Model Train Exhibit Set to Open at Casper Trails Center

Starting on Dec. 3 and going until the end of month, the National Historic Trails Center in Casper will be hosting a host of model trains from the Wyoming Model Railroad Association.

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The event will have volunteers from the Railroad Association to assist with the various trains on display and will go from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. on 18 days throughout December.

Jason Vlcan, visitor information specialist with the Trails Center, said the family friendly event is done to help bring people together.

"We host it to bring the community together, to let the kids and families share an event together. It's a family event. We want to have stuff to do for families...It's a good fun seasonal event, and we encourage families to bring their little ones and enjoy some model railroad trains."

Vlcan said they aren't able to host their usual 'Holiday at the Homestead' event this year due to COVID-19, they still plan on having hundreds of people come by to see the trains during the month.

"It seems to pick up once school gets out, once schools are closed for the holidays. That's when we see a lot of the grandmas and the parents bringing the little kidos up to play with the trains, and look at the trains, and learn more about them, it definitely picks up more towards the end of the month."

Homer Whitelock, who has been with the Railroad Association for 27 years, said that they will be raffling off a few models, while on display there will be several trains that are over 50 years old.

While their group is mostly made up of retirees, Whitelock said there are some people in their 30s, 50s, 60s, and a high school senior.

Whitelock said there are a lot kids that come to see the trains they have on display, and many that wish they could have those kinds of model trains themselves.

"We get a lot of kids that would love to have it in their home but their parents don't have that much room...whether it's young kids or old kids, they like trains. We make it possible for them to come here and visit this facility and sometimes that's all they do. But most of the time we exhort them to go through the rest of it, cause there's a lot of history."