Barber Speed Museum

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is found outside of Birmingham, Alabama and is an incredible collection of motorcycles and vintage race cars.

The entire history of the development of motorcycles is on display from the very earliest examples right up to todays racing machines. This history includes nearly 1800 machines. They are all displayed in a beautiful setting in a multi level building overlooking a race track.

The museum landscaping is beautiful 

You are greeted at the entrance by stainless steel sculptures representing speed and power

A scale approval model of the sculpture is found inside the museum

The museum is a portion of the racing complex

This is the museum view that greets you upon entry

Each floor is full of machines of various types and histories

Visitors pin where they are from

Not too many pins from our neck of the woods

Gently sloping ramps connect each of the levels

It was fun seeing machines from the days of my youth

Race cars often pass by while you are enjoying the museums displays

Vintage lighting

Various engineering efforts at alternative wheel arrangements were on display

Handlebars fold and this fits in the trunk of a car. Often used as Pit bikes to get around the race track

This step thru frame Honda model popularized the brand in America

Incredible engineering on these early machines

Outboard motor collections can be found

Motorcycles as sculpture

Really like this color scheme

Step thru frame Honda's established the brand in the USA

The evolution of motorcycles included a time in which they were to include added passengers and some sort of weather proofing

Enclosed sidecars was one solution

Examples of highly styled machines were on display and intended to determine new market direction

Several examples of machines with wide front ends intended to control road splash were on display

I first saw one of these in Europe - an attempt to create an all weather motorcycle. Some have weather proof blankets to cover you to increase comfort

Three wheel and one wheel motorcycles are on display

These giant one wheel motorcycles have the wheel rotate around you. They work surprisingly well, you just have to be very careful when braking to not stop to quickly as you then rotate within the wheel.

Drag racing machines are a part of motorcycle history

Lots of coverage of flat track racing

The displays transition from motorcycles to race cars

Lotus automobiles are well represented

The collection includes every conceivable type of model of Lotus automobiles

I found this display of a glass fiber car body fascinating

Beautiful machines in the restoration area

This is an example of how conventional bicycles were motorized. The gas tank is a former military water canteen 

This is an example of a motorized bicycle

Bicycles of all types are in the collection

The portion of the museum devoted to military motorcycles was most interesting

If near Birmingham you should stop in and enjoy the collection

 

NNGC - Rio Grande Southern in a basement

 The 2021 National Narrow Gauge convention was held in Hickory, North Carolina. Modelers who enjoy scale recreations of narrow gauge railroads travel to these yearly gatherings. These conventions are arranged in such a way as to leave each day open from noon until 6 PM to tour private homes and see the model railroads created by talented modelers in the area.

This particular model railroad is a recreation of the Rio Grande Southern in HO scale. The RGS was a railroad that ran thru SW Colorado and traversed some amazing scenery. It is a popular railroad to model.

Walking into the home

Down the steps to the basement

Where the railroad awaits

Some portions are double decked

The white portion of the image is where a river will be located as the scenery progresses

This is the coaling station at Vance Junction. Julie and I have hiked to this location several times in Colorado

Ore tipple at the town of Sawpit

The diggings at Pandora

Scenery supports in place for future rock work

Many of the stations along the RGS have been modelled

The backdrops add a lot to the scene

The station and tram house at Ophir

Depot at Telluride

Brass model of a Shay as used by the lumber companies

Another view of the mines and mill at Pandora

Fall is in the air on this layout

Sand facility

Turntable and yard trackage

 

More Fall colors 

The railroad modeler hired a talented artist to paint all of the backdrops

Turnout controls are mounted on the fascia

Equipment staged and ready  for operation

This was a very nicely laid out recreation of the RGS and was a pleasure to visit.