Model train club to hold public open house

TORRINGTON » In celebration of National Train Day, the public is invited to visit the Torrington Area Model Railroaders’ club building at 52 Lewis Street on Sunday, June 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors will see N scale and HO scale layouts that depict the east coast from Pennsylvania to Southern New England from about 1950 to 2000. HO and N scales are the most popular scales in the hobby.

The club layout is modular, meaning it can be easily disassembled and transported. The club transports the layout to two shows each year, in December at the Torrington Armory and in January at the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

At the open house, trains will be running all day. There will be coal trains, mixed freight trains, passenger trains and a train hauling nearly three dozen flat cars of Army tanks.

“Club members range in age from 15 to 90, love the hobby and enjoy sharing it. They’ll be available to talk about the hobby, the various modeling scales, how to get started and the basics of model railroading. We want to share what we think is a great hobby,” members said in a written statement.

Admission to the open house is free. Information about club membership will also be available. For information, call Kevin Hales at 860-459-7029.