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Area residents got off their cabooses Saturday and came out to the Ilion Masonic Temple to take in the sights and sounds of the Funtrak Model Railroad Club’s model railroad show.
“Everyone comes to find different model railroad stuff and to look at the displays we set up,” said club member Lorenzo Franchi, of Little Falls. “Everybody likes something different.”
As much as the third annual show might have been about railroading hobbyists, Franchi said the main focus was to introduce children to a new hobby that can be fun and inexpensive.
“Kids just like looking at the trains and the displays. They’re fascinated by them,” said Franchi. “Once you get started, it really is a fun and enjoyable hobby. You can let your imagination run wild.”
Displays ranged from scenes of the former Little Falls and Dolgeville railroads, sawmills and stone quarries to invasions by giant mutant ants, fires and twisting tornadoes.
“It took me about a month to build the tornado,” said Franchi. “The secret to it was finding the stuff to make it twist and light up. It’s a lot of fun to come up with an idea and then build it.”
A train enthusiast since his father bought him his first toy train at age 5, Franchi said model train building is a productive change of pace for children who spend a lot of their time in front of screens.
“Its hands on. It’s not sitting there, watching television or playing video games. Hands on, building something and seeing what you’ve built put to use. It’s rewarding to see the finished product.”
Not so long ago, trains were a primary mode of transportation, helping to shape the history of the nation by paving the way to the American West and to all points in between.
For many people, collecting model trains is a way of keeping this history alive. Whether their interest is rooted in a childhood memory of playing with a train set, a personal experience working with trains or stories told by a close relative, collectors are passionate about trains.
“I work on different displays throughout the year,” said Franchi. “I’m always calling up another club member and asking if they can help me put a display together, and they’re always calling me for help with their displays. It’s a community. We all work well together and we all have a fun time together.”
The weekend-long show also showcased a vendor table, selling everything from model trains, scenery for model train displays and railroad memorabilia, and screenings of railroad-related DVDs.
The Funtrak Model Railroad Club was founded in 1992 and sponsors numerous shows throughout the year. Club members also take part in larger shows held throughout the state.
Area residents got off their cabooses Saturday and came out to the Ilion Masonic Temple to take in the sights and sounds of the Funtrak Model Railroad Club’s model railroad show.
“Everyone comes to find different model railroad stuff and to look at the displays we set up,” said club member Lorenzo Franchi, of Little Falls. “Everybody likes something different.”
As much as the third annual show might have been about railroading hobbyists, Franchi said the main focus was to introduce children to a new hobby that can be fun and inexpensive.
“Kids just like looking at the trains and the displays. They’re fascinated by them,” said Franchi. “Once you get started, it really is a fun and enjoyable hobby. You can let your imagination run wild.”
Displays ranged from scenes of the former Little Falls and Dolgeville railroads, sawmills and stone quarries to invasions by giant mutant ants, fires and twisting tornadoes.
“It took me about a month to build the tornado,” said Franchi. “The secret to it was finding the stuff to make it twist and light up. It’s a lot of fun to come up with an idea and then build it.”
A train enthusiast since his father bought him his first toy train at age 5, Franchi said model train building is a productive change of pace for children who spend a lot of their time in front of screens.
“Its hands on. It’s not sitting there, watching television or playing video games. Hands on, building something and seeing what you’ve built put to use. It’s rewarding to see the finished product.”
Not so long ago, trains were a primary mode of transportation, helping to shape the history of the nation by paving the way to the American West and to all points in between.
For many people, collecting model trains is a way of keeping this history alive. Whether their interest is rooted in a childhood memory of playing with a train set, a personal experience working with trains or stories told by a close relative, collectors are passionate about trains.
“I work on different displays throughout the year,” said Franchi. “I’m always calling up another club member and asking if they can help me put a display together, and they’re always calling me for help with their displays. It’s a community. We all work well together and we all have a fun time together.”
The weekend-long show also showcased a vendor table, selling everything from model trains, scenery for model train displays and railroad memorabilia, and screenings of railroad-related DVDs.
The Funtrak Model Railroad Club was founded in 1992 and sponsors numerous shows throughout the year. Club members also take part in larger shows held throughout the state.
