The Wilton Holiday Express

The train chugs past Orem's Diner and the original Keeler's General Store. Nearby, a mountain village rises from a table, its resident hikers climbing past a gas station, store, church and even a mill house where real water turns the wheel.

The Wilton Historical Society is hosting the 11th Annual Model Train Show, its largest to date.  It also has the most volunteers in history, with more than ten volunteers operating the trains.

"I got into this four years ago," said Jeff Headden, one of the trainmen.  "It's been a lot of fun."

Nine layouts occupy the room.   The largest has three trains, and a streetcar that travels from a town to a circus.  Several small figures dot the landscape, whether leaning on a rail or sitting in a car.

The show started more than ten years ago when local Wilton men decided it was time to play again.  The volunteers met last June to begin planning the show.

"We took three weeks to put this together," Headden said.

One of the highlights features a diorama of Wilton at the beginning of the 19th Century. 

"You can see the old Town Hall, the old Wilton train station and even Ring's Lumber.

Children who visit can press buttons and make the Ferris Wheel turn and operate the Merry Go Round.  All the while, Calliope music plays in the background, adding a festive feel.

Replica cars and trucks from the 1940's and 50's line glass shelves. And stuffed animals featuring some of Walt Disney's earliest characters lend a playful touch.

"I think this is from World War One," Headden said, pointing to a tin truck carrying tiny glass Coca-Cola bottles.

Original prints by Weston artist Andrew Neilly, 1940's Pennsylvania Railroad calendars hang on the walls.  There is also a station chart for New York City to Danbury that was once posted in Grand Central Station.