NHAHS Plans Holiday Displays And Activities
Wilbur Horning of the New Holland Area Historical Society (NHAHS) has not forgotten what it is like to be a child waiting in line to see Santa Claus. "Every December when Christmas on Main is held, Santa Claus visits Kauffman's," said Wilbur, referring to Santa's visits to the NHAHS Museum in the Kauffman building, 207 E. Main St., New Holland, during Christmas on Main, which is held the first Saturday of December.
"People go to St. Stephen Church for breakfast, and then the (children) come up here and stand in line and wait to see Santa," continued Wilbur. "Someone said it would be nice to have a train layout here for the (children) while they're waiting to see Santa Claus."
Seeking to implement that idea, Wilbur turned to Henry Black of the Garden Spot Village Train Club for help. Black connected him to Tom Hawk, who enlisted Art Johnsen and Art Algeo for help. The trio met with Don Horning of NHAHS to learn more about the area at the museum where the train would run. After considering three different layouts, the club members went to work on a complex double figure eight. It will take four minutes for the train to traverse the entire track.
More than 15 of the 23 members of the train club worked on building the HO layout, which is divided into four segments - a farm area, a railroad depot, a downtown area, and an industrial section. There is also a mountain tunnel where the train will disappear and re-emerge from the other side.
"Each area gives a different flavor to the overall layout," said Johnsen. The dairy farm features custom-painted Holstein cows and a laboriously made tiny split rail fence. A custom chain-link fence is also included.
"We got signage for local businesses to put on the buildings to make it feel like New Holland," said Johnsen, who pointed out a building on Main Street that resembles the bank building across from the historical society.
"The buildings are clustered similar to the way they are here (in downtown)," said Johnsen, adding that organizers purposely designed the layout to give a feeling of New Holland." Names of businesses on the buildings in the layout include New Holland Agriculture, Musselman Lumber, Stoltzfus Meats, Yoder's Country Market, and J.B. Zimmerman.
"We were thinking of a little figure eight, but these guys took the idea and ran with it," said Wilbur, who added that he was pleased to have the chance to collaborate with the train club. The club created the layout so it can be easily stored and used annually.
The layout will be part of "The Joy of Toy Trains," which will also be featured in two display cases overseen by Lou Ann Miller. The cases are filled with trains from American Flyer, Hafner, Williams, and Ives. The display trains were loaned to NHAHS by area residents Lloyd Ziegler, Dick and Barb Enders, Dr. Paul Herr, and Robin Miller.
Wilbur is happy that the children will be able to enjoy the trains while waiting in line to meet Santa on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 10 a.m. "It's just wonderful - an amazing thing that the (children) will love," he said. "We plan to do it on an annual basis, and we won't be in a hurry to take it down when Christmas is over."
Lou Ann, who noted that she hopes the adults enjoy the display cases as much as the children enjoy the train layout, noted that "The Joy of Toy Trains" layout and display cases will be featured at the museum through the end of January 2020.
The museum is open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, readers may visit http://www.nhhistorical.com.
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