Frank Sinatra, Model Train Collector

Frank Sinatra's model train layout

From this Frank Sinatra Impersonator in Los Angeles:   I had the great experience of performing for a small elite group at the Frank Sinatra estate in Rancho Mirage CA, known to many as “The Compound”.  That same night, I was given a wonderful private tour of the property, where  everything is preserved the way it was when the Sinatras lived there. 

In addition to a main house and beautiful pool, there is a separate theater room and several guest houses named after Sinatra songs, identified with plaques in front of each one.  But one of the most memorable buildings is the Train Building, where Frank’s extensive model train collection is still set up.  Miniature tracks, train cars, buildings and tiny people fill the room on a huge table, surrounded by shelves on all four walls holding more train cars and other accessories.  On a hook on the wall hangs a bright red hat with an emblem and shiny black visor.  The whole collection is valued at more than a million dollars, and one of the most cherished pieces is a locomotive that was a gift to F.S. from the Vatican.  There’s every possible detail on the elaborate layout, it’s quite a sight, and as a matter of fact, it still runs.