Annual train show returns to Nappanee

Mar. 17—NAPPANEE — While real freight trains passed by yards to the north, model railroads and their fans ran at the Claywood Event Center Saturday morning and afternoon.

"It's going real good," said Ken Prager, coordinator of the 19th Annual Elkhart Model Railroad Club Train Show, which brought about 800 people based on ticket sales last year. "I'm going to say we're on track, same as last year. If we get the second burst of people we'll be there."

Prager said the promotion of model railroading as a hobby is the idea behind the show.

"It's selling model railroad items for their own layouts and the hobby as a whole," he said about those who take part.

Prager said that people look for items for layouts from different eras in history, both old time and modern.

"We've got a lot of people that return year after year, so it's also about the fellowship," he said.

Some vendors have taken part for the last 10 years, within a couple of hundred of miles or so, from Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and other places.

"It attracts from all different states and all walks of life, really," Prager added.

In addition to items from N, HO, O and other model railroad gauges, other items sold include model railroad paint, old style brakeman lanterns, prints, paintings and others.

Knute Rosser, Dunlap, attends the event each year.

"They've got a couple of cool, old metal signs," Rosser said. "I'm just browsing and looking at everybody's stuff."

Alistair Mort, 7, Warsaw, attended with his family.

"So far he's really been enjoying it," said his father, Joe Mort. "We're here for him."

His mother, Candance, said that Alistair "just really likes his trains."

"This is our first time doing something like this," she added.

Jason Powers and Jon Baier, of Michiana T-Trackers, worked their group's layout, just across from the entrance to the event.

"We're just a mish-mash of whatever you want to run," Powers said. "We've got old stuff, we've got modern stuff."

Larry Baughman, Warsaw, is relatively new to model railroading, having started to get involved with it about a year ago.

"They look so realistic," he said of the layouts set up for the event.

The next show will take place March 15, 2025, also at Claywood. To learn more contact the EMRRC at trainshow@emrrc.com, or visit them at www.emrrc.com or on Facebook.

Steve Wilson is news editor for The Goshen News. You can reach him at steve.wilson@goshennews.com.