Big trains, little trains, trains for families to ride, railroad scenes to be admired and more will make their way to Seattle’s Pacific Science Center for this weekend’s 34th annual Model Railroad Show.
Together with the National Model Railroad Association’s Pacific Northwest Region Fourth division, the science center’s staff has put on this show for more than three decades, offering a variety of activities for visitors of all ages.
The railroad group, for example, provides layouts in many scales to be viewed, and also may bring some guest layouts from other parts of the country.
“The layouts are always the main attraction,” science center special events manager Alaina Schulner said. “A layout is the full set-up of a model train and the different scenes and backdrops the train travels through. Usually, there are about eight to 10 different scenes that make up a layout. The layout is either a straight line or a full circle.”
In addition to admiring those displays, Schulner said, visitors can ride on a “whimsical child-sized train” and learn from experts how to buy the right model train set.
Other hands-on activities include drawings of cabooses for young visitors to color and train whistles for them to decorate.
Division members will be on site during the entire event running the trains, the staff says, and visitors can expect to learn from those speakers what it’s like to be a model railroad member or collector.
“With 34 years of experience, each member has a rich history about the event that they are excited to share with the public,” Schulner added.
Another of the show’s features will be performances by a barbershop quartet.
“Barbershop quartets and railroads go hand in hand,” Schulner explained. “Many quartets have songs that relate to the railroad or the building of the railway. The quartet represents a time when passengers would wait on the platform for the train and be entertained by a quartet.”
So whether visitors want just to get an eyeful of professionals’ train scenery, to get their hands on a train in order to take a ride, or to learn about the changing railroad industry itself, the staff says there will be chances to do it all during this three-day event.
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