# Celebrity Rocker Model Railroaders - from 'Issac Newton Inventing the Cat Door'

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-rocker-model-railroaders-from-issac-newton-inventing-the-cat-door/685356>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 4, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-rocker-model-railroaders-from-issac-newton-inventing-the-cat-door/685356 "2014-04-04T17:15:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-rocker-model-railroaders-from-issac-newton-inventing-the-cat-door/685356/1 "2014-04-04T17:15:46Z")

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Completely blowing off the point of Cecil’s April 4 2014 Column “[Did Issac Newton Invent the Cat Door](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3156/did-isaac-newton-invent-the-cat-door)”, as a modeler I focused on the section beginning with: “my favorite celebrity inventor remains Neil Young, whose name is listed on 22 patents for model-railroad technology”

I believe the current most famous “rock legend in an engineer’s cap at the controls of a roomful of model choo-choos” would be Rod Stewart (stretching the definition of Rock a bit), who’s [model work is well known, and has been featured](http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/toys-in-the-attic-rod-stewart.aspx) in Model Railroader magazine several times among other places.

Unfortunately the only other model railroader celebritity name that always comes up on the railfan boards is the deceased actor Gary Coleman, and after that everyone sits around scratching their heads for a third - Neil Young would certainly work…

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-rocker-model-railroaders-from-issac-newton-inventing-the-cat-door/685356/2 "2014-04-05T00:12:35Z")

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Okay, Rod, I’m impressed. That is a sweet layout.

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**Author:** ![grue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9bd4f/32.png) [@grue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grue)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-rocker-model-railroaders-from-issac-newton-inventing-the-cat-door/685356/3 "2014-04-05T01:43:15Z")

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Spread-spectrum technology isn’t used in just “some cellphones,” it’s used in practically _all_ of them, as well as everything that speaks WiFi. Give Ms. Lamarr a bit more credit than just a tiny footnote, Cece!

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**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-rocker-model-railroaders-from-issac-newton-inventing-the-cat-door/685356/4 "2014-04-08T00:11:33Z")

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> [@SirRay](#):
>
> I believe the current most famous “rock legend in an engineer’s cap at the controls of a roomful of model choo-choos” would be Rod Stewart…

I’m glad you posted this. I used to pick up model train magazines from time-to-time, when my son was WAY into trains. I practically fell out of my chair when I saw Rod Stewart featured, going on about kit bashing and stuff!

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-rocker-model-railroaders-from-issac-newton-inventing-the-cat-door/685356/5 "2014-04-08T14:14:27Z")

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> [@dropzone](#):
>
> Okay, Rod, I’m impressed. That is a sweet layout.

It sure is - wow!

The article mentions in the fifth paragraph that Frank Sinatra also was a model railroader. Here’s more: [http://www.mendorailhistory.org/blog/?p=3201](http://www.mendorailhistory.org/blog/?p=3201)

And here are some other celebs who love or loved model trains (of _course_ Wiki has a list!): [Rail transport modelling - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_transport_modellers#Celebrity_modellers)