November 29, 2013 at 3:40 p.m.
Annual Rhinelander Railroad Association open house returns
Annual Rhinelander Railroad Association open house returns
Preparations are already under way for the Christmas-themed event and members are hard at work dressing up their favorite train layouts.
Alan Duchrow said he looks forward to the event all year long.
"We always go all out for this event, with the Christmas decorations and a few more layouts than you'd usually find down at Pioneer Park," he said.
The open house, located in the Trig's Riverwalk Center, will open at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6.
After that the schedule will be as follows: Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.
There is no admission cost but the Railroad Association is requesting a donation of a nonperishable food item to benefit the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry.
Duchrow said there may be additional hours added as well.
"Some of us thought that just wasn't enough," he said. "I will be showing up with some of the other members on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays too. We will have our huge crossing light out front and if it's lit up, we're open and people can feel free to stop by. We want to encourage people who are in the area to stop by for a look because there's a good chance someone will be down here."
Following the grand opening, there will be a professional photographer on hand on Saturday, Dec. 7 available to take family pictures.
Pricing packages will be available.
The room will be decorated with plenty of Christmas cheer and some of the layouts will be customized for the holidays.
"We will have a snowy scene with deer and kids playing on sleds," Duchrow said. "Whatever we find around, we can add. There aren't just Christmas themes though. One of our layouts will have a summer theme with a carousel to help keep people warm."
Duchrow said each layout is a representation of a member's creativity.
"Each layout is different and the theme is really up to the individual," he said. "We have a desert theme and another is a more urban theme. It doesn't have to pertain to winter, just because we are having the open house around the holidays. The members are open to get creative with them. We will run a Santa-themed train where he's on the back of one of the cars, waving to the crowd, though."
At this year's open house, the Rhinelander Railroad Association will be joined by the Northwoods R/C Flyers who will show off some of their planes. Duchrow said the addition of the planes should increase foot traffic even more.
On Dec. 14, the group will hold a "Lunch with Santa" event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lunch costs $5 and will be provided by Trig's. Duchrow said it's a can't-miss event.
"The lunch with Santa is always a lot of fun," he said. "Everyone has a great time and Santa makes the rounds, posing for pictures and talking to the kids."
Santa will be available again the following day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., posing for more pictures.
Duchrow said the event is a great opportunity for his group to interact with the community and show off an impressive collection of trains.
"People really love coming in and looking at the trains," he said. "People who have never been before are always really impressed and interested. A lot of people come more than once and some show up dozens of times. They'll come and spend hours down here, watching the trains and talking to the various members. I think this year, with the addition of the Northwoods R/C Flyers, it will be an even bigger success. People love to bring their kids down and it's wonderful to see them so interested in the trains. We're all looking forward to it very much."
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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