Sam Posey's "imagination, building, tinkering, inventing, and self-expression" will be on display once again at Alexandria's Lyceum August 12 and 13. It’s all free — at least in terms of money. The real fee is the willingness and ability to concede that the world of model railroading knows no age, gender, or imagination barriers.
As Posey, in his book, "Playing With Trains," said, "Trains are a part of our national heritage — and modeling them is, too. It's a hobby with proven staying power because so much is involved. It takes work to get good results, but in the end you will have mastery and control of a world of your own making."
That world will be on display in all its glory during the Lyceum's "A Weekend of Railroad Days" from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. It will feature HO gauge model trains as they journey through miniature towns, scenic hills and lush valleys all courtesy of the Potomac Chapter, Northern Virginia Railroading Club.
But, what is behind this hobby known as model railroading and what is its fascination that has spanned not only two centuries, but generational and gender differences in both Europe and the United States? For Sam Posey, a professional racecar driver for nearly 20 years, it was, and is, his touchstone to family and tradition.
Posey's father was killed in World War II when he was just 11 months old. His first layout was wired by his mother just after the war. "A miniature universe that I could operate on my own. Speed and control: I was fascinated by both, as well as by the way they were inextricably bound together," he wrote in his book.
When his own son was born, he began a 16-year venture into creating an intricate, realistic layout. He, his wife and two children live above that layout in northwestern Connecticut.
BUT, IT WAS NOT HO gauge that got him fascinated. It was a nonentity when Posey's mother created that first layout. That was Lionel. And, to Posey, as well as millions of young boys in the late 1940s and early 50s Lionel and American Flyer were model railroading.
"None of the kids had made the choice between Lionel and American Flyer ourselves. That was left to our parents. When we argued over our trains, we were doing more than defending their particular features, we were upholding the judgment of people we loved and believed in. My mother had chosen Lionel, and any criticism of Lionel was, to me, a criticism of her," he wrote.
"Lionel" comes from the name of its founder, Joshua Lionel Cowen, who had been building toy trains since 1900. He was not only an inventor but also a shrewd and determined businessman, according to Frank Kozuch, owner of "Whistle Stop Hobbies" at 130 N. Royal St. in Old Town Alexandria.
"During the Christmas holidays in the early 1900s a New York City department store was having trouble moving some of its merchandise through normal advertising methods. So Cowen approached the store and suggested that they put a freight train display in the window with cards in each of the cars referring to an item on sale with the price," Kozuch explained.
"It was a success for both the store and Cowen. People not only wanted to buy the merchandise, they also wanted to know how they could buy the train. That was the beginning," he said.
Cowen combined his showmanship with a knack for attracting celebrities. Among them were Jackie Gleason, Roy Rogers, Tommy Dorsey, and even Pope Pius XII. Gleason did a skit on early TV that had a Lionel train bring him a drink on a flat car.
"Prior to electric trains, children had wooden trains with a pull string. But it was Cowen that started electric trains in the United States," Kozuch said.
One of the earliest manufactures of electric trains in Europe was Lehman, Gross, Bahn — LGB — of Germany. They have been manufacturing model trains for 125 years, according to Kozuch.
Today there are a myriad of a gauges for toy trains. "They range from Z to G gauge. "Z is so small you can fit a layout into a brief case. And, "G" is large enough to be used in garden layouts," he said.
Whistle Stop Hobbies carries all gauges, except for the smallest, as well as an array of manufacturers. Some of the latter, in addition to Lionel and LGB, are Bachman, Mikes Train House, Atlas, Weaver, Three Rail, Life Like, Model Power, Athearn, and Kato.
WALTHERS CATALOGUE, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, lists manufacturers for all gauges with specific models and prices, according to Kozuch. One of the newest and most unusual electric train offerings comes from Lego.
"We ran "Lego Palooza" at the Athenaeum in May and are planning another for mid to late September. Lego offers a whole electric train layout. And, the nice thing is that if you get tired of one type train you can just create a new one," Kozuch said.
"These Lego sets are very popular, particularly as starter sets to get young children interested in model railroading," said Amy Parkers, Kozuch's partner in Whistle Stop Hobbies.
An all Lego "Brick Fest" will be held at the Tysons Sheraton Premier, August 26-27 from noon to 4 p.m. each day, according to Kozuch. The fee is $7 per day or $10 for both days.
Also on August 26 and 27 is the "Great Train Exposition" at Dulles Expo Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day co-sponsored by Whistle Stop Hobbies. Admission there is adults $7 and children under 12 free.
Both Alexandria natives, Kozuch and Parkers opened Whistle Stop Hobbies May 1, 2005. They also inaugurated the "Santa Train" last year during the holidays. Operating each of the four Fridays before Christmas it travels from Alexandria's King Street Station to Manassas and back with Santa on board.
This year trips are planned for Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22. Each trip is from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. "Tickets go on sale Nov. 1, right here at the store. We're not ticketmaster," said Parkers.
In addition to a host of train sets, individual items, and accessories, Kozuch has a special area for special pieces. It's the safe.
At one time his shop was the location of a business that dealt with a variety of critical legal documents. They were kept in a walk-in safe. That safe still exists and now houses some of his most prized and expensive pieces.
"The highest was a standard gauge Bing set built in 1909 with an estimated value of $10,000. It was sold. The highest priced piece in the safe now is a Sante Fe Super Chief freight set priced at $2,495," Kozuch pointed out.
"Starter sets range from $50 to $300 depending on size and accessories. A starter set normally includes train, transformer and track. Track pieces vary from as little as a 24 inch circle to a 40 by 60 inch oval," he said.
Beginner sets range from $500 to $2000. "But, this is one hobby that transcends age and gender. We see a lot of older people who had trains as a child and they have passed on that love and fascination to their children and grandchildren," he said.
"I got my first train set when I was 18 months old. And, I still have it," he said.
Kozuch got back into model trains in a serious way in the early 1980s. "You had to buy an entire collection when it came up for sale. You couldn't cherry pick it," he explained.
"So you'd buy the set, then take the pieces you wanted and sell the rest. That money provided the resources to buy other collections. Finally, we decided to open the shop," he said.
In addition to model trains, Whistle Stop Hobbies also carries a wide array of other hobby items ranging from racecars to model airplanes. But, train and all the fixings are in the forefront.