If you go ...
• What: Model Train Show
• When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Where: SLICE
• Features: Operating layouts, activities for children, and vendors.
• Who: Sponsored by Green County Model Railroaders
MONROE - Model trains will glide past painted mountains and over rivers filled with rafter replicas during the 38th annual Model Train Show and Swap Meet this weekend.
The show, comprised of a swap meet and displays for model railroaders, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at The Stateline Ice and Community Expo center.
Gordon Lethaby is one of the roughly 30 people who will be at the show to display his layout. The route, using five model trains, has been used by Lethaby since 2010. A house fire consumed the former layout. It was rebuilt and is now a part of the family display which Lethaby, his wife, daughter, son and six great-grandchildren plan to show off during the show.
"That was the only good thing that came out of the fire," Lethaby said.
Lethaby, who received his first model train at the age of 8, said the show is generally geared toward children. His wife, Mary Lethaby, pointed to the model railroad displays as a learning experience and a way for younger people to become involved.
"It's a fun time for kids," Mary Lethaby said. "I think the intention is to get a lot of people involved."
In all, the displays should bring in roughly 1,000 viewers if attendance is similar to past years. The displays are interactive, with buttons to sections of the layouts into motion. Different pieces on display include mountain landscapes, lakes, deserts and miniature figures like skiers, ice skaters and cowboys with American Indians. The social event is one of eight for the Lethaby family members, who travel from August to March for shows in places like Dubuque, Cassville, Wisconsin and Galena, Illinois decked out in red polos.
Penny Grinnell, the Lethabys' daughter, works on displays with her husband, Darren. Grinnell focuses on painting and decoration. She said the mountains on their current layout took a week to finish. Presentations by model train builders encourage interest and understanding, she added.
"We always have people asking, "how do you do this?'" Grinnell said. "It's a great chance for people to learn more."
The event also serves as a memorial for those who spend time together on the circuit of model train shows. Doug Schoenike and James Lethaby, Gordon's brother, passed away within the last year. Both were train admirers and model builders, and members of the Green County Model Railroaders and the Lethabys wished to honor their memory during the show this year.
The show, comprised of a swap meet and displays for model railroaders, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at The Stateline Ice and Community Expo center.
Gordon Lethaby is one of the roughly 30 people who will be at the show to display his layout. The route, using five model trains, has been used by Lethaby since 2010. A house fire consumed the former layout. It was rebuilt and is now a part of the family display which Lethaby, his wife, daughter, son and six great-grandchildren plan to show off during the show.
"That was the only good thing that came out of the fire," Lethaby said.
Lethaby, who received his first model train at the age of 8, said the show is generally geared toward children. His wife, Mary Lethaby, pointed to the model railroad displays as a learning experience and a way for younger people to become involved.
"It's a fun time for kids," Mary Lethaby said. "I think the intention is to get a lot of people involved."
In all, the displays should bring in roughly 1,000 viewers if attendance is similar to past years. The displays are interactive, with buttons to sections of the layouts into motion. Different pieces on display include mountain landscapes, lakes, deserts and miniature figures like skiers, ice skaters and cowboys with American Indians. The social event is one of eight for the Lethaby family members, who travel from August to March for shows in places like Dubuque, Cassville, Wisconsin and Galena, Illinois decked out in red polos.
Penny Grinnell, the Lethabys' daughter, works on displays with her husband, Darren. Grinnell focuses on painting and decoration. She said the mountains on their current layout took a week to finish. Presentations by model train builders encourage interest and understanding, she added.
"We always have people asking, "how do you do this?'" Grinnell said. "It's a great chance for people to learn more."
The event also serves as a memorial for those who spend time together on the circuit of model train shows. Doug Schoenike and James Lethaby, Gordon's brother, passed away within the last year. Both were train admirers and model builders, and members of the Green County Model Railroaders and the Lethabys wished to honor their memory during the show this year.