Other Train Show's a Hit!

Trains circle around a track at the Model Train Expo at the D&N Event Center on Saturday

Little Trains, Big Show
By: Mark Young
Published Sunday, September 20th, 2009
NP Teleagraph.com
North Plate Nebraska

As Rail Fest continues to grow and draw worldwide attention from railroad enthusiasts, so do all of the individual activities. This year's Model Train Expo is three times larger than last year's and is expected to grow, according to Original Town Association's Bernie McNulty, who organized this year's expo.

"We have 13 vendors selling their wares this year and have five layouts," said McNulty. "We have people from five different states with the farthest ones coming from Texas and Illinois to participate in the show."

The vendors have everything a model train enthusiast can imagine, from modern to antique pieces and everything in between. Trains, tracks, culverts, miniature people, cars, houses, grass, hills and everything imaginable is available to create your own railroad line and own city.

What one could imagine to do with all these things is evident in the layouts at the D&N center that extend out for up to 30 yards with multiple trains steaming through mock towns that feature downtown 1950s parking. There is nothing left to the imagination as a lone fisherman angles in his catch atop a hill overlooking the speeding trains.

There's a good reason why train lovers and model train lovers flock to these shows and spend a lifetime collecting pieces to build their own railroad lines. There's a good reason, but no one really knows what that reason is.

"It just is," said McNulty. "There's a real fascination for it. Trains play such an important part of our history and people love the sounds and the power that trains have. But why the fascination gets to this point, I don't know, it just does and it reaches all ages. I'm 70 years old and I have a big layout in my basement."


http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2009/09/20/news/70000283.txt