Six model train displays will offer free admission Saturday, May 18, in conjunction with Amtrak's National Train Day.
Uniontown, PA - In its heyday, Connellsville was a busy railroad hub, with no less than five railway lines running through it. The city was also home to the National Locomotive Works, formed by John Y. Smith in the 1870s.
On Saturday, May 18, Connellsville – along with a few other nearby towns – will pay homage to the area’s railroad history as Fayette County Train Day showcases some of the most elaborate model train displays local organizations and private hobbyists have to offer.
Fayette County Cultural Trust Executive Director Dan Cocks said the event began about six years ago in conjunction with Amtrak’s National Train Day celebration.
“They stopped doing their event, but we continued on with our Fayette County Train Day because it was so popular,” Cocks said. “We thought it would be great to highlight because train displays are an art form.”
Model train displays will be open for public viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at six Fayette County locations, three of them in Connellsville.
- Harry Clark’s Indian Creek Valley Railroad display is located inside the Connellsville Canteen at 131 W. Crawford Ave., Connellsville. Clark spent 40 years perfecting the display, which is set up permanently in the World War II-themed museum and cafe. Everything on the train display was built from scratch, including the tracks.
- The Hobo Club’s West Virginia Northern Railroad display is located in the Connellsville Community Center at 201 E. Fairview Ave., Connellsville. This is the fourth display done by the Hobo Club, which formed in 1953. The layout shows the route from Connellsville to West Virginia.
- David Garlick’s HO Scale railroad display is located in the basement of Garlick’s home at 209 W. Allegheny Ave., Connellsville. Though the display is up and running, it remains a work in progress.
- Tri-Town Historical Society’s S Scale display is located inside the historical society headquarters at 201 Main and Howell St., Dawson. Modeled after southwestern Pennsylvania, the display was created by Sam Powell in Gaithersburg, Md. It was moved to Dawson after Powell’s family donated it to the historical society.
- Monongahela River, Railroad and Transportation Museum’s display is located at 412 Church St., Brownsville. The six-train, G-Scale layout was done by the Pittsburgh Garden Railway Society.
- Millsboro Railroad Museum’s display is located at Rear 119 Lark Ave., Millsboro, but it includes a model of the B&O train station in Connellsville, as well as artifacts from West Penn Railways. A copy of the original P&LE Railroad blueprints was used to build the 1902 Victorian station.
Cocks said all of the participants “are excited about having this because it spotlights the historical society, the community center and the Hobo Club. It highlights all the hard work that they’ve done, and it kind of shines a spotlight on them as well.”
Cocks noted Fayette County Train Day offers a rare opportunity to see a variety of model train displays around the area, all within a short window of time.
“It’s the one day a year (they’re all open) at the same time. The rest of the year, it’s kind of a hodgepodge,” he said. “But they’re excited to show their hobby to whoever would want to come out and see it.”
For more information on Fayette County Train Day, the Connellsville Canteen, or other Fayette County Cultural Trust initiatives, visit www.fayettetrust.org, email fcctrust@zoominternet.net, or call 724-320-6392.
To learn more about Fayette County, visit www.fayettecountypa.org.
Editor's Note: Photos attached (Monongahela River, Railroad and Transportation Museum; Pittsburgh Garden Railway Society Display; Pittsburgh Garden Railway Society Display2)
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This communication, among other initiatives, is funded through the 2016 Fayette County Local Share Account (LSA) in cooperation with the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, The Redstone Foundation and other partners. This funding has been designated for the continued promotion and marketing of Fayette County, PA.
For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, kkassimer@fayettecountypa.info or Jamie Rankin, Journalist, at 724-437 4571, jamierankin13@gmail.com.
