Many people have visiting man made marvels on their bucket list. Walking the Great Wall in China, check Paris form the observation deck of the Eifel tower or climb the presidential trail towards the sculptures of Mount Rushmore. For me, seeing the the Franklin & South Manchester Railway, created by George Sellios was ranked high on my must-see list for years. Finally on a nice Saturday in June 2106 the dream became true and I visited the F&SM!

A Landmark Layout

George Sellios and the world he created in 1:87 are well known in the hobby since the first articles about the F&SM have been published in the late 1980’s. There is a great book featuring the first stage of the Layout, mostly urban area! It is sitting next to “Model Railroading with John Allen” on my book shelf. John Allen also was an inspiration to George, like to so many model railroaders. But unlike most of us, he took it a little bit father in creating a 23 x 42 feet large wonder world… Besides of working on his layout Mr. Sellios makes a living with creating craftsman kits and selling them via his also famous Fine Scale Miniatures company. A good summary about the F&SM can be found here. The layout is located on the second floor of a business building on 49 Main Street in Peabody, MA about half an hour north of Boston. Frequently during the summer months John hosts open house events once per month on a Saturday from 9:00 to noon. The confirmation for the next open house date is just a call away 978-531-9418 . As it is quite a task to make the layout presentable, short notice requests to “see the layout” can not be fulfilled.

Gas, food lodging…

Luckily for the avid model train buff, Peabody, MA is conveniently located in the greater Boston area which features a multitude of options for accommodation and meals. I flew into Logan International Airport and stayed the night at the Holiday Inn Boston-
Peabody. As this was a Friday night, I decided on having Pizza at a nice Italian restaurant nearby – Toscana’s Ristorante.
Good food and drinks paired with excellent service provided a great opening for this stay.

Always on the hunt for railroad themed venues I dropped into the The Little Depot the next morning for the ultimate “breakfast at a classic american diner” experience – cash only and no restrooms included. Everyone knows everyone, the ladies at the counter know their stuff and Blues music chimes in the conversations. They even have a toy train running around the ceiling and when I told the crowd that I am in the area to see one of the best model railroads they let the train circle around.

Conclusion

The Franklin and South Manchester truly is a landmark model railroad of our times and it strongly advised to go and see it “with your own eyes”! Located half an hour drive from Boston, MA it is relatively easy to visit and a little preparation gets you a long way. While around check out wonderful Peabody as well as delicious sea food. If you can’t make it to Peabody in person check out the Franklin & South Manchester videos on Allen Kellers Model Railroad Academy video portal.