Love Model Trains? Come to the Train Show this Weekend, 17 and 18 February 2018

Photo courtesy of Bob Pawlak

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, launches February school vacation week with a weekend filled with model railroading fun!  The Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club will be at the museum Saturday, February 17 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sunday, February 18 from noon-4:00 p.m. Admission to the train display is $5/individual and $7/family.

The 2.7 scale miles of three-track mainline with smaller N-scale trains means more trains and longer trains (50-70 cars) running through a variety of scenes on different modules will delight young and old alike. Visitors will see the colored lights and hear the authentic sounds of a circus with its circus train cars to carry the big-tent animals and performers or a carnival with Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and other animated rides as well as the beautiful Disney Island Castle with numerous enchanting details. Bridges Canyon State Park in the Great Northwest with its eleven bridges tunnels, and two river gorges is featured. Visitors will be transported across the U.S. to see a replica of the familiar Auto Train Depot in Lorton, Virginia, and then travel across the Atlantic Ocean to see a model of the famous Dammtor Train Station in Hamburg, Germany.  In travels across the country, the trains take viewers to the Black Hole Coal Company complex, a high rise building engulfed in flames, an oil refinery, and an intermodal transportation facility.

In addition to the featured Northeast NTRAK layout, there will be the Northeast T-TRAK table top modular train layout on display.  The N-Scale T-TRAK is designed to fit on standard tables and be the perfect height for children to enjoy.  The layout features animations and features a coal dumper, truck tipper, drawbridge, turntable, and much more.  At the layout, visitors can learn about different forms of energy: solar, wind, hydroelectric, coal, nuclear, thermal solar and oil.

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library is dedicated to presenting exhibitions on a wide variety of topics in American history and popular culture. The Museum is supported by the Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States.  The Museum is located at 33 Marrett Road in Lexington at the corner of Route 2A and Massachusetts Avenue.  The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For the train weekend, the Museum will be open on Saturday, February 17 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. AND Sunday, February 18 from noon-4:00 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free. Admission to the train show is $5/individual and $7/family.  For further information, contact the Museum at (781) 861-6559 or visit our srmml.org.

 

Model Train Weekend presented by the Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club

Saturday, February 13, 2016
10:00 AM-4:30 PM

Sunday, February 14, 2016
12:00 Noon-4:00 PM

Admission:
$7 per family ($5 for Museum or HUB members)
$5 per individual ($4 Museum or HUB members)

Love trains? Love museums? Bring your sweethearts to the Ntrak model train show at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library this Valentine’s weekend! The Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club will be running its annual train show at the Museum on Saturday, February 13 from 10 AM to 4:30 PM and Sunday, February 14 from 12 noon to 4 PM. Admission is a sweet deal at only $7 per family or $5 per individual with discounted admission for members of either organization. Proceeds benefit both organizations.

Watch these small but mighty trains as they zip around incredibly detailed landscapes. Ntrak trains are smaller in size then traditional model trains but just as fun to watch. Because of their small size the landscapes and city scenes the trains travel though can encompass more. The show features bridges, train yards and a spectacular cliff face with multiple tunnels running in and out of the rocks. Trains climb mountain passes, shunt freight cars and use branch lines to pick up and set out cars at the many industries and stations along the way. Adults may even recognize a few of the local landmarks!

For more information about this show contact the Museum at (781) 861-6559 or check out our upcoming programs on our website.

Model Train Weekend presented by the HUB Division of the National Model Railroad Association

Saturday, December 12, 2015
10:00 AM-4:30 PM

Sunday, December 13, 2015
12:00 Noon-4:00 PM

Admission:
$7 per family ($5 for Museum or HUB members)
$5 per individual ($4 Museum or HUB members)

Join us for the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library’s annual HUB train show! For over a decade the HUB Division of the Northeastern Regional Model Railroad Association has set up an amazing display in the museum’s Farr Conference Room. The HUB Division uses HO-scale model trains which are 1/87^th the size of a real train car and very detailed. Adults and children alike are fascinated by watching these trains speed along the tracks through the realistic layouts model railroaders have constructed. 

Don’t miss this crowd favorite! Proceeds benefit the HUB Division of the National Model Railroad Association and the Museum.

For more information about model train weekend, contact the Museum at 781-861-6559  or email [email protected].  

Want more trains? Don’t miss our February 2016 NTRAK Model Train Show, Saturday, February 13, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM and Sunday, February 15, 12:00 Noon – 4:00 PM.

Holiday Family Fun: HUB Trains at the Museum!

We look forward to hosting the HO-scale model trains and displays of the HUB Division of the Northeastern Region of the National Model Railroad Association here at the museum on the weekend of December 13 and 14. For over a decade, the hobbyists of the HUB Division have joined us to kick off the holiday season.

Bring the family for Model Train Weekend: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday, December 13, 2014 and 12 noon to 4:00 pm on Sunday, December 14, 2014. Admission: $7 per family (non-members); $5 per family (museum or HUB members); $5 per individual.

Our partner for this annual weekend event, the HUB Division, is a venerable club of over 50 years of age. It exists to promote and support the model railroading hobby and offers activities and education for members and the general public in all aspects of model railroading. HUB Division members present workshops on how to make trees, paint model freight cars to make them appear weathered, use rock molds and geodesic foam to create rock formations, and the art of construction and "scenicking" a diorama. Hours of patient work and years of skill development flow into the displays we enjoy each December.

As the history of the the club suggests, HO-scale model trains have been around for many years. The first model trains were twice the size of HO models, too large for hobbyists to set up at home. German firms of the 1920s offered the first home-scale model trains, followed by English models in the 1930s. Americans enthusiasts grew in large numbers in the 1950s, when the twin goals of attention to detail and realism of setting captured the imagination of new hobbyists. Today, HO-scale remains the most popular model train scale in North America and continental Europe. Model trains of this type are 1/87th the size of a real train out in the train yard. An HO-scale freight car easily fits into the palm of an adult's hand. HO-scale trains, buildings and scenics are big enough to for hobbyists to easily add detailing that creates realistic railroading layouts. 

For further information about model train weekend, contact the Museum at (781) 861-6559 or at [email protected]. For information about the museum visit www.monh.org.

February vacation is right around the corner. Come visit the museum with family and friends:

NTRAK Model Train Show

Saturday, Feb. 14, 10 AM – 4:30 PM and Sunday, Feb. 15, Noon – 4 PM

Join the Northeast NTRAK Modular Railroad Club for a February vacation weekend of fun. Proceeds will benefit both organizations. Admission: $5/individual; $5/family (members of either organization); $7/family (non-members).

Pieces of the Past – Telling Stories with Historic Relics

Wednesday, February 18, 2 PM

Bring family and friends to explore the fascinating stories behind the historic souvenirs in our exhibition. We will start with an exploration of the “Prized Relics: Historic Souvenirs from the Collection” gallery, where we will see pieces of the past saved by heroes and history fans. Then, participants can work together on hands-on activities that engage the imagination. Appropriate for ages 8 through adult. $6/family (members); $9/family (non-members). No registration is necessary for this approximately 1.5 hour program.

Family Programs during February Vacation

We have some engaging family programming coming up during February vacation. Get out your calendar - we hope to see you at the Museum!

Bring family and friends to see how fascinating maps can be in our next school vacation family program. “Mapping Our World” will be held Wednesday, February 19 from 2:00-3:30 pm. Start with an exploration of the “Journeys and Discoveries: The Stories Maps Tell” gallery and see how maps are made and what they tell us. Then, participants will work together on some hands-on mapping activities. Get ready for something different – you may be surprised at what maps can do!

The program is appropriate for ages 8 through adult. This approximately 1.5 hour program wil cost $6/family (members); $9/family (non-members). No registration is necessary.

Don’t forget this annual favorite! NTRAK Model Train Show on Saturday, Feb. 15 (10 AM – 4:30 PM) and Sunday, Feb. 16 (Noon – 4 PM). Admission: $5/individual; $5/family (members of either organization); $7/family (non-members). See our previous post for more information.

Since spring is just around the corner (though it may seem hard to believe at the moment), we'd like to let you know about the two family programs we have planned for April vacation:

Get to Know Our Flag on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, 1:00 PM & 2:30 PM

This family program explores the origins, history, legends and myths of the American flag. With the Museum’s historically significant 15-star flag as a backdrop, participants will enjoy hands-on activities. Bring family and friends to discover some surprising April flag history. $5/family (members); $7/family (non-members). No registration necessary for this approximately one-hour program.

The Lexington Alarm on Thursday, April 24, 2014, 2 PM

Each year at this time, the Museum displays an exciting piece of American history, the Lexington Alarm Letter. Written on April 19, 1775 by a citizen of Watertown to notify the American colonies near and far that war had begun, the letter still conveys the urgency of the shocking news. Families are invited to work together on hands-on, minds-on activities that explore the moment and the world in which this document was set down. Appropriate for ages 8 through adult. $6/family (members); $9/family (non-members). No registration necessary for this approximately 1.5 hour program.

Photo credit:

Game of the States, ca. 1960.  Manufactured by the Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, Massachusetts. Gift of Mrs. John Willey, 2006.026.2. Photograph by David Bohl.

Model Trains at the Museum, Feb. 15 & 16

MODEL TRAINS ARE BACK TO START FEBRUARY SCHOOL VACATION!

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library launches February School Vacation Week with a weekend filled with model railroading fun. The Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club will be running its trains through its modular display at the Museum Saturday, February 15 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sunday, February 16 from 12 noon-4:00 p.m. Admission to the train display is $5/individual ($3 for members of either organization) and $7/family ($5 for families with membership to either organization).

The Ntrak trains are smaller in size than traditional model trains, but are just as much fun. Because the scale is smaller, the landscapes the trains travel through encompass more. The show features an enormous bridge, train yards, and a spectacular cliff face with multiple tunnels running in and out of the rocks. Trains climb mountain passes, shunt freight cars, and use branch lines to pick up and set out cars at the many industries and stations along the way.

A highlight of the dipslay is a model of the Zakim Bridge (see photo). Constructing the bridge took John Dunne three months; his efforts won him a first prize at the Springfield train show. Dunne, who has been building NTRAK for 40 years, notes, “If I built that bridge in HO (scale), it would be 32 feet long.”

Watch this video about the Ntrak show, recorded by the Lexington Minuteman newspaper.

For further information contact the Museum at (781) 861-6559 or visit www.nationalheritagemuseum.org.

 

Model Trains at the Museum, Dec. 14 & 15

Model Train Weekend is Back this Holiday Season!

Model Train Weekend, Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15

This family-friendly event is the perfect outing for adults and children of all ages. The HUB Division of the National Model Railroad Association presents miles of track with trains running on multiple main lines as they chug up mountain climbs, past coal mines, through small villages and into tunnels. Some engines pull 50 cars past hundreds of charming venues including icy lakes with skaters, snow-covered farms, and urban skyscrapers.

Here's a great video clip recorded at the 2011 HUB Train Show, put together by the Lexington community access station LexMedia. Watch it and gain a sense of the passion for detail and accuracy that the model railroad hobbyists of the HUB Division put into this yearly show.

Model Train Weekend hours are 10 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday, December 14, and 12 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, December 15.  Admission is $7 per family.

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For information about this program or about the Museum, check our website, call our front desk at 781 861-6559 or write to [email protected]. 

School Vacation Begins with Ntrak Model Trains!

Join us on Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 19 for a weekend filled with railroading fun! Whether you come for a weekend treat or as a way to kick off February vacation week, the N-scale train display is sure to please.

The Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club will once again be with us, bringing their imaginative modular layouts based on a quarter century's club history. N-scale trains are smaller in size than traditional model trains, but are just as much fun. You'll see trains climb mountain passes, cross the Zakim Bridge, shunt freight cars, and use branch lines to pick up and set out cars at the many industries and stations along the way.

The Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club will be at the Museum on Saturday, February 18 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sunday, February 19 from noon-4:00 p.m. Admission to the train display is $7/family, $5/individual. Proceeds support the education programs at the National Heritage Museum and the Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club.

For more information, call the Museum at 781-861-6559, ext 4101.

 

Model Train Show, Dec. 17 & 18

Your family won't want to miss the Museum's annual December Model Train Show. It will be held on Saturday, December 17, 10 AM to 4:30 PM, and Sunday, December 18, Noon to 4:00 PM (special Sunday hours).

The HUB Division of the National Model Train Association never fails to delight fans large and small with their model train display, so gather neighbors, grandchildren, and neighbors for this event. It is a perfect holiday-season outing for adults and children of all ages.

 The HUB Division modelers present miles of track with trains running on multiple main lines as they chug up mountain climbs, past coal mines, through small villages and into tunnels. Some engines pull 50 cars past hundreds of charming venues including icy lakes with skaters, snow-covered farms, and urban skyscrapers.

Admissions: $5/family (members); $7/family (non-members); $5/individual.

For further information, contact the Museum at 781-861-6559.

We look forward to seeing you at the Museum!

Model Trains Launch Vacation Week!

The Museum launches February School Vacation Week with a weekend filled with model railroading fun! The Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club will be at the Museum on Saturday, February 19 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sunday, February 20 from noon-4:00 p.m.

The Ntrak trains are smaller in size than traditional model trains, but are just as much fun! You can see lots of action at one glance. Come see the trains as they cross a scale model of the Zakim Bridge and navigate a power plant with a coal dumper you can operate yourself. You also won’t want to miss the 8-foot Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus module.

Admission to the train display is $7/family ($5/member family). Proceeds support the education programs at the National Heritage Museum and the Northeast Ntrak Modular Railroad Club.

For more information, call the Museum front desk at 781 861-6559 or write to [email protected].

Photo credits: National Heritage Museum