LL Bean Model Train Village Update

The L.L. Bean Model Train Village is back and operating from 9am to 9pm daily.  You can visit it in the Children's Department on the second floor of the Flagship Store at 95 Main Street in Freeport.

This operating layout was provided by and is supported by the Boothbay Railway Village.

Through the Village

Lighted Carousel with Music

Skating under the bridge

      Triangle Service in the 1920s???

Making Snow Angels

         

    Trains and Skating Rink Video

Westbrook Festival of Trees Update

Today Paul Corbett and other MGRS members set up the "Maine Train Lines" display for the 2017 Westbrook Festival of Trees. The Festival is open from December 2-9 and is open to the Public. Admission is free. Businesses sponsor trees, and visitor donations are welcome. All proceeds support local charities in Westbrook. Information can be found at the Festival of Trees Web Site
The festival is held at the Westbrook Warren Congregational Church at 810 Main St. in Westbrook. Public parking is available off Church Street which runs between Main Street and the Westbrook Arterial.


Here is the schedule

Date   Day   Tree Viewing                            Trains Running
12/2    Sat    8:30am-8:00pm                          8am-12:30pm, 6-7:30pm

12/3    Sun   2-7:30pm                                      1- 3pm

12/4    Mon  10am-noon, 2-4pm, 6-8pm      10am-Noon, 6-7:30pm

12/5    Tue    10am-noon,  2-4pm, 6-8pm     10am-Noon, 2-4pm

12/6    Wed   10am-noon, 2-4pm, 6-8pm      10am-Noon, 2-4pm    

12/7    Thu    2-4pm, 6-8pm                           10am-1pm

12/8    Fri     10-11am, 2-4pm, 6-8 pm         10am-1pm, 6-7pm

12/9    Sat     10am-Noon                               10am-Noon

There are a number of special events during the Festival

Date    Time    Time             Event

12/2    Sat        8:30-11am      Breakfast with Santa
                         5-6pm             Festival Feast Public Dinner

12/3    Sun       1:30-2:30pm  Teddy Bear Tea Party with WCC Kids Choir
                          5:00               An Advent Celebration: Christmas AMENS
                                                and AH Has"
                         Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution Day

12/5    Tue       1:30-3pm        Mad Hatter's Tea Party
                          6:30-7:45pm  Drouin Dance Center Performance
                         Westbrook Women's Club Day

12/6    Wed       7:30pm          LOGOS Presentation: "Cloth for the Cradle"

12/7     Thu        Noon             Public Community Dinner
                          In Home Senior Services Day

12/8      Fri        11:30am to     Tips for Charity Luncheon featuring
                          1pm                Doc Stockwell on the piano
                          Trinity Lutheran Church Day

12/9     Sat      10am-Noon    Mystery Gift Tree

Track Crew at Work

Setting Up Buildings and Decorations

Engineers Test the Track

Doug Johnson's Christmas Car

Chopping Wood for the Stove

Fun Around the Frozen Pond

Christmas Tree Stand

Another New Battery

Ice Fishing

Thanks to Paul Corbett for providing

the trains, track, buildings, and decoration. His Elves for setup were Art Shea, David Blue, Doug Johnson, Paul Schell, Dennis Farrell, and Sam Carr.

                                             

MGRS Trains in Winter Wonderland at the Maine Mall

Our 8th Annual Holiday Train Display opened at 5pm on Friday, November 19th with a ribbon cutting by Santa. It is part of the "Winter Wonderland".

The Winter Wonderland at the Maine Mall is located in the former Bon Ton. The kids can write a letter to Santa, see acts on stage, color, play board games, and watch movies.

MGRS is located right next to Santa. He is closest to the Thomas & Percy Platform. Thomas has a loop while Percy runs in a Figure 8. Thanks to Art Shean for providing the Figure 8.

Thomas and Percy

The Town and Country area has homes, businesses, and entertainment. The trolley line runs from the front of North Conway Station over to the mountains

North Conway Station

The lighted buildings at the front of the picture belong to Tice Leonard and are made by Lemax. Other building are from Ernie Packard, Terry Norton, Carl Churchill and Sam Carr. You can see the John Jackson Drawbridge at the left rear of this picture.

Town and Country

The centerpiece of this year's layout is the mountain with ski lift running to the top and the train running around it about halfway up. We asked the Maine Mall for a mountain, and thank Angel Pettengill for building this one.

The farm behind the mountain

Farm Corral and Vacation Campground

Ski Slope and Vacation Campground

Portland Harbor includes marine businesses, shopping, cargo handling, two trains, a freight siding, oil tanks and a lighthouse.

The Circus is on the far side of Portland Harbor. Here you can see how the circus entertains its guests and supports the work of the performers. Thanks to Norman Waycott for providing part of his incredible circus.

Entrance, Clowns and Midway

Acrobats and Horses Practicing

Please visit us at the Mall and bring your friends. We are open daily through December 24th except on Thanksgiving Day when the Mall is closed.

There are nine trains on the layout including

• Thomas & Percy - running on pushbuttons
• Inner Main Line - usually Amtrak
• Outer Main Line - freight or trains members bring in
• Trolley Line from North Conway around the Mountain to the Ski Slope
• Train Around the Mountain - pushbutton
• Harbor Freight Loop
• Harbor Trolley Reverse Line
• Circus Train - pushbutton
• The Ski Lift is also a pushbutton

Mall Opening Time on Friday, November 17 Changed to 5:00pm

The Mall opening time on Friday November 17 has changed to 

5:00pm. This is the “soft opening” for employees and families. It will run until 9pm.

Once the area opens again at 10am on Saturday, the sliding doors will remain open through December 24^th. So it will be the same as in the past when they layout was in one of the “common areas” of the Mall.

Model Train Village Returns to L.L. Bean from Nov 17 to Dec 31

The Model Train Village is returning to L.L. Bean in Freeport from November 17 to December 31. The hours are 9am to 9pm, and it is part of the Northern Lights Celebration

Details can be seen at Northern Lights Celebration

Model Train Village

MGRS Topsham Layout in Brunswick Times-Record on Nov 6th

The G-Scale layout at the Topsham Show was featured on the front page of the Brunswick Times-Record on November 6th.

Here is the first picture in the article:

The article can be viewed at Model Trains Chug Along In Topsham

MGRS Layout at Great Falls Show in Topsham on November 4th

Art Shean brought his portable table, trains, buildings and accessories to Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. The layout has grown to 12' x 20' since it appeared at the Annual Meeting in July.

Banner at the Great Falls Show

Setup began on Friday at 4pm. Art had help from John Middleton, Ben Braithwaite, and several Great Falls club members.

During the event we signed up two new members. Visitors included Doug Johnson, Terry Norton, Jim Jenkins, Ben Braithwaite, Grace Miller, David Blue, Neville Lewis (Sale table), Mike Tarbox, Sam Carr and Scott Gould. Art noted that there were two vendors at the show with G Scale products for sale.

We now have an updated Club Photo Book that includes this summer's layout visits and the Mill Field Festival. Paul Smith's Bagley Mountain and Plant Pot Railway are also included.

Art and Ben handled the move out with help from some Great Falls members.

There were several interesting buildings and layout scenes.

Coaling operation - will be coming the to Mall

Here are two videos from the show

Topsham Trains and Terry with a Handcar

Trolleys on Back and Forth Line

Trackside Loading Platform

Bride and Groom Leaving the Church

Telephone Pole Repair and Tree Removal - very timely!!!!

Container Handling and Shipping - also coming the to Mall

Makenzie's Ski Shack - coming to the Mall for the Cable Car

Jim and Ben hamming it up

Holiday Train Display Setup and Status

Thanks to Terry, here are some pictures from the Mall. We are nearly finished, and will go back in when the Mall is done with their preparation and cleanup.

Here is the front of the main platform, overlooking the Thomas & Percy area on the left. 

Overlooking Downtown

This is a side view of the "Downtown" area. You can see the edge of the Control Area on the right of this picture. There is a lot of ballasting to cover the fuzzy "snow" cloth.

Triangle Motors with the Post Office behind

Here is the Mountain with the Ski Lift on top and a small train running around half way up. Both are operated by buttons.

Mountain with Ski Lift and Train Around

The Campground and Farm are beside the Ski Lift and behind the Mountain. You can see the "Portland Harbor" track and "water" on the right of this picture. The open sides of all the tables will be covered with white cloth to block them off.

Campground and  Farm

Thanks to the crew that worked to set this up. They include Terry Norton, Ben Braithwaite, Art Shean, Dennis Farrell, Norm Waycott, Andy Hendrickson, Jim Jenkins, Carl Churchill and Sam Carr.