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December 14, 2009

Railroad event hits track

Annual show runs through January 3

By Carol South

TRAVERSE CITY -- Thomas rocks!

Thomas the Tank Engine, that is, the star of this year's Festival of Trains. Opening today at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center and running through Jan. 3, the event features a Thomas the Tank Engine interactive homemade cab.

From the seat of the bright blue structure, kids can run a Thomas train using buttons, switches and a throttle. They will be able to blow a train whistle, ring a bell and run lights.

Members of the Northern Michigan RailRoad Club, Festival of Trains organizers since 2003, know the cab is going to be an in-demand feature. So popular that they have taken steps to ensure everyone gets a chance to play.

"We had to put a timer on it because otherwise we'd never get the kids out of it," said creator Paul DeLange of Bellaire, who debuted the cab this summer at the Alden Depot Park and Museum.

The festival will also include extensive miniature displays featuring N, O, S, HO and G scale trains. Many of the displays have interactive buttons that allow kids to run a train, blow a whistle or move other items around -- all very satisfying and kid friendly.

"Kids like trains because of the movement and the sound plus all of the different things we have on the tables for them," DeLange said.

Also new this year is a G gauge train modeled after the Traverse City Zoo train as well as a completely reworked yard that is both lighter and more realistic.

"Every year we try to come up with something and I just get amazed at what these people do," said Rick Vandenberg, president of the Northern Michigan RailRoad Club.

The Festival of Trains is presented in partnership with the Grand Traverse Heritage Center, serving as a major fundraiser for the organization. The event drew more than 8,000 visitors last year, netting around $25,000 that the center used for programs, exhibits and general operating costs.

The festival's appeal is due to draw of the trains, which transcends age and even geography as families come back year after year.

"We have a lot of people who come up from Chicago because they have relatives up here," said VandenBerg. "Most people buy a family pass."

The Festival of Trains runs from today, Dec. 14, through Sunday, Jan. 3, at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center, 322 Sixth St. in Traverse City. Hours Dec. 14-18 are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The festival is closed Christmas Day. Hours from Dec. 19 through Jan. 2, except as noted, will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours on Sundays and New Year's Day will be noon to 4 p.m. Hours on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors 65 and older, $2 for children ages 4-17; children ages 3 and younger are free. The popular family pass offers unlimited visits for $20.

For more information on the festival or the Heritage Center, call 995-0313. For more information on the Northern Michigan RailRoad Club, see www.nmrrc.org.

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