ALLENTOWN, Pa. — When you hear the words “model train” you might think about modern plastic reproductions of period trains, or displays that are hands-off and showcased only like precious antiques.
Those are not the displays you’ll find at America on Wheels, which debuted its annual Holiday Trains exhibit Friday.
- America on Wheels in Allentown opened its holiday train displays Friday
- The largest display is run by volunteers from the Lehigh Valley Garden Railroaders
- It includes G trains, which are the largest commercially available in scale in the industry
On the second floor, volunteers from the Lehigh Valley Garden Railroaders (LVGR) were still putting finishing touches on the G trains, which showcase a durable construction and exacting detail and are the largest commercially available scale in the industry, at 1:29 or 1:32.
This main display is the largest of the three separate train displays showcased inside the museum this season and takes about two weeks to set up.
“Every couple of years they change this up,” said Dennis Snell, the museum volunteer coordinator. “Last year we had a slightly different theme.”
It’s also the first year the LVGR display includes Christmas trains, said President Chris Kacsur.
“We’ve been trying to change some little things. We’ve got a scavenger hunt for the kids, and we’ve got a scavenger hunt for the adults with a ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ scene. We try to keep interest for both kids and kids-at-heart,” Kacsur said.
"We try to keep interest for both kids and kids-at-heart."Chris Kacsur, president of LVGR
Kacsur was still sprinkling "snow" Friday morning on displays he said volunteers “pull from their yards” to be part of the layout. He stepped carefully around intricate Christmas village pieces, hundreds of pine trees and miniature cars, pointing out a model of the Goodwill Fire Company, while next door, a hardware store and barber shop stood tall.
The volunteers are the ones who install each and every piece, bringing the entire display to life. To the sound of train whistles and crossing-gate signals, visitors can spot a locomotive painted with the words "Lehigh Valley" as it tools around curves and runs along straightaways.
Kacsur is hoping interest in the display – which he said is typically packed with visitors during the holiday season — will spur an interest in more volunteers who enjoy the fun, challenge and experience of large-scale model railroading.
“I’d say we probably had 30 members at one point, but now I’d say we’re lucky if we’re down to like…a dozen,” Kacsur said, noting the group sets up a number of displays each year available to the public, including at the Kreidersville Bridge Festival, the Bethlehem Farmers Market and the Apple Festival at Ontelaunee Park in New Tripoli.
Other model trains chugging their way around America on Wheels include O Scale (1:48) and HO Scale (1:87). Just off the main entrance, a Lego Train City display showcases a world where everything is made entirely of Legos, including the trains rumbling down the tracks.
The exhibit is open through Dec. 31, and the museum is both a Toys For Tots and Joe’s Kid’s collection site. Visitors are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to be placed on a 1951 Chevy pickup truck to be delivered to children in need.
For more information, visit https://americaonwheels.org/event/holiday-train-exhibit/. If you’re interested in learning more about LVGR, check out http://lvgr.org/.
