Model train open house welcomes all

SANDUSKY — After hosting a successful open house this past week, the Eerie Mad River Model Railroad Club will offer one more opportunity this year for the public to check out its massive train display. It's scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday with a special emphasis on diesel engines. The event takes place at club headquarters: 1309 N. Depot St., Sandusky. Fittingly, it's not far from the city's Amtrak train station. While a free event, donations will be accepted. Setting the scene People can expect to see a big model train layout filling most of the 30-foot by 35-foot building. There are many trains and tracks with elaborate miniature towns, ports, train stations and scenery. Organizers said the layout gets a little more intricate and detailed and works a little better every year. Scenery for the layout is "90% complete," according to an event statement. But, in reality, the work is never done, as the 10 members of the club love to keep tinkering with the train set and making it better. While all the trains and all of the tracks might count as the main feature, there is also elaborate scenery that's largely the work of the late Dave Ballard, a former helicopter gunner and Cedar Point ride mechanic, who passed away in 2023. Ballard, for example, put together a lumber yard. Visitors can see the boards stacked inside the building and tiny people at the business talking with one another. But even without Ballard, the club's other members continue to work on the scenery. For example, the water, which washes the shores of the train set, has been made more realistic; the seaport area has been revamped; and new trees and landscaping have been added. And some upgrades aren't visible. The trains are now run by a computer, which makes it easier to keep the trains running on the shared tracks. People who attend the open house event can meet club members if they want to learn more about the model train hobby. They might even find themselves wanting to join the Eerie Mad River club. "That's how they got me," said Alec Bonawit, the club's vice president. "I attended an open house." People can learn more by visiting Facebook and searching for "Eerie Mad River Model Railroad Club."