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<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; The Hudson Model Railroad Club&#8217;s annual open house Saturday celebrated both railroad history and the holiday season.</p><p>The nonprofit organization on Martin Street opens its doors on weekends during November and December, modeling many Northeast railroads from various eras.</p><p>The Belles family, of Wilkes-Barre, who had just returned from a holiday parade, said the event marked the beginning of the Christmas season for them.</p><p>Charles Belles said the family&#8217;s own train display under their Christmas tree dated back to the 1940s when his grandfather put together a permanent platform to highlight the vintage train.</p><p>Cody Belles, 11, and Dalton Belles, 8, said the event was everything they thought it would be and more.</p><p>&#8220;I never thought it would be this big,&#8221; said Dalton.</p><p>The club&#8217;s layout, encompassing approximately 2,000 square feet of space and 2,500 linear feet of track, is divided into two lines: one double-track mainline &#8212; the Lehigh and Susquehanna &#8212; and one single-track branch &#8212; the Pocono and the Hudson.</p><p>Christopher Hine, 13, attended the event for the first time, noticing one train in particular.</p><p>&#8220;I like my uncle&#8217;s DNH 7312,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Club member Ray Bozek said he was especially proud of the intricacies of the design, pointing out a tiny, carefully crafted cornfield, complete with a scarecrow with a black bird sitting carefully on its hand.</p><p>He also pointed out tiny cows &#8220;grazing,&#8221; next to a very realistic lake.</p><p>Although many attendees focus on the model trains, Bozek said, most are also impressed with the detail of the scenery.</p><p>He said the display is a labor of love for club members, with many of them spending an extensive amount of time &#8220;playing with trains,&#8221; making the presentation special.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not a perfect depiction of trains or scenery,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But it&#8217;s about evoking a memory, putting people in mind of a favorite place or time.&#8221;</p><p>Club President Tyler Brzozowski said the club&#8217;s mission is to promote, educate and encourage the public about model trains.</p><p>Club members, he said, range in age from 15 to over 70.</p><p>Many attendees said the nearby Delaware and Hudson rail yard provided the perfect geographic and historical backdrop for the event and the club.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Stacy Davis holds her 2-year-old daughter, Kiera, as they watch model trains at the Hudson Model Railroad Club&#8217;s annual open house on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-1-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Stacy Davis holds her 2-year-old daughter, Kiera, as they watch model trains at the Hudson Model Railroad Club&#8217;s annual open house on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader  </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-2-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Richard Karlotski and Marilyn Fravec, both of Plymouth, are fascinated with the train layout. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-2-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Richard Karlotski and Marilyn Fravec, both of Plymouth, are fascinated with the train layout. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader  </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-3-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A view from the dispatch tower of the nearly 2000-square-foot layout. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-3-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>A view from the dispatch tower of the nearly 2000-square-foot layout. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader  </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-5-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hudson Model Railroad Club member Tim Trudgen, of Scranton, operates the computer in the dispatch tower that controls the entire layout of track. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-5-3.jpg</photo3><caption3>Hudson Model Railroad Club member Tim Trudgen, of Scranton, operates the computer in the dispatch tower that controls the entire layout of track. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader  </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-4-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Club member Danny Smallacombe, of Old Forge, sits in the cut out section of the massive railroad layout. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Hudson-Railroad-Club-4-3.jpg</photo4><caption4>Club member Danny Smallacombe, of Old Forge, sits in the cut out section of the massive railroad layout. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader  </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><em><strong>Hudson Model Railroad Club Open House</strong></em></p><p>When: Sunday, Nov. 26-27, Dec. 3, 10, 17-18, Jan. 1, 7-8</p><p>Hours for the event are from noon to 5 p.m.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</p></shirttailMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><videoMeta><p><table style="border:none;width:98%;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoID:</td><td id="videoid" style="width:50em;font-size:90%;"> 5vn8CXWRyeA</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoType:</td><td id="videotype" style="font-size:90%;"> YOUTUBE</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">URL:</td><td id="url" style="font-size:90%;"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vn8CXWRyeA</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Embed String:</td><td id="videoembedstring" style="font-size:90%;"> &lt;iframe width=&#8221;560&#8221; height=&#8221;315&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5vn8CXWRyeA&#8221; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8221; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Caption:</td><td id="videocaption" style="font-size:90%;"> Hudson Model Railroad Club Open House</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Credit:</td><td id="videocredit" style="font-size:90%;"> Geri Gibbons</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Position:</td><td id="videoposition" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="margin-top:10px;font-size:70%;color:#555;">(use the &#8220;for files&#8230;&#8221; link above to associate attached files with this source)</p></videoMeta></div>

Model trains delight visitors to open house