For years, many families have a model train display as part of the Christmas season’s decorations.

Do you have fond memories of one, or do you still set up a display?

My memory of a train display goes back to when I was 4 and at my Uncle Henry and Aunt Dorothy’s house to see the display that he and my cousin Lori designed together.

I thought it was the coolest thing because we didn’t have one. Watching the train move, hearing the whistle and seeing the smoke was magical.

And being allowed to be in control of it was amazing. For some people, it’s that childhood tradition that lights a spark that grows into something bigger.

Garry Mack of Palmerton, president of the Carbon Model Railroad Society since 1990, took the time to talk model railroading and let me experience the club’s displays.

The 2,000-square-foot clubhouse is located at 529 Ore St. in Bowmanstown. In the building’s previous life it was The Holy Cross Chapel, part of Sacred Heart Church located in Palmerton. In 2002, the society bought it and called it home.

However, that isn’t where the society’s story began.

In 2025, the Carbon Model Railroad Society celebrated its 40th anniversary, and it all started at a hobby shop in Lehighton. As the desire grew to have it flourish into something bigger, members would get together to build displays that would travel to mall shows and the famous Hess’s Department Store on Hamilton Street in Allentown.

A display would be built, and the club would sell items to raise money at these shows.

At this point the club was meeting at Garry’s house to work on designing the display that would be traveling around. Members did that for a few years and realized they needed to rent more space.

Kerry Solt owned Pappy’s store in Bowmanstown at the time, which was an old Methodist church, and had one of the old Sunday school rooms that members could rent, which they did for four or five years. The next evolution showed itself in 2002, and the shows the club had done for years funded the down payment for the club’s permanent home.

“Doing the mall shows allowed train guys to become buddies,” Garry said, which was a help to find other shows that they might not know existed.

Mall shows were the way clubs could raise money, and then as they became less popular train meets started to grow. The Carbon Model Railroad Society does two train meets, both of which are held in Walnutport at Diamond Fire Company Bingo Hall, 110 Main St. The next meet is Sunday.

Remember that raising money from these shows allowed them to put money down on the building. However, they took a 10-year mortgage to pay for remodeling, installing a bathroom and adding the second floor, which took a year.

Many talented members used their vast skills and hard work to turn a small chapel with no bathroom into a two-story building that houses a large display downstairs, three other displays upstairs and items for sale, including their own club cars, T-shirts and much more.

And, fear not, indoor plumbing now exists in that building.

Asking Garry how this started for him led to the conversation about his childhood with his mom and dad at Christmas.

He has fond memories from those days, and they developed into a love for trains and local history. That is the base that connected him with model railroading. And his passion and the passion of others turned it into the inspirational display they have today.

“When you start building model railroads, you follow the train tracks and learn about the area that supports those trains,” Garry said. “History will start playing a role, and before you know it, you realize it’s all part of the same puzzle.”

When seeing the model railroad they have set up downstairs, you can tell it obviously took a lot of time and many hands to build it. He said it took years to get to the point it is today. The trees were handmade and painted to give a fall feel. Part of the mountain was carved out to create scenes like a quarry.

Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. there is a work night at the clubhouse, and usually between seven and a dozen members show up to do things that need to be done. Right now, they are gearing up for the train meet.

Other times, they may be getting the traveling display ready. It’s in a trailer that looks like a caboose. The caboose can be seen at the West End Fair in August and the Palmerton Festival in September. In October, there’s the Walnutport Canal Days and the Fall Festival in North Catasauqua. When visiting, you will see HO, O and N gauge trains. Some items have been donated, while other items have been purchased.

Want to find out more? Visit www.cmrs.info. The website has a calendar of events, more on the history, how to become a member, specialty HO scale limited edition model railroad cars for sale, and more.

I asked Garry what he hopes will happen when someone comes to visit and see at least one of the displays.

“It’s a great hobby that can start as a family thing,” he said.

Garry was inspired by his dad and hopes what the members have created may ignite the passion in someone else of any age.