Trains Chug Through Main Library

A tiny construction crew works to repair a sinkhole. Another part of the city is snowed in. Superman saves a bus from going off the side of the road near another corner.

Canada's Plywood Forest is there. So is Jimmy Hoffa's family concrete company.

There is a bit of humor and the macabre that make up the roomful of model trains set up at the Main Library through Saturday.

The display is partially the brain child of Rick Moock.

"I don't know who to explain it," Moock said. "Trains. Whether it's trains or planes or Barbie dolls... Once you're biten by it, it stays with you forever."

He caught the model train bug when he was 10. His mother got him an American Flyer set for Christmas.

He had the choice between that and a Lionel. Since a real train was in his backyard he choose the one that used two tracks, not three (which was the typical setup for Lionel trains).

He and worked about nine years on the disaster layout.

Some of the trains used on the set are the same ones he has played with for more than 50 years. Some items he found to help make the set more realistic include fish tank pumps and special misters to help with water scenes and fog effects.

Sabrina Coleman brought her children including son Marcus to check out the trains Friday.

"We tried to beat the rush," Coleman said. "I figured it would be better today."

Marcus has his own train set and was really interested in the seemingly larger than life display. He was able to convince his mother to get to watch the trains make one more pass.

Which turned into at least three more times.

If you go:

Model train display

When: From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Main Library, 110 N Osceola Ave