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Cranberry couple bids farewell to railroad display

SWITCHING TRACKS
Grandchildren to receive generations of trains, family keepsakes

CRANBERRY TWP — The Hoffman Railroad is pulling into its final station.

For 35 years, Frank Hoffman has set up his train layout that sprawls across his living room from Thanksgiving until the end of January. The 8-foot-by-30-foot layout rests on a plywood table supported by sawhorses and the family couches. The intricate setup contains trains, tracks, houses, a drive-in theater with moving pictures and sound, carousels, a roller coaster, tunnels, people, animals and vehicles.

The train set has brought pleasure to Hoffman’s sons, grandchildren and the classes from nearby Haine Elementary School who have made field trips to visit it.

But when Hoffman takes down the layout later this month and his wife, Joyce, gets her living room back, it will be for the last time.

Hoffman, a retired millwright at Neville Chemical Co. on Neville Island, said it was time.

“It’s hard to do,” said Hoffman. “My eyesight isn’t good. A lot of wiring is underneath, and it’s hard to bend down.”

A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the full story and support our local, independent newsroom, please subscribe at butlereagle.com.

Related Article: Cranberry couple bids farewell to railroad display
The train display of Frank and Joyce Hoffman is pictured in their home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
Model firefighters extinguish a house fire in the train display of Frank and Joyce Hoffman in their home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
Joyce Hoffman shows off the train display in her home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. Hoffman decorates the tiny details of the town. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
The train display of Frank and Joyce Hoffman is pictured in their home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. The display rests atop sawhorses and two couches and includes a tunnel underneath. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
The home of Frank and Joyce Hoffman in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6 features a train display that the couple has been putting up for decades. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
Frank and Joyce Hoffman show off the train display in their home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
Frank Hoffman points out the details of the train display in his home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
The train display of Frank and Joyce Hoffman lights up in their home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
Frank and Joyce Hoffman pose for a portrait Jan. 6 in front of the train display they have been putting up in their home in Cranberry Township for decades. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle
The train display of Frank and Joyce Hoffman occupies the living room in their home in Cranberry Township on Jan. 6. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

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