The fourth annual Train Garden now open at the Jacksonville Senior Center is on track to be the largest and most ambitious yet. Visitors can watch trains chug past miniature models of downtown Jacksonville, Monkton train station, Fort McHenry, Baltimore's Washington Monument, Ocean City, Assateague Island and Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom.
A volunteer crew of 26 seniors spent much of the last year creating the displays. Some made intricate models out of wood while others painted scenery. Some set up train tracks and others added thousands of tiny trees to the 13-foot by 28-foot train garden.
"We can't begin to count the hours that went into this," said Rick Frattali, who heads up the volunteers. "Everybody contributed something."
Downtown Jacksonville grew this year with the addition of ShopRite and Montessori Manor buildings. Donna Minkiewicz, who had never created a model before, visited the Montessori school and took plenty of photos.
She was such a stickler for details that she painted pencil pieces to duplicate the school's trash cans and used jewelry-making wire to fashion several black wrought iron pillars.
In a nod to lengthy road construction in Jacksonville, Paula Pfeifer made 100 traffic barrels and cones and painted orange vests onto plastic figures.
It seems that everybody had a role in creating the Magic Kingdom. Kathy Swords watched videos of the Jungle Cruise ride so her recreation is accurate.
Woodworkers Joe Pistritto and Lee Jenkins created Fort McHenry and Washington Monument. A ship will fire on the fort and the rockets' red glare can be seen in fiber optic clusters above the fort.
Visitors can watch several cars fall off 26th Street in Baltimore. Bruce Weinel recreated last year's disaster when parked cars fell into the railroad tracks below following heavy rains.
"People should plan on spending some time here," Frattali said. "There is just so much to see."
Admission is free. The Jacksonville Senior Center is at 3605 Sweet Air Road, Jacksonville. The train garden is open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 18-19; Dec. 22-24; Dec. 26, 27, 30 and 31. On Dec. 29, it is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For details or directions, call 410-887-8208.