Written by GENEROSITY ON THE RAILS
Setting the Stage
Determined to Make a Difference
I had noticed from observing other shows, in particular the display that Rich Luke from the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad would set up at them that hands on displays are a great tool to engage people young and old alike. This inspired me to assemble a small G gauge display for this year’s show that fits on a standard 4’ X 8’ table after reading an article written by Greg Elmassian (www.elmassian.com). This display is a good example of what you can do with large trains in a small space. The display is known as a switching puzzle as it challenges you to use a switch engine to move freight cars from one location to another through multiple moves and traversing several switch tracks.
“Pictured: My lovely wife Mandy Manning the Switching Puzzle”
A Chance Meeting & Opportunity
A young man named Presley and his mom Jessica were attending the event that day. Jessica had been bringing Presley to see the trains at the shows and open houses for several years now. As Presley explored the show with his mom, looking at all the G gauge trains for sale and marveling at the operating train displays, he eventually came across my table. Presley was instantly drawn in since it allowed him to be hands on with the large G gauge trains. Presley by far spent more time than anyone else at the show, masterfully operating the locomotive, throwing switches and moving freight cars about to their destinations. As I spoke to Presley and his mom Jessica it became very apparent that this young man had a passion for model railroading. As I spoke to Presley I found that he had wanted a G gauge train set for a while now and was hoping to get one soon. Eventually, it was time for Presley and his mom to continue exploring more of the show but you could tell Presley was a bit sad as he was having so much fun. As I watched them walk away I couldn’t help but feel there was an opportunity being missed with this young man.
Setting the Plan in Motion
At first I wasn’t certain what I wanted to do but knew something had to be done. Looking around I saw several of my friends that are invested in promoting the hobby like a lot of us are. I approached each of my friends to see what we could do. Those friends were David Peters, Nico Corbo (Owner “4 Track RR”) and Steven Berrier. The four of us seemed to be in agreement that we should do something for young Presley and getting him a train set to take home that day was it. We looked at multiple starter sets available at the show and finally used our pooled resources to purchase an Aristo-Craft 0-4-0 set.
A Community Comes Together
After we picked out the set for Presley word seemed to spread quickly as more people wanted to contribute. Kris & Charlotte Dixon (owners of Melovetrains.com) donated track power connectors, several freight cars and a Melovetrainz shirt. Craig Bigrig (Columbus Garden Railway Society) donated another freight car to the mix. Darrin Warren (Riverside Railroad Club) contributed yet another freight car and an official 4th Annual North East Ohio Large Scale Train Show T-shirt. Also contributed by anonymous donors were several freight cars and a building. The amount of support for this young man was absolutely amazing!
“melovetrains.com (Left to right): Walter Zehler, Kris & Charlotte Dixon, Joe Schrock”)
The Surprise
When Presley and Jessica were presented with everything we had collected, they were speechless. We could see Tears forming in Jessica’s eyes as she watched Presley clutching the locomotive from his new set. I think at that moment Jessica realized the depth of the community’s compassion and dedication to our hobby. For a lot of us Its just as much about the people as it is about the trains.
“From Left To Right: Nico Corbo, Steven Berrier, Andrew Fitch, David Peters and Front and Center Presley”
Continuing On!
Hopefully this very true story has inspired at least a few of our fellow model railroaders out there to make a difference and inspire the youth to be more involved in this great hobby. This story won’t end here though, I can assure you that. The North East Ohio Large Scale Train Show continues on as the expanded Great Lakes Large Scale Train Expo and we will hopefully make a difference for another young person this year and many more to come! So, come out and be a part of the Great Lakes Large Scale Train Expo Friday May 9 & Saturday May 10, 2025 from 10am to 4pm ! It’s going to be GREAT seeing you there!
