Add the magic of a Christmas train to your home
A train in the home at Christmastime can provide on old-fashioned holiday feel.
A train under the Christmas tree can add a nostalgic feel to the holiday.
Christmas and trains just seem to go together.
鈥淭hey always say they do,鈥� said William Beatty, of Bullskin Township, president of the HObo Model Railroad Club of Connellsville.
There鈥檚 no denying that Christmas trains are sentimental.
Think of 鈥淭he Polar Express,鈥� a Christmas story about a man who remembers a magical train he rode as a boy with other skeptical children on a journey to visit Santa Claus at the North Pole.
And there are communities throughout the nation offering rides on actual trains during the Christmas season that are festooned with lights and decorations and have plenty of refreshments and fun activities.
But for many, the holiday season isn鈥檛 complete without a model railroad of their very own under the Christmas tree.
Picture your living room where the family Christmas tree is set up with its twinkling lights and decorations. Now enhance that scene with a train set that runs around the base of the tree through a barricade of presents or a landscape of snowy scenery.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e only limited by your imagination and your checkbook,鈥� said Trevor Waligura, owner of Get A Hobby in Uniontown.
A train under the tree captures your attention as well as your heart.
It may have been gently packed away and brought out each year. Or if you鈥檝e never owned a train, you might want to buy a set this year and start a new family tradition.
Waligura explained popular sizes for model railroads include: O scale, HO scale and N scale.
鈥淪ome people can put an N scale on their mantle or coffee table,鈥� Waligura said. 鈥淭he locomotive is two to three inches in length. An HO locomotive is eight inches. An O scale can have an 18-inch locomotive. Most people get O scale in Lionel and Lionel sells trains in sets. A popular one is 鈥楾he Polar Express.鈥�
Waligura explained sets can include track, a hand-held remote control, a whistle and bells. He noted 鈥淭he Polar Express鈥� set includes the voice of Tom Hanks, who starred in the 2004 animated movie that was made from the book.
A train can be set up under your tree in a short amount of time, as easy as 10 to 15 minutes.
There are beginner sets but model railroads can also become elaborate. Waligura said some people take them out from under the tree and make another place for the railroad in their home. That requires placing the model railroad on a plywood sheet, acquiring extra sections of track and accessories for scenery.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a whole lot of things you can do 鈥� buildings, tunnels, bridges,鈥� said Waligura. 鈥淎nd you can keep it up all year.鈥�
While Waligura said there鈥檚 a lull in the popularity of model railroads, he commented, 鈥淭hey are popular around here at Christmastime.鈥�
He noted, 鈥淚f people have a set, they are buying accessories at Christmastime 鈥� cars, buildings.鈥�
Waligura observed that Lionel makes a Christmas car every year.
So what is it about Christmas and model railroads? What makes people enjoy them so much this time of year?
鈥淣ostalgia,鈥� said Waligura, noting the railroad is a link to another time. 鈥淟ionel trains came in around 1900s. People started putting them under their trees and it stuck.鈥�
He added, 鈥淚鈥檝e got a son and ever since he was about 4, he鈥檚 not only liked model trains but any and all trains.鈥�
Those who enjoy model railroads can also join local clubs in preserving the tradition all year. Here in southwestern Pennsylvania, trains still tug at your heart.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tradition around southwestern Pennsylvania,鈥� said Beatty. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what they do 鈥� go out and see the trains.鈥�