It's not easy finding the right words to talk education with Frank Ruby. You could tell him five times that he's "on the right track" before you realize the bad pun.
It's especially hard when he talks about engineers.
Ruby, who operates Blue Ridge Hobby in Greenville, is nearly always surrounded by tiny, intricate, and electrically powered model trains. Inside each one is a tiny little driver. Engines pull a variety of cars from a chemical car to a Clemson caboose.
"There's a lot to this other than trains running around in a circle," Ruby said.
There's certainly a very large scale ambition.
Ruby plans to open a transportation museum in Greenville in the more than 130 thousand square foot bulding left vacant when Sam's Club left Laurens Road.
He's got a major sponsor, Hubbell Lighting, which promised $80,000. They also will promise the labor of 9 employees who will help design the lighting for his museum.
Ruby says he can model seaports, rail stations, and entire industries.
"These are big machines in real life and you can model them in a small space or a big space," Ruby said.
If he can raise the rest of the money Ruby plans to open his museum by the end of this year.
He said he's already talking to the Greenville County School District about how a curriculum.
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