Marble sculptures, model trains and chamomile tea

For many among Auburn University’s research faculty, it’s not all lab work and no play. Quite the contrary, as some enjoy unique and very diverse hobbies that reflect some exceptional talents and skills even beyond those displayed in their research endeavors.

Part 2:

Bruce Smith is a professor in the Department of Pathobiology and a scientist with the Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine. His current research focuses on two areas of genetic therapy, gene therapies for inherited muscular dystrophies and genetic approaches to therapy for cancer. Additionally, he studies molecular cascades involved in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and developing next-generation oncolytic viral vectors for a variety of cancers. Smith also is director of the Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer (AURIC).

Auburn Research wanted to learn more about some of the interesting extracurricular hobbies enjoyed by some faculty. This Q&A segment is the result of chatting with Smith about his model railroading hobby:

How long have you been involved in your hobby?
I’ve been involved in the hobby since around age eight, so about 50 years. My interest was shelved through high school and college, although it never went completely away. My interest was recharged in graduate school and I have been actively involved ever since.

What about your hobby interested you and how did you get started?
I got started by getting a train set for Christmas when I was eight years old. I got restarted because I became interested in the history of the railroads in the Philadelphia area while I was there for veterinary and graduate school. There are really three aspects of the hobby that I find fascinating: 1) History and historical research. I love digging into references, photographs and other sources to try to find historically accurate information. I am an active member of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society and serve on their Board of Directors and Modeling Committee. 2) Model building. I enjoy building models, whether they are railroad cars, locomotives or associated buildings. I particularly enjoy very highly detailed models and I work to make them even more accurate. It is rare that I build an available kit without modifying it in some way. And when the model is built, I also enjoy the artistry involved in painting and weathering a model to make it look realistic. 3) Operations. I find a great deal of pleasure in operating model trains in a way that duplicates the way full-sized railroads work. Trying to figure out how to deliver the correct railroad car to the correct siding is an intellectual puzzle, with what I like to call a high "gaming" value for me.

Does your hobby require raw materials?
It can, and that can be part of the fun. Models come in many types, ranging from “ready to run,” which means that you can take it out of the box, put it on the rails, and run it; to “kits” where a manufacturer provides the needed pieces; to “scratch-built,” where you take raw materials such as plastic, metal or wood and build a model from that. It can be a real challenge to build a train car or scale building from the raw materials, but there is a great deal of satisfaction in seeing the pieces come together. These days, even "ready to run" models get some additional details or modifications from me, and I almost never build a kit strictly according to the directions.

Do you consider your hobby to be an expensive activity in terms of monetary investment and time?
One of the really neat things about model railroading is that when you are done building a kit, you aren’t done. The enjoyment of the car isn’t just in the building, but also in operating it. Some components of the hobby can be expensive. A ready to run locomotive model, with the latest electronic control and sound can cost up to $500.Highly detailed car kits can cost anywhere from $30 to $75 depending on the complexity and size of the car. The supplies for a scratch-built car can be scavenged and therefore, free, but even if you order the raw materials, their cost is pretty low, and very nice models can be built for under $20. I generally spend an average of 10-15 hours building, painting and weathering each model. Some models can take upwards of 30 hours or more. I consider that time very well spent.

Does your hobby provide any benefit to others, or is this strictly an outlet for your own enjoyment/benefit/creativity?
Model railroading is often used in places like children’s hospitals and rehabilitation centers to provide hands-on activities to both entertain and provide therapy--mental, physical, social--for patients. I hope to be able to become involved in this type of activity.

Do you have future expansion plans for your hobby?
I currently have more than 200 kits to build, so that will last me for quite a few years. However, I do not have a layout on which I can run them, so that is a major future goal.

--Interview by Mitch Emmons

Continue to Part 3