Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
AUBURN – The Great Falls Model Railroad Club of Auburn is holding its annual Christmas ExTRAINaganza the weekends before and after Thanksgiving, at its clubhouse, 144 Mill St.
The handicapped-accessible clubhouse, across from the Barker Mill in New Auburn, will be decorated for Christmas with trains of various sizes operating on five permanent layouts throughout the two-story building.
ExTRAINaganza will be held from 10 am. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, Sunday, Nov. 20, Friday, Nov. 25, Saturday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 27. Admission is by donation, suggested as $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under.
There is a lot to see for both kids and adults, with trains running on multiple tracks and through the tunnels of the large G-gauge layout. The interactive ski slope is a highlight of the attractive winter scene, there’s a Thomas the Tank Engine on a separate layout in the G-gauge room, with other engines from the Thomas series running on the upper trestle. Layouts include intricate trestles created by club members.
The club’s permanent layout for the smaller n-scale is in the next room. Trains will also be operating in the hallway on the O-Gauge Lionel layout, which incorporates a variety of unique structures. The club’s extensive HO layout downstairs is an engineering marvel. Members continue to develop new and expanded details. 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.
Children can sign up to be guest engineers and operate one of the HO trains.
For more details and photos of the ExTRAINaganza in previous years, visit greatfallsmodelrrclub.org.
PHOTO: All ages enjoy ExTRAINganza, as seen here in 2017. (Bill Van Tassel photo)
