Choo-Choo Over to an Expansive Model Train Display

Lots of track, small villages, and creativity, too: See what train enthusiasts are up to at the Pasadena Model Railroad Club's Fall Open House.

What to Know

  • Nov. 18, 19, and 21, 2017; hours vary
  • $5 adults, $1 kids suggested donation
  • Pasadena Model Railroad Club is behind the fun peek at its creative train displays

What final touch completes your perfect holiday scene?

For some, a mug of cocoa on the coffee table is a must. Others need to see a wreath on the door. And for many, a tiny train choo-choo-ing around the base of the Christmas tree is the whipped cream on the seasonal pie.

World-building in the model train realm, though, goes far further than a hand-sized engine found under the Douglas fir in the den, as handsome as that engine might be. Groups like the Pasadena Model Railroad Club devote a lot of time and creativity to constructing not just tracks but envisioning miniature villages, the countryside, and larger landscapes for the cool trains that run through them.

Getting a close-up peek at these amazing, small-of-scale, big-of-idea worlds, though? If you're not a member of a train club, that can be a challenge.

But the Pasadena Model Railroad Club is throwing a Fall Open House, giving novices to the pursuit, lookie-loos, casual fans, and passionate train lovers a chance to see some of the intricate dioramas created by club members, and the trains that run through them.

The just-ahead-of-Thanksgiving dates are ideal for those looking to find that sparkly holiday spirit: Saturday, Nov. 18, Sunday, Nov. 19, and the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 21.

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Times vary, do note, and note that an adult admission is five dollars, while kids can enter for a buck. These are suggested donation amounts, do note.

Might viewing these beautifully realized vistas stoke your own choo-choo choices when it comes to purchasing a model train down the road? Or breaking out the one you had in childhood?

It's a quite the sight to see, even if it isn't a pastime you think you might pursue yourself. Model railroading stretches back decades, and the intricate universes that form around the rails inside people's garages and attics and playrooms are pretty astounding feats.

Chugga-chugga, people, to 5458 Alhambra Avenue in Pasadena, for a peek at some of the best model railroads around.

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