Design and making of scale models of locomotives for the railroad Museum of El Salvador: A university social outreach approach

Abstract

This article describes the project made for the design and making of scale models of historic locomotives, a project conducted by the School of Architecture of Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador (UTEC, given its Spanish acronym) in collaboration with the Museo del Ferrocarril de Sonsonate (Railroad Museum of Sonsonate). The project was designed under the university social outreach approach (PSU, given its Spanish acronym); its main objective was to contribute to the preservation and dissemination of the locomotive heritage of El Salvador by creating tridimensional museographic resources. Two faculty members and eight students participated in this project. The techniques used included 3-D modeling; they used special materials such as Balsa wood, illustration board and acrylic paint, complemented with 3-D printing for complex details. The process was organized in five stages: theoretical research, scale viewing, cutting and assembly of parts, painting and finishing, and delivery to the museum. As a result, two scale models were made; these were validated and approved by the museum experts, thus becoming educational tools which enrich the experience of those who visit the museum. This project not only strengthened the practicaltraining of the students, but it also demonstrated the positive impact that collaborative work has when the community and a higher education institution such as a university work together. It has been concluded that such initiatives are essential to preserve cultural heritage and to promote social development via academic knowledge.