Unlike most museum diorarnas, which depict a scene from the past, the one built by volunteers for the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Wash., shows the future. Specifically, the 4 x 8-foot HO scale model shows the museum's Railway History Center, which is under construction. The layout is normally displayed in the museum's restored 1890 depot, but the museum also displays it at train shows and other public events to build awareness of the construction effort, says volunteer Dan Olah. The display makes it easy for the public to visualize the final appearance of the museum, Dan says. The layout was funded and built by volunteers ranging in age from 10 to more than 70 years old. It depicts the museum's property and current structures as well as proposed future projects that will shelter the museum's collection of more than 70 pieces of historic railroad equipment.
