The National Toy Train Museum

Model trains have been popular ever since there were trains, ranging from children's toys to the painstakingly detailed working models of dedicated enthusiasts. Such models remain popular today, with legions of devotees. And children's train sets, of course, also remain ubiquitous.

Nonetheless, the heyday of toy trains was probably in the mid-20th century, before the competition from video and computer games. The electric train set, simulated smoke pouring from its electrically powered "steam" locomotive, was a childhood icon in North America. 

The Toy Train Museum evokes those nostalgic images. Layouts of various gauges are on display, ranging from the tiny N-gauge through the popular HO and O to the enormous G scale. Many of these layouts can be operated by the viewer. Extensive static displays of train sets, and associated prefab models for furnishing train layouts, are also exhibited. Some price lists, dating to the first half of the 20th century, will be a source of bemusement.

Unusually, the Toy Train Museum also includes an extensive library on toy and model trains, including back issues of hobbyist magazines. It is a valuable resource both for enthusiasts and scholarly research.