My thanks to State Representative Jeff Roy for sharing the copy of his remarks to open the "Franklin in Miniature" exhibit, Saturday, Dec 6, 2025, so the whole community could read at their leisure. And perhaps be inspired to come and see the work at the Historical Museum during open hours through January 2026.
"Good morning, everyone.
It is a true pleasure to stand here today to celebrate a monumental achievement in historical preservation and craftsmanship: the completion of the latest installment of the Franklin in Miniature exhibit.
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| State Rep Jeff Roy |
The overall exhibit, "Franklin in Miniature, 1932," now fully realized, is a spectacular sight to behold. But today, we especially recognize the completion of Train Town 3, which focuses on the industrial landscape around Hayward Mills, now the Franklin Mill Store, and Franklin Yarn, now Franklin Paint.
This third diorama alone is vast, measuring five feet by twelve feet, covering sixty square feet. It features thirty structures meticulously modeled in exact 1187th scale. The goal of this work is to bring history to life. To that end, the diorama includes 100 little people imported from England and 50 period automobiles. It is an effort to make history tangible, so visitors can truly understand what they are looking at.
This project was a true test of dedication and perseverance. Train Town 3 took over 2,500 hours of effort spread across 18 months.
When combined with the first two dioramas - the depot building (Train Town 1) and the Thompson Press/roundhouse (Train Town 2) - the entire exhibit represents over 3,200 hours of work.
Such an enormous undertaking demands unique talents and incredible collaboration. This entire exhibition is the result of the tireless partnership between Scott Mason and Sam Maxwell.
Scott, who is a master craftsman, brought the vision, the commitment to historical accuracy, and the determination to overcome daunting logistical challenges. His process involved extensive archaeological effort, measuring every detail of the standing buildings, often with a 100-foot tape, electronic devices, laser measures, and cameras, to establish what existed in 1932.
His insistence on precision meant the team aimed to be accurate within just one millimeter of the actual dimensions.
But Scott could not have achieved this without his partner, Sam Maxwell. Scott Mason himself established Sam as a vital partner in this process and the project engineer. Sam was the technical backbone of the effort, responsible for the advanced CAD work, all the advanced design, and running essential machinery like the laser and the 3D printer.
The third diorama alone involved close to 800 hours of laser time, showcasing the immense technological contribution Sam provided. Scott Mason even joked that Sam was responsible for him, highlighting the critical role Sam played in managing the demands of the entire process.
Their combined expertise-Scott's craftsmanship and historical drive, paired with Sam's engineering and technological mastery-is the reason this complex industrial landscape has been recreated in such breathtaking detail.
We are thrilled that the dioramas, which open today, will run through the end of January 2026.
Please join me in offering sincere gratitude and hearty congratulations to Scott Mason and Sam Maxwell for their remarkable effort and collaboration. They have not only built a model; they have given our community a beautifully accurate, enduring piece of its own history.
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| (L-R) cutting the ribbon - Sam Maxwell, Scott Mason, & Jeff Roy |
An album of pictures that I was able to take in advance of the opening
You can listen to Scott talk about the development of this diorama
