JOHN LARSON AND JILA SHAMS’ O GAUGE DISPLAY

Visitors never know what to expect when they head into the Rio Lakefront shopping mall in Gaithersburg, Md. Besides ample spots to eat, watch movies, and indulge in retail therapy, there are surprises galore. One recent attraction was this tribute to prewar toy trains developed by John Larson and Jila Shams. For the 8 x 25-foot layout in one storefront window, they raided John’s collection of original and reissued toys. Viewers had fun identifying keepsakes from American Flyer, Hafner, Keystone, Lionel, Marx, Metalcraft, and other firms.