The whir of wheels on a track, the call of the trains at the
station, and the whistle….all part of the toy train sets that
were the pride and joy of kids a half century ago. The sight of
a toy train chugging around a Christmas tree is very much a part
of Americana, and is what you'll first see when you enter the
museum. Near the tree are a dozen intricate, solid brass model
trains ...right next to a very early Donald Duck and Mickey
Mouse toy train set. Museum Director Paul Hammond says the
museum is showing off miniatures never displayed before.
HAMMOND: "What we're trying to do is get some of this stuff out,
show it off and tell a story at the same time. In this case
we're able to show a distinction as we tell that story." Toy
Trains vs. Model Trains The distinction is: model trains are
intended to be exact replicas of the real thing; toy trains are
a little stubbier and more cartoonish. The museum's Exhibit
Director, Kendra Dillard says the toy trains had to fit in a
smaller space. DILLARD: "In order to ma