PO Box 117 -  Alderson W Va.  24910

"Improving the Community - One Project at a Time"

ALDERSON MAIN STREET

NEWS RELEASE

As a part of Alderson Main Street’s Christmas Homes Tour events, a model train show will be held at the Council Room of Alderson’s City Hall from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, December 4, 2011. This event is free to all ages as a Christmas gift to the young and young at heart.

Organized by Lee and Tammy Skaggs, this model train show has become an Alderson tradition. Lee Skaggs said, “Every year we have more interest and more displays. Alderson is really a “railroad town” which began to grow in 1872 when the first tracks were laid along the Greenbrier River. For many of us who grew up here, trains were a part of our life. We wanted train sets for Christmas and some of us still remember the thrill of the trains.”

For the youngest train fans, there will be a “Thomas the Tank Engine” display. This will feature a small, battery-powered, “Thomas the Tank Engine” pulling two Christmas cars around a Christmas tree. The train will be running around, and even through, some of the packages. The Christmas tree will also display Thomas and friends ornaments.

For the children of all ages, there will be Santa’s Holiday Express train in “G” scale. This train is fully animated with elves working on the rail cars and Santa Claus acting as engineer. With all its lights and action, it is sure to delight everyone.

In “HO” scale, the father and son team of Rick and Zachary Burns will be showing their train making its way through a winter wonderland layout. Dick Pranulis will demonstrate his artistry in a display of his train collection.

In “O” scale, Lee Skaggs will feature his train in a layout which he calls “Christmas in the Country”. He has just added a new red barn as a focal point of the layout. Kevin Napier, assisted by sons Brett and Seth, will also show their O scale train. Ten year old Brett said, “Dad, I am so excited that we are a part of this show!”

Reverend Lanny Howe will show his LGB (Lehman Gross Bahn) train. LGB trains are responsible for introducing "G" scale to model railroading. The scale ratio used by LGB is 1:22.5

For many people who just enjoy the model trains without knowing the details of their design, Wikipedia has some information on the various scales. Scale means the ratio between a unit of measurement on a model compared with a unit of measurement in corresponding full size prototype. Represented in the Alderson show are the G (from the German meaning “big” or Garden) scale which proportion ranges from 1:19 to 1:29; O scale which came from “zero” and is 1:48 in the US; and HO scale or “half zero” which is the most popular model railway scale in the world at 1:87.

The first model railways were not built to any particular scale and were more like toys than miniature representations of the full size prototype. Eventually, the authenticity of models grew and the benefits of standardization became more obvious. The unofficial or manufacturer specific scale standards became more established and were adopted by various model railway standardization bodies. However, despite existing scale and gauge standards, they were very often poorly implemented in design and manufacturing processes with commercial manufacturers before World War II. The conformity to scale standards grew strongly in the 1950s and 1960s as the demand for model railway accessories increased and scale became vital to having the accessories fit with the layouts.
In addition to the model trains in the Alderson show, Jill Highlander will have her collection of photography featuring trains for viewing and sale. Railroad themed Christmas decorations and light refreshments will round out the show.

Other activities that afternoon include choral music on the hour, a $5 soup, sandwich, and dessert lunch, and a bazaar at the Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church; and the tour of Alderson homes decked out in Christmas splendor for which $10 tickets are available at the Historic 1896 C&O Depot. These events are sponsored by Alderson Main Street and the funds from the Christmas Homes Tour are used for Main Street Projects.