Get on board for the Ford’s Colony Model Railroad Club Layout show this December, complete with interactive functions and displays.
On Dec. 2 and 3, the Ford’s Colony Model Railroad Club will host their layout show for the thirteenth year at the Williamsburg Regional Library on Croaker Road in James City County, according to a release from the club.
The displays will explain the detailed settings and intricate track planning that goes into each work, according to the website. Each member will discuss their particular display, which will show scenery ranging from cities to mountains.
Layouts from various scale sizes will be available, including G, O, HO, N. and Z. The categories indicate the size of the model with G-trains being as large as a backyard and Z-trains as small as a kitchen table, according to Richard Eichhorn, a member of the club.
The club has over 50 members who participate in the event. Members explain details about the model trains and excite visitors, according to a report from last year.
Eichhorn has been making model trains since he was a child. He said a lot of the attraction to model trains is that it reminds people of their childhood.
“Most people start with their first train track under their Christmas tree,” Eichhorn said. “And then people go from there.”
The show has drawn in around 1,000 visitors in the past and works to engage children and train-enthusiasts of all ages, according to the release.
The event will also take visitors to the Norge Depot Museum, located on Croaker Road, to learn about Williamsburg railroad history, the library’s site said. The Norge Depot Museum is a museum of railroad and community interest, according to the museum’s website.
The show began in 2005 as a way to recognize National Model Railroad Week. Since the first year, the show has grown exponentially and has also been displayed on Grand Illumination weekend as a major Williamsburg activity, according to the release.
In previous years, the event gave lessons on rail safety with Operation Lifesaver. Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and trespassing on or near railroad tracks, according to the organization’s website.
Model trains have become popular with older generations because of the challenges in the hobby and nostalgia associated with the activity, according to the National Toy Train Museum.
One challenge of model trains is learning how to use the new technology associated with the hobby. While model trains began in the 1860s as wooden toys, they now have become very complicated pieces of machinery. Model trains use digital technology and control panels which allows greater control. Wiring skills are also now a part of the hobby, according to the train museum.
“Model railroading is a journey,” Eichhorn said. “You never stop working on your trains, you never say it’s finished. There is always something more to add.”
This year, the club will display seven operating models, according to Eichhorn, from Dec. 2-3 at the Williamsburg Regional Library, located at 7770 Croaker Road in Norge.
All ages are encouraged to participate. Admission is free. For more information contact the Williamsburg Regional Library at (757) 259-4040.
