What special thing do you associate with the Holidays? - Bilge

J johntiki Member MD Joined: Mar 31, 2002 Posts: 1528	J johntiki Posted posted on Wed, Nov 30, 2005 9:25 PM What reminds me most of the Holiday season is the distinctive Baltimore phenomenon known as the train garden. The yearly tradition of creating a tiny village beneath the Christmas tree, complete with miniature plastic buildings and inhabitants, encircled by an electric railroad is something that I eagerly anticipate sometime in mid September! Sure to those outside of Maryland and Pennsylvania this phenomenon would be referred to as a model railroad, but unlike a model railroad a Christmas train garden is not concerned with maintaining authentic or consistent scales. It’s not unusual to see a person twice as large as the Hot Wheel cars on the improvised roadways… that’s what makes it fun. Local fire departments and malls spend 6-8 months erecting these displays, that are open to the public for small donations, and you can just go and marvel for hours. This year I’m totally psyched because my son is finally old enough to appreciate train gardens and I’ve already set aside two Saturday’s in December to go and spend some quality time together taking in these tiny worlds. Besides they are as much a holiday tradition in this part of the country as hanging stockings or singing Christmas Carols.

What reminds me most of the Holiday season is the distinctive Baltimore phenomenon known as the train garden. The yearly tradition of creating a tiny village beneath the Christmas tree, complete with miniature plastic buildings and inhabitants, encircled by an electric railroad is something that I eagerly anticipate sometime in mid September! Sure to those outside of Maryland and Pennsylvania this phenomenon would be referred to as a model railroad, but unlike a model railroad a Christmas train garden is not concerned with maintaining authentic or consistent scales. It’s not unusual to see a person twice as large as the Hot Wheel cars on the improvised roadways… that’s what makes it fun. Local fire departments and malls spend 6-8 months erecting these displays, that are open to the public for small donations, and you can just go and marvel for hours. This year I’m totally psyched because my son is finally old enough to appreciate train gardens and I’ve already set aside two Saturday’s in December to go and spend some quality time together taking in these tiny worlds. Besides they are as much a holiday tradition in this part of the country as hanging stockings or singing Christmas Carols.

Post #200958 by johntiki on Wed, Nov 30, 2005 9:25 PM