mountains of western Colorado. Its lovely setting included a theater where Mandy had acted. "Let's build a small town on the layout to remind us of our days in Creede," they decided. As the family talked, Mandy's dream evolved into theirs and took on new life. 'This is going to be great!" they told each other. Anyone who has built a layout knows that the transition from dream to reality can be painful. It's one thing to imagine sleek trains dashing by lush scenery and picturesque villages and something very different when you're faced with an empty room or bare tables and benchwork. "How am I going to do everything I want and still finish this before my hair has turned white?" becomes the central question. You search for shortcuts, ways to limit the time spent on tedious tasks and hasten the moment when the trains are up and running through the wonderland you've envisioned. "We could each find an hour or two to devote to the layout," Mandy admitted, "but to spend entire weekends every month wasn't realistic." There had to another way to realize their dream. That's where Rich Roman entered the picture. He's the proprietor of East Coast Enterprises, a company widely respected for the custom layouts it builds. Mandy, after learning about Rich's work, scheduled a meeting. They talked for hours regarding what Mandy and his family wanted to achieve. Track planning, scenery, accessories, lighting, and command control dominated their conversation. Mostly, Rich listened. "I wanted to find out what Mandy and Kathryn were looking for," Rich explained, and what role their sons would play. "Then we discussed what Mandy owned, the trains and accessories, including an animated ski lift with miniature skiers. They wanted it installed on a snowy peak. I'd interrupt and share what I was thinking, and a picture started to form. All of us realized this could be a dynamite layout." Rich heard another part of Mandy's dream. History fascinates Mandy, especially listening to famous speeches, and he wanted to link that passion with model railroading. The solution was to incorporate recordings of speeches into a scene that had an orator addressing an audience in the central town. "We can do it," Rich said, a tribute to his extensive knowledge of electronics. Mandy smiled as he thought of how such special effects would enhance the layout and impress any youngsters who visited. At the press of a button they could hear famous Americans from Thomas Edison and Henry Ford to Amelia Earhart and Neil Armstrong to Casey Stengel and Babe Ruth. Few features on a toy train layout could surpass this one for bringing history to life. Once Rich knew how much space he had to work with (approximately 500 square feet) and what Mandy and his family desired, he took a few "baby steps" in planning the O gauge layout. "The idea," Rich explained, "was to create a railroad system in miniature." Trains would wind their way across the network, moving over various loops (none independent), but never encountering a grade steeper than 2 percent. Five to eight trains would run simultaneously through a block system and automatic controls by Depotronics, giving Mandy the capability of operating as many as 20 trains at a time! Sweeping curves would distinguish key sections, which is why Rich avoided using track with a sharper diameter than 72 inches.
Rich and his business partner, Jerome Weathersby, moved ahead optimistically. They sensed from day one that Mandy's could be one of the best layouts East Coast Enterprises had built. The groundwork was laid. Next, armed with an outstanding track plan, the builders got to work. They paid special attention to the entire setting, keeping in mind that visitors would walk up a short flight of stairs and then turn at the top to reach the train room. Rich designed the layout so that only a small portion was visible at the top of the stairs, teasing visitors to what lay beyond. At the top of the stairs, you see a verdant mountain with rural structures, models that Mandy and Kathryn picked up in Colorado. Nearby is an industrial site with loaders and trucks, all advertising People's Iron & Metal Co., the name of the Patinkin family business back in Chicago. From this self-contained area, which Mandy and Rich designed almost as an after-thought, motive power gathers speed over hand-built trestles along the wall. Locomotives lumber past the control panel and then reach the mainline.
But you can't see what's happening once an engine leaves this area - and that's one of the clever aspects of the railroad's design. As you turn toward the left, you're unable to glimpse the entire layout. Blocking your sight is a towering, snow-capped peak dotted with skiers gaily bundled up in colorful jackets and caps, ready to test their mettle on the treacherous downhill slopes. Beneath the base of the ski slope, crews have bored a tunnel through which blast some of the most powerful locomotives of today and yesterday. You're as apt to see an SD45 barrel through as a first-generation F3 diesel or a steaming Berkshire or Hudson. The only thing you can count on is that the engine will be one of Lionel's finest and largest. Postwar or modern, it doesn't matter to Mandy. He's strictly a Lionel guy, still loyal to the brand that brought him so much pleasure as a kid. A mountain hiding the rest of the layout and a double-track mainline bursting from one tunnel into plain sight only to disappear into a second, shorter tunnel, represent "tricks" that Rich has used to make this layout compelling. They tease you by making it impossible to view as much of the railroad or the trains as you'd like. Instead, you have to keep watching and waiting and moving to get a bigger picture. The sweeping curves on the lower level are a delight and carry you into the center of the scene, where a rustic town rises. Varying levels, contrasts between straight and curved track, and handsome trestle bridges create unforgettable scenes. Industries stand out. They combine scratchbuilt structures by Frank Barillero with a number of accessories. Take a closer look, and you'll discover that most of these freight loaders have been modified and "weathered" in some fashion by Wendy Luciano. What makes this scene memorable is the planning that went into it. Rich and Mandy placed a number of tracks in it, but they separated one group from another with a deep gully full of water. The area seems spacious and lively, and a blend of girder and trestle bridges heightens the visual appeal. The town in the middle has an appeal all its own. The family's influence is apparent as you catch glimpses of Kath's Books and Cafe, Gideon's Grocery, and Isaac's Inn. Your eyes linger here, but soon you feel pulled toward the station, where the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha and the Chesapeake & Ohio's Chessie regularly stop. The footbridge alongside the depot is the work of Louis Warusch, another longtime friend. Following the footbridge leads you to the amusement park - Gideon was the driving force behind this fun-packed scene. Isaac, meanwhile, can take credit for the gorge that wins praise as viewers turn from the carnival toward the rear wall. With help from Mandy, he created and landscaped this enthralling scene. Jerome Weathersby built the delicate yet powerful trestle that carries trains across.
A perfect layout. . . or darn close. End of story, except. . . Mandy's disappointed with the railroad. Is he unhappy with the track plan? Something about the scenery that doesn't meet his approval? Has the electrical work fallen below his expectations? The answer to these questions is an adamant no! What leaves Mandy a bit downhearted isn't any flaw in this great layout. Rather, it reflects the idealistic goals he set for it and the high demands he puts on himself. Mandy is disappointed that his family and he didn't build every element of the layout. He wishes that Kathryn, Isaac, Gideon, and he somehow had done everything. In particular, Mandy wanted to handle all the electrical work, just as he spent hours wiring the simple Lionel layout of his youth. He never envisioned having to ask professionals like Rich and Don't be too surprised by Mandy's attitude. This same drive explains why he has succeeded in so many different venues: a performer on Broadway, an actor in movies and television, and a singer on stages throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. We can understand Mandy's wish to have built the entire railroad, but must see why doing so was neither necessary nor advantageous. When he selects the music for a concert tour, he accepts the role of interpreter. He takes songs composed by Stephen Sondheim, Irving Berlin, and others and transforms them into something fresh and unique. He doesn't feel the need to write everything he sings, but still manages to make the music his own. Similarly with his trains, Mandy began with a dream and modified it after talking with his wife and sons. He created the design and selected the elements that had to be included, then left the "composing" to Rich and Jerome. Could Mandy have laid the track, done the scenery, and wired the accessories on so immense a model railroad? Yes. The only problem is that he would have had to retire from performing and devote himself and his family to working on the layout full-time. However, he's too imaginative and eclectic to have been satisfied spending all his time in the train room. And Kathryn, Isaac, and Gideon might have gone crazy if he'd tried! Instead, Mandy had the presence of mind to engage East Coast Enterprises to carry out the tasks for which his family lacked the experience. Once he had a layout to operate, he could let his mind wander about its possibilities. Then things got interesting because, as much as he is a natural performer, so too is Mandy a teacher at heart. His love of history, whether his family's or his country's, manifests itself on the layout. That's why one section pays tribute to the business that provided opportunities for his extended clan. And why the central scene may be the park in which famous Americans utter speeches. Mandy loves to share our nation's oral history, which is the reason he plans to install a "theater" to show films of plays and movies. The same desire to use his railroad to educate inspires Mandy to envision corporate sponsorship of portable layouts that urban high schools would use to teach about modern life. Students would learn at first-hand what it's like to plan a city and integrate contemporary transportation systems into economic and social realms. They would consider problems of product distribution, traffic management, air pollution, and others in modern life. Describing this ambitious program, Mandy hearkens back to what made his Lionel trains such fascinating and meaningful toys more than 30 years ago. He's carrying on traditions that all of us can relate to, both on an individual level and within society. After all, he still believes that, as Lionel claimed in the 1940s and '50s, the kids who control a toy train today, will control their life tomorrow. From my perspective, Mandy has no need to feel disappointed. This magnificent layout stirs many wonderful memories for his family. Better still, the railroad has become, as Gideon and Isaac noted, a vehicle for future projects that will bring the family closer still.
"It fuels our collective imaginations," Kathryn said in reference to Isaac's transfer of his passion for climbing to the layout's cliffs, and Mandy's comparison of acting in ensembles to unifying the controls and wires on a layout. Now Mandy and his family intend for the layout to become the basis of programs that will share all that's great about this hobby with untold numbers of youngsters. No layout could do more. By Roger Carp/photos by William Zuback |
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Mandy’s Field of Dreams In some ways, Mandy's O gauge empire and the Lionel trains left from his youth serve a similar purpose. They link him with his father's generation and teach him how to strengthen ties with his own sons. At the center of this intergenerational chain are the trains Mandy received as a youngster and has preserved ever since. He imagined they represented something new in the family, not knowing until recently that his father and uncle had enjoyed their own love affair with Lionel years earlier. Mandy expanded his roster and built layouts throughout his youth before packing up the trains and forgetting them for more than a decade. He recalls how, as a student at the Juilliard School in the 1970s, he strolled past the famed Red Caboose train store in New York and had his fervor for Lionel rekindled. Suddenly anxious to know that his trains were alive and well, Mandy insisted that his mother ship them from Chicago. He lovingly tended the steam engines, log car, traveling aquarium, and other items before storing them in a friend's basement. Then the basement flooded. Mandy retrieved his trains and took them to the first place he could find in hopes that they could be fixed. That place just happened to be Madison Hardware Co., which had been handling Lionel trains since 1909. Unaware of whom he was dealing with, Mandy walked in to find out if Carl and Lou, the elderly proprietors, could do anything with his trains. He laughs when recalling his skepticism at their promises, but eventually they made everything as good as new. Mandy began immersing himself in the world of an older generation, listening to its tales of Lionel's heyday.
Now those old trains help him share feelings for the past with his sons. They work on the layout and watch Lionel steamers pull freight and passenger cars through scene after gorgeous scene. Especially meaningful was the model Mandy and Isaac created of People's Iron & Metal Co. When Gideon celebrated his Bar Mitzvah last year, family members saw the model for the first time and were moved by Mandy's desire to keep alive memories of the business they had developed. Reflecting on his family inspired Mandy to think about how toy trains can break down barriers among the generations. He regrets that he did not know more about his father's interest in them, but has sought to overcome this loss in different ways. For one, Mandy studies Lionel's history and the father-and-son team that engineered the firm's golden years after World War II. For another, Mandy expresses his enthusiasm for trains in the scripts of Chicago Hope. Not long ago Dr. Jeffrey Geiger, his character on the show, comforted a dying patient who revealed that he was the engineer on the last streamliner to run into the Windy City. The elderly gentleman then presented Dr. Geiger with an O gauge model of the train's locomotive. On the screen or in his train room, Mandy understands what Joshua and Lawrence Cowen at Lionel knew only too well: men of all ages and backgrounds feel a common love for trains. - Roger Carp |
