The St. James Model Railroad Club will welcome visitors Nov. 21-23 for its annual Holiday Open House at the historic Mills Pond House in St. James, continuing a community tradition that has drawn families for nearly 40 years.
“If they come there and smile and have a good time, that’s all we care about. The kids love it,” said club president Tom Lamb, a 25-year member who found his inspiration for railroading from a childhood Lionel set.
This year’s Holiday Open House will take place before Thanksgiving to avoid the holiday rush and give people more time to attend. Hours are Friday, Nov. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Parking will be available at 176 Mills Pond Road near Mills Pond House, where the club operates a 38-by-48-foot display with 16 running trains in the basement, courtesy of the Smithtown Township Arts Council. The suggested donation is $2 for adults.
Visitors can view the trains from within the layout itself.
“If you turn in a complete circle, it’s guaranteed you’ll see a train running somewhere,” Lamb said. “We have 12 trains running at one time. You have the bigger clubs with much bigger layouts, but we want to entertain people.”
The club regularly adds new features to keep the display fresh. This year’s additions include a new train station and a working drive-in movie theater showing “It’s a Wonderful Life” on a 7-inch screen. The theater will include a projector shack and snack bar.
“We have a carnival with moving rides. We have a movie theater in our downtown that one of our members made. It’s all fiberoptics,” Lamb said. The marquee has rolling lights, created by retired electrical engineer Patrick Knetter.
The display includes detailed interiors, such as a pizza shop with a visible brick oven. Another feature is a “working fire” surrounded by flashing fire trucks.
For the holidays, highlights include the Polar Express and Disney trains, along with a smaller track featuring Santa on a flatcar with reindeer and Mickey and Minnie Mouse in holiday attire.
Since the first open house in 1984, which drew more than 900 visitors, the annual event has continued to attract families.
“We’ve had people who’ve said, ‘I have a train set I’m going to set up this holiday season.’ There’s also a family whose son has Down syndrome and they try to get here every year to see our layout. Their son loves it,” Lamb said. “Even teens might be reluctant at first but when they leave, they’re smiling.”
According to the club website, the original layout recreated the Smithtown-to-Port Jefferson run. Today’s version depicts railroading through the ages.
“We try to make it realistic, but some is fantasy,” Lamb said, citing the inclusion of Minions from the “Despicable Me” movies.
Lamb said his love of trains dates to his youth.
“We always had a Lionel set around the tree,” he said. When his parents moved to Florida and planned to sell the set, Lamb kept it for himself. He later joined the club at the suggestion of his friend Mike O’Keefe and now helps maintain the layout.
For more information, visit the club’s website.