Emlenton train display tradition chugs on
EMLENTON, Venango County — In a former auto showroom Saturday, a family tradition was being observed.
Carl and Nancy Marano of Emlenton brought their grandsons, Allen, 7, and Isaac 4, Stemmerich, to see Bruce Donaldson's elaborate train display.
Nancy Marano, the Emlenton borough manager, said, “My husband grew up in Emlenton, and he's been (here) multitudes of times. I brought the boys' dad, Garrett, many times.”
“I was waiting for the boys to get old enough for this,” she said.
For the past 28 years, Donaldson has opened his train layout which covers 20 feet by 30 feet in the old Donaldson Motors showroom at 714 River Ave. for children and adults to see from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in December and January.
“Kids are having their own kids come in to see it,” said Donaldson, who runs a car and engine repair business in the back of the former AMC dealership.
The display contains 13 running HO gauge model trains and another 200 engines on display. The trains race through tunnels past steel mills, houses, businesses and even a MASH unit and UFO landing site.
Donaldson estimates the display also has 300 cars and trucks, a running trolley car and 200 buildings.He said it all started in 1992 when he was a leader with Boy Scout Troop 41 of Emlenton.“It was for the 'Old Fashioned Christmas in Oil Country,'” he said. “All the kids brought in their trains.”The early display was shown off in the old borough building the first two years.“My father, Bob Donaldson, said move it down here,” said Donaldson where it stayed and has grown ever since.
He said the first year it took him and the scouts 500 hours to set up. Now it stays up year round, which gives him time to add many little surprises to the layout.“I've made some stuff; everybody in my family would send me train stuff a lot,” Donaldson said.In fact, he's created a scavenger hunt list of features hidden in the layout, such as an old steam boiler engine, the Partridge Family bus, the Grinch, Woody from “Toy Story” and a working pumping jack, for young visitors to try and locate.“It's a family tradition. They will run right back and get the sheet,” he said. “Most of them remember and know when I move something or other.”“It keeps the kids occupied and let's their parents look at it,” Donaldson said.“It's entertainment. It doesn't seem to matter their age. I had a couple of ladies in their 80s who must have spent an hour looking for the blimp,” he said.
Signs around the display read “Look, don't touch” with one exception.“There's a sign that says if you must touch anything there's a black button when pushed that's a train whistle,” he said. He keeps a visitors' book that contains more than 10,000 signatures. He said he's gotten visitors from six continents and every state except Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota.In addition to the HO layout, he has displays of S gauge, 027 gauge, Thomas the Tank Engine trains and larger Lionel and Marx models.Visitors can also view Donaldson's collection of local history scrap books and hundreds of local post cards.The display has been featured in 21 newspapers and a model railroad magazine, and Donaldson himself appeared in the opening of an “American Pickers” TV episode.There's been some attrition over the years.“Wheels wear out. Gears wear out on the engines. A couple of years ago, mice ate half my mountain,” he said.But it seems the magic remains.“It's always the first time when you come here because you never know what Bruce has added,” Nancy Marano said.
WHAT: Train displayWHEN: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in December and January. Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.WHERE: Donaldson Motors, 714 River Ave., EmlentonMORE INFO: Groups are welcome on weekdays by calling 724-867-2293 to schedule a time to visit.
