Small-Scale Fun

Model train enthusiasts promote passion

Jackson Gorden, 4, of Rogers mans the controls as model trains pass in front of him at the 11th annual Great Northwest Arkansas Model Train Show. Presented by Sugar Creek Model Railroad and Historical Society, visitors can once again make their way through a room filled with vendors and displays this weekend.
Jackson Gorden, 4, of Rogers mans the controls as model trains pass in front of him at the 11th annual Great Northwest Arkansas Model Train Show. Presented by Sugar Creek Model Railroad and Historical Society, visitors can once again make their way through a room filled with vendors and displays this weekend.

Cars and planes may be the most popular ways to travel, but according to a group of local enthusiasts, trains are really where it's at.

Model trains, that is.

FAQ

12th annual

Great NWA Model Train Show

WHEN — 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday

WHERE — Holiday Inn and Convention Center, 1500 S. 48th St. in Springdale

COST — $8; children 12 and younger free

INFO — trainshow-nwa.org

The Sugar Creek Model Railroad and Historical Society is hosting its 12th annual Great NWA Model Train Show Saturday in Springdale, and as in years past, it is expected to be the largest of its kind in the region, says the club's president, Keith Johnson.

Nearly 50 vendors will fill 200 tables offering miniatures, model train parts and memorabilia all geared toward what Johnson calls "more than a hobby for everyone involved."

The members' own layouts will be on display this year, and the club is bringing in several out-of-town hobbyists to demonstrate their own unique builds, including at least one model steam train that harkens back to the early years of the American railroad, he says.

Until the 1950s, steam engines were the backbone of locomotion and now survive in what Johnson describes as a "really cool" way for young people to experience a different type of model train.

Instead of burning coal or wood to heat water in a boiler, the trains utilize distilled water and propane to pull power from the steam engine which directly powers the model train, he says. "They can get hot, so we don't let the kids touch them."

Johnson says he hopes people will come out and enjoy what for most of the members has been a life-long passion.

"This is more than a hobby -- people get really into it," he says. "I get really into trains. It's just in our blood."

-- Allison Carter

[email protected]

NAN What's Up on 02/27/2015

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