Model train show brings out the child in everyone

TORRINGTON — The Torrington Area Model Railroaders Club held an open house event at its headquarters at 58 Lewis St. on Sunday, May 17. 

The Lewis Street building houses approximately 567 feet of twisting, turning and looping model railroad track. Long straightaways are dotted with everything from miniature farmland scenery, old factory buildings, scaled down representation of an actual Torrington train station and all sorts of tiny lifelike cars, people, trees and vegetation. Together with all the G, HO and N-scale model trains, the estimated value of everything on display is about $1 million. 

Club members can access the club any day at any time with dues of $15 a month. 

This is the second of two open houses the club offers each year. 

In the past, the club has filled the Torrington Armory at Christmas time in conjunction with Christmas Village, and it has a display in Riverton around the same time. 

Club member Kevin Hales said that the club intends to pique the interest adults and children toward model trains as a hobby.

“We are clearing the way to attract new interest in the hobby, especially among young kids to give them a chance to do something else with their hands and minds besides idly gazing upon video screens,” Hales said.

“In fact, we’ve gone high tech ourselves,” club member Dave Owens said. “Rather than the standard pneumatically controlled start, stop, speed-adjustment knobs or handles commonly wired alongside model trains, we use a computer remote and antenna controlled system with a digital command control station. For the train layouts connected to this system we put control of the trains right into the hands of young enthusiasts. This hands-on engagement offers both young and old kids a direct link to speed up and slow down individual trains, flash lights on and off, or blare the horn.”