Model Rail Experience — Local services in Kansas City

When I was a little girl we had a winter village under our Christmas Tree , with a train traveling around the outskirts of the village. There were mountains, trees, a pond to ice skate on, and all sorts of little people and buildings to male up this great imaginary town. It took my Dad and Brother some time to get it ready for our Christmas display, and it added to our Christmas festivities. We enjoyed baking, wrapping gifts , and the gathering of family and friends is something I will always hold dear to me. I participated as much as a 5 yr old could, and what I did my family was gracious enough not to fuss with me about how it may have looked. I believe this started my fascination with steam engines. I lived in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania at the time.... actually closer to the Conway Railroad And Stock Yard. This was a massive area close to J&L Steel Company in Aliquippa Pennsylvania. J&L would ship by rail, large flat cars loaded with steel, all over the United States. I remember where the trains came into the yard. There were train tracks in all directions and little buildings with people in them called switchers. I would often ask my Dad if we can go see the trains. When I got older, the train sets and villages started to disappear under the Christmas trees. It changed to most familes displaying them during the Christmas Season, to seldom seeing them. Later in life I met a man that had a huge interest in trains and villages. The first time I visited his home he took me to his blocked off area to see his impressive and marvelous village and train set!!!. He never took it down, just kept adding to it. During the tome we dated we went to many Model Train expos and this was my dream come true. After twenty years , we still attend Model Train Expos and displays over the Christmas Holidays. When Union Station opened it's doors I became so excited. I enjoy going back in time visiting the history of Union Station and enjoy all the activities they provide for our city. History is so important to me and I encourage our younger generation to continue to introduce the past to their children. Visiting a Model Train Expo STILL gives me the little kid excitement. Such joy...

This was a crazy fun, mind-blowing experience! My three year old has developed an interest in trains, and this fed right into that. We visited at the very tail end of the holiday season, so we got to see the extra exhibit outside of the permanent museum, which included two giant displays of holiday (mostly Christmas) themed trains and model towns, plus the actual rideable train for little ones.

The permanent exhibit is spectacular. With a lot of patience, you could literally spend hours appreciating all of the tiny details in each display. There are sooooo many pieces and parts to each. Be sure to look everywhere - including underneath and "through" a couple displays. There are cards posted throughout encouraging little scavenger hunts - some of which were surprisingly difficult!

One of our favorite features was the tornado, complete with occasional lightening!

There's also an activity area for kids with train-related crayon rubbings, books, and coloring pages.

We appreciated the benches throughout that made the experience easier for less mobile members of our party.

And you can of course enjoy other parts of Union Station within the same visit to make a...

What a great display of model trains in all different gauges! Be sure to walk into the gallery behind the initial displays (you have to walk between the displays - it's pretty well hidden)! Some layouts were fairly basic, others were very detailed. Some were whimsical, and others were very realistic. My only disappointment was that different gauges were mixed within some layouts... However, space is limited. Some displays are seasonal, and some feature tie-ins to current exhibits found elsewhere in this marvelous piece of architecture. And, what better place to have a display of model trains, than in one of our country oldest railway stations still in...