Why the holidays are always on track

Posted by Bill on Thursday, November 9, 2006   |   No Comments

Miniature locomotives, rolling stock and elaborate model RR layouts are as predictable during the holidays as candy canes and Christmas lights. And for some of us—as irresistible as warm snickerdoodles.

It’s fun to pick out the details as they click and hum their way around the track. As if the little train cars didn’t offer enough to look at, there’s the layout itself. Buildings, signs, lamp posts, shrubs, trees, people. Usually, the longer you look, the more you see.

But the most fun, I think, comes from watching the slightly amazed faces of the onlookers and, in particular, the proud smile of the usually middle-aged yardmaster, king of all he surveys.

During the holidays, you’re likely to find operating model railroad layouts almost anywhere. Malls, toy shops, civic or community centers. Even hotel lobbies and display spaces. I saw one last Christmas in Kansas City’s Union Station, the spectacularly restored landmark (and the nation’s second largest rail station) in downtown KC.

In West Allis, WI, (a Milwaukee suburb) the Train Fest runs through Sunday, November, 12. It features 50 operating layouts from Z to G scale and bills itself as “America’s largest operating model railroad show.” Even though Milwaukee isn’t that far away, November 12 doesn’t give you much time to plan if you were inclined to visit. But if you’re interested, you can make a note of this annual event for next year.

Of course, you don’t even have to set foot off home turf to visit The Train Barn at 10234 East Shore Drive, Portage, MI. While their display is not specifically a holiday attraction, the 3,000-square foot layout is a year-round favorite. Call 269/327-4016 for hours and details.

When the doors swing open on the Duke Energy/CSX Holiday Model Train Display at 8 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving, it will mark the sixth decade of this annual Cincinnati holiday family tradition. Since its inception, the annual display has been host to more than nine million visitors, young and old. In a recent year, more than 300,000 visited from 26 states and 12 foreign countries.

Each holiday season, the display dominates the lobby of the Duke Energy building at Fourth and Main Streets in downtown Cincinnati. The spread, one of the largest portable model railroad layouts in the world, includes about 300 train cars, 50 locomotives and 1,000 feet of track.

Volunteers and Duke Energy employees begin assembling and testing approximately 30 days before the opening ceremony on the day after Thanksgiving. Among their jobs: Testing and adjusting the more than 2,000 electrical connections and some 170 relays necessary to run the display.

There is no admission charge, and no reservations are taken. Early in the season is the best time for larger groups to visit because as the time to Christmas gets shorter, the lines get longer. For a recorded message about the annual display, call 513/287-1500 or visit their site.

Actually, I could pass along tons of suggestions about what to see and do in Cincinnati if you should happen to visit. Let me just suggest that you explore the holiday links you’ll find on the site above. They include some of my Cincinnati favorites, including the Museum Center, the Krohn Conservatory, downtown and the Nutcracker production. Check ‘em out.

Next: A mark of distinction