WILMINGTON, MA — The Boston Hi-Railers will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 11 at 5 Waltham St., Wilmington. The club layout is the largest in the state and is one of the largest in New England, according to a news release.
The club will be adding a village and a special new bridge, in addition to completing the coal mine building. The children’s layout has been upgraded, introducing a switch track, new building and some trains for the event.
The Milwaukee Road, the New Haven ABA set, several Boston and Maine trains, the Chesapeake and Ohio passenger set, the Santé Fe, the Union Pacific, the Norfolk and Southern, along with many additional trains both passenger and freight sets will be there.
The club will have some historical trains that will also be running. The Mercury, a Marx prewar New York central that operated in the Midwest will run. It was first developed during the depression era and offered hope to the depression conscious for the hope for better times. New York industrialist Henry Direful designed the train. It served Detroit, Toledo and Cleaved along with New York City during part of its use. The train is gold and copper color and is one of the first streamlined railroad trains made.
The club has upgraded the children’s layout by adding new buildings and adding switch tracks to some of the layouts. Children will have new trains to operate on these layouts and new accessories in addition to those already there in previous open houses.
The club is also introducing a new program for children that will provide instruction on and experience with building layouts on their own. This will be a family program and will be limited at first to six children accompanied by adults.
Cost: $10 for families; $5 per person and children; free for children younger than 10 years old, accompanied by adults.
(The above press release is from The Boston Metro Hi-Railers Model Railroad Club.)
Wilmington Apple 