INFOAGE HOLIDAY TRAIN DISPLAY 2007 AT THE MARCONI HOTEL

 This year the trains are back better than ever!  The first weekend of the annual Holiday Train Display was a lot of fun!  And there are still two more weekends left to see all the trains as well as the beautiful Christmas trees.  The display is open this Friday, December 14^th, 7 pm to 10 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, December 15^th and 16^th from 1 pm to 5 pm.  The display is also open Friday, December 21^st from 7 pm to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday, December 22^nd and 23^rd from 1 pm to 5 pm.

 

 
The display is sponsored by the Garden State Central Model Railroad Club.  Mr. Bob Judge of the GSC is the InfoAge assistant director and has once again directed the Holiday Train Display.  

 
Mr. Judge has modeled a display which is a replica of the Marconi Hotel.  In 1999, First Lady Hillary Clinton invited Mr. Judge to display this model on the White House Christmas Tree in the West Wing.

 
The GSC has restored an HO Gauge layout that was originally built by Bell Telephone Laboratory Engineers in the Holmdel Labs. The Holmdel Chapter 132 of the New Outlook Pioneers of Lucent Technologies saved the layout and gave it to InfoAge.  Doug Natale, President of the GSC, and club members were excited that Info Age invited the club to repair the Lucent layout and to host the holiday Train display in 2006.  Since last year the club members have replaced all structures and track with state of the art materials.  A new feature of the layout is an electrical system known as Digital Command Control (DCC).  Rob Davis and other GSC members have also replaced all rolling stock and locomotives with 1920’s era equipment depicting New England Railroading.

 

As you enter the Marconi Hotel you will notice the front foyer, which was decorated by Dawn Armour and Lisa Natale of Three Little Ladies, Long Branch.  They volunteered their time using Camp Evans decorations and making custom bows throughout.  Three Little Ladies specializes in decorating homes, stores and restaurants for all holidays and special occasions, including party favors and hair accessories.  To contact Three Little Ladies call 1-908-675-2510 or E-mail threelittleladyhair@verizon.net.

      Next, enter the Marconi hotel dining room which has 10 model layouts from tiny Z gauge to giant G gauge.  The displays are presented by the Garden State Central of Asbury Park (GSC) and the John Pugh Ring #96 Circus model builders of Central New Jersey.  The expertise and detail of the railroad and circus train modelers craftsmanship is impressive. There is also a nifty N gauge layout presented by Doug’s boys Nick and Jon Natale. In the wireless operator lounge Mike Golub of Neptune is exhibiting his massive collection of Coca Cola Christmas village figurines.  Don Rue, President of the Circus Model Builders and fellow member Todd Robinson are among the presenters of Circus Trains, Dioramas, and other displays that show how the circus’s unloaded their wagons from the trains when setting up in cities all over the US.

 
Also returning this year are local modelers from Wall, Rob Bird, Steve Lang and Bob Ortley.  They have a multi-seasonal and multi-scale layout featuring N gauge and HO gauge trains featuring the Shark River Railroad, other Eastern railroads and Christmas Trains.  The expanded layout is twice the size as the 2006 display and was built just for this year's show.  The layout also features lots of “surprises”. 

 

 
     In between the trains are Christmas trees.  There are many colorful trees making for a nice Yuletide atmosphere.  A special thank you goes out to Donna Natale, Georgette Reid and Marge Bidwill for decorating each of these festive trees.  The ladies are from the families of several GSC members and spent many hours trimming the trees.  A new tree was also added by Sara Lang and Colleen Ortley.   The tree features Sara’s hand crafted snowmen ornaments. 

 

As you walk through the Marconi Dining Room you will notice many other trees that were set up by the GSC members.  They all add to the festive Holiday setting.  And each tree is surrounded by the many large G gauge trains on display by the GSC. 

 
We hope to see you at the Train Show.  While you are there please visit all of the other InfoAge Science and History exhibits presented by the museum volunteers.

 

 Multi gauge multi seasonal layout

 

John Pugh Ring #96 Circus Builders

  

 

 Paul’s  o gauge hand painted trains

 

 Todd’s hand built circus cars   

 

Garden state central model railroad's "dcc" feature layout.   

In the history of World War II, Camp Evans holds an important place. Historians call World War II the "Radar War." They even call radar "the invention that saved democracy." Now is the time to dedicate this unique historic site as a World War II memorial to those who helped win the war with advanced electronics.

To honor the service of World War II veterans, the Borough of Belmar, the Township of Wall and the County of Monmouth passed resolutions designating the Camp Evans Historic District as the World War II Living Memorial. Council member John Szeliga of Belmar, Wall Mayor Edward Thompson III and Freeholder Ted Narozanik sponsored the resolutions.