I went to Everett Arena a few weeks ago to check out the annual model train show organized by the Concord Model Railroad Club and was immediately faced with a dilemma I had not expected: parking. An hour after the event opened, the massive parking lot around the arena was chock-full of of cars. Clearly this was a popular event.
Upon entering the arena, I paid my $4 entry fee and was beckoned through the doors into one of the most vivid fantasy lands I have ever seen.
Trains were just the tip of the iceberg. Lifelike locomotives pulling between one and 15 boxcars rolled over plains, under hills, through towns and across rivers. They chugged past trees, grass, mountains, grazing sheep, speeding cars, waving people, apartment buildings and even a church where a couple appeared to be getting married.
The coolest accessory was definitely the Goodyear auto shop. A light flickered persistently from within the tiny building, giving the impression of mechanics hard at work inside. One arrangement featured an accurate model of the landscape from Concord all the way to Lebanon.
The railroad club organizes the event each year. It includes displays from five clubs and several model dealers. The entire arena was filled with tables either supporting active models or piled high with parts and accessories. Dealers sat proudly beside their wares and were sure to point out as quickly as possible over the steady din that they had the best prices on this type of boxcar or that sharply curving track.
There were few people present between the ages of 11 and 40. Eager eyes, staring out from young faces, were surprisingly similar to those that keenly followed a train's progress from under mats of thin, white hair. Fathers lifted their children onto their shoulders to get a bird's-eye view of the path, and those just tall enough to peek over the edge of a table spent the duration of their visit on the tips of their toes.
I was one of those kids once. My older brother and I were train fanatics and even had our own model set that would wind around the edge of the table in our dining room when it wasn't too crowded with other stuff. We would religiously attend the train shows in the basement of some building on Main Street during Midnight Merriment. My parents reminded me of our dedication to this hobby, which manifested itself at such a young age that my brother and I had to bring step stools to the shows to make sure we had a proper view of everything on the table.
I had been to the show at Everett before, and I know I had the exact look of excitement that I observed on so many other faces. I attempted to revisit the past by visiting the hat table at the edge of the arena. It was filled with white and blue striped conductors hats. I tried one on that said “Engineer” and one that sported the title of “Conductor”
Alas, the hat didn't fit. I'll leave those to someone else.
The Concord Model Railroad Club meets at the former Washington Street School in Penacook on Thursdays at 6 p.m. For more information, visit trainweb.org/cmrc.
