All Aboard

Friday evening, Brent began telling the boys that he was taking them for a surprise adventure on Saturday morning.  Well, curiosity was killing them!  Jack and Will played 20 questions trying to guess where we were going.  They never guessed correctly, but the excitement was palpable as we set off for our adventure!

Where were we going?!?!  To the Model Train Show!

We loved all of the train displays that the different model train clubs set up.  I was amazed at all of the intricate details used to set up the towns or countryside for the train to travel through. 

 

Although I really knew nothing about model trains before today, I discovered that my favorite trains were the O scale (1:48 in relation to the real thing).  The O trains and accessories were a nice size for viewing and the train sounds were very realistic.  Here is an O train display:

One of my favorite parts of the display are the M&M cars; I'm sure if we ever had a train set that Will would insist we have a candy car.


This was Will's favorite train, the steam locomotive.  It was cool...realistic sounds, lots of smoke, and it was fast!  We watched this train for quite some time.

 

Then we discovered the N scale displays.  Brent's favorites were the miniature N trains (1:160).  They were small, but had such amazing details.  I loved playing with the macro lens of my camera capturing all the fine details of these scenes.  

This is what the N train displays looked like without the zoom.

 

And then I zoomed in on the scenes using the macro lens.

Uh oh, a fender bender!  The lights on the fire engine and the police car really flashed.  That Coke truck is too cute.  And the people waiting for the train were unbelievably tiny...steady hands needed to place those.

 

I loved the little suitcases ready to be loaded onto the train second only to the conductor with his hands in his pockets.

 

Don't you wonder what he is taking a picture of?  Or where the couple in the convertible is going?

This was our absolute favorite feature of the N train displays...Stone Mountain!  The details were dead on; from the carving in the side of the mountain, to the people lounging on the lawn waiting for the laser show, to the sky buckets that actually went up and down the mountain, to the fence around the top of the mountain so that you don't fall off!  Amazing!

At every display, there were "Do Not Touch" signs.  Jack and Will were so good; they resisted the temptation to investigate with their fingers.  Then, as if a reward for all of those well behaved children, there was an interactive train display!  You could drive the trains or watch the vignettes come alive by pushing the button on the side of the display.  

Here is Jack controlling the parachutes at one of the amusement park rides.

 

 The boys call this vignette "Zoo Atlanta".  I call it charming.

But I have saved the best for last...Jack's favorite display!  The Lego Train Club set up a Lego train that traveled around a Lego replica of Atlanta.  If we had the room at our house, I would love to do something like this with all of Jack's Legos.  What I loved the most was that the Club added motion to the scenes whenever possible.  So Cool!

The Lego Georgia Dome, site of the 2013 Alabama v Miami Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game.  I know this because the trash talking has already begun at our house!

What'll ya have?  What'll ya have?  Drive on down to The Varsity for a Frosted Orange; they are delicious!

I loved this school and playground!  The swings and the merry-go-round actually moved!
 

 

This carnival was fun, too.  The spider ride went round & round and up & down, just like the real ride!

 A tribute to my second home.

 One last shot of my sweet boys enthralled with the trains.