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AUBURN — The Great Falls Model Railroad Club of Auburn’s 10th annual Christmas ExTRAINaganza, a four-day family fun event with special activities for childrenm will be held Nov. 17, 18, 23 and 24, at 144 Mill St.
The handicapped-accessible club house, across from the Barker Mill, will be decorated for Christmas with trains of various sizes operating on five permanent layouts throughout the two-story building. The show will be held from 10 am. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17; Sunday, Nov. 18; Friday, Nov. 23; and Saturday, Nov. 24.
The show features long trains running on multiple tracks and through the tunnels of the large G-gauge layout, and includes an interactive ski slope as a special feature of the attractive winter scene. There are also decorated Christmas trees with trains beneath them, Thomas the Tank Engine on a separate layout, wih other engines from the Thomas series running on the upper trestle.
The club’s extensive HO layout is an engineering marvel. Members continue to develop a variety of new scenery details, and have recently upgraded the track, creating a second line. Long-time residents of the area will recognize many of the 1950s scenes reproduced in the Lewiston lower section of the layout, including Bates Mill 5. Older children can sign up to be guest engineers and operate one of the HO trains.
Train-related items can be bought at the club’s store, including locomotives and rolling stock in a variety of scales, railroad hats, whistles, T-shirts, locomotive earrings, books and other train-themed items. Train Time videos, produced by the Great Falls Model Railroad Club and seen on many local cable channels, will be shown continuously each day and will be available for sale.
Children may also decorate and eat gingerbread boys and girls, and create Christmas ornaments to take home, as well as play the special railroad games designed by the club. Younger children always have fun with the Brio set and age-appropriate trains in the children’s play area.
Parents may enjoy light refreshments in the craft area.
Tickets for decorating cookies, making ornaments and playing games with prizes are $1 apiece, or seven for $5. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under.
For more details and photos of the ExTRAINaganza in previous years, visit www.greatfallsmodelrrclub.org.
PHOTO: Jonah Paul, of Gorham, surveys the HO railroad yard at the Great Falls Model Railroad Club, 144 Mill St. in Auburn. The club’s ExTRAINaganza is Nov 17, 18, 23 and 24. (Submitted photo)
