Trainfest Enriches the Family Experience

Imagine a boy perched on his dad's shoulders to get a better glance at the shiny copper model steam locomotive barreling down the tracks through a wooded hillside. Bring all the bells, whistles and rumbling sounds of the railroad into an exhibit hall with 200,000 square feet of model railroad layouts and displays - just enough to fill a room and not be crowded. Then, let seasoned modelers come to show off their craftsmanship to other kids - kids of all ages. 

Is Trainfest really for kids of all ages? Hmm... Let's see.

My three year old, who can't sit still for ten minutes, stood stock still in front of a shiny black locomotive as it circled the track for half an hour. He wasn't alone; the layout was rimmed with ten other kids doing the same. 

While he was mesmerized, I got lost in the scenery. What makes these train layouts stand out is the level of detail. Some of these scenes are rural, and they depict the crossroads of buildings and clutter found at railroad stations across America. A corner tavern with a Pabst sign hanging above the doorway stands across the street from a gas station. Down the track is a pumpkin farm with 10 rows of orange pumpkins lined up in dirt trenches. Miniature families are posed with mothers clutching giant pumpkins, and kids running up and down the fields. Other kids are piling out of a wood-paneled station wagon. A cat is curled up in a corner bushel basket. Keep on looking - there's more. A horse and colt were in a nearby pasture.

A nearby layout actually featured a "drive-in" movie theatre showing the unabridged musical "Oklahoma" on the screen. Miniature Thunderbirds and Mustangs were lined up in tidy rows with stick-like microphone boxes next to the drivers' windows.

When I started going to Trainfest a few years ago, I didn't know a thing about trains, except that Johnny Cash sang a few songs about them. Then I got hooked.  How couldn't I? When I came, I met people who wanted to tell me about their layouts, and the stories of how their passion with model trains began. 

I remember asking a boy with the Waukesha 4-H booth how he got the idea for his layout. First, he told me about his grandparent's place up north, and how he would fish there. Then told me how he got the pond water in his layout to look real. He is one of a group of kids who design and make about 18 portable modules that they work on all year, to be assembled at Trainfest and other events. He's part of a group that donates extra train equipment to wounded servicemen overseas, so they can have something to do while they are recovering. 

The place is filled with stories, memories, creative ways to make Styrofoam look like real rocks, sounds that make you think a steam train is near. There's illusion and drama as you watch a train enter through a tunnel and reappear at the far end of the track through some boulders. There's something magical about it. You can bring your kids; you become a kid again.

You can come back year after year for more because there is always more to see. So you can get lost in the experience. Before you know it - it's 5:30. You've been mesmerized by the layouts, and your kids are amazed at the railcars and steam engines, circus trains and coal carriers. They have an awe-inspired look of wonder on their faces, and the Trainfest experience - priceless.

Even if you're not a parent, Trainfest will captivate you. It is one of the few places to witness the intertwining of generations of memories and experiences, as they are laced into layouts and landscapes. Trainfest draws you into a completely interactive experience, full of stories and magic. So in November, lose track of time, keep your schedule open, and buy a ticket to the Trainfest experience.