Mike Rabbitt collection

The Mike Rabbitt Collection of Steel and Railroad Materials largely comes from Mike Rabbitt's avocation as a steel mill modeler, for which he was well known. As a teenager, he built his first model of a blast furnace, based on prints from either Koppers or McKee company. This model was featured in Model Railroader Magazine, which sparked interest from notable modelers including Dean Freytag. Within a decade, Rabbitt's prints were being advertised in Model Railroader and his works were published elsewhere, including Dean Freytag's "The History, Making and Modeling of Steel," Nevin Yakel's "Bethlehem Steel Railroading," and Bob Wilt's "Bethlehem Steel Co. Railroad Operations."

Mike additionally collaborated with John Glaab, having met in the 1990s. Together, they collaborated on the inaugural meeting of the Steel Mill Modelers in 2004. Mike became a founding board member of the Steel Mill Modeler's Special Interest Group at its formation in 2013.

Mike's encyclopedic knowledge and drawings benefited modelers across the globe. In addition to Dean Freytag, Ken McCorry, Jim Kerner, Glenn Sonnier, Vince Altiere, and Rob Arthur all utilized Rabbitt's drawings. Rabbitt's own models were notable as well. His sintering plant model won the Dean Freytag Award in 2011.

His models were ultimately donated to the St. Albans railroad Club located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, with his extensive archival collection of drawings and other ephemera going to the Industrial Archives & Library in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.