BY JANET BERNOSKY, Shore First —
Entering the old train station in Pocomoke City is like stepping back in time to a long-ago Christmas morning, complete with the hum of trains on tracks and a miniature world under the tree that captured the imagination of every child and child at heart.
In the tiny scenes, ladies shop and push baby carriages, children run to greet their friends or deliver newspapers, people skate on ice-covered ponds, animals graze in fields, and men hurry home from work. It all harkens to a bygone time when life was slower and perhaps less complicated.
All this and more has been created in several themed displays built by the members of the Pocomoke Area Model Train Club for the public’s enjoyment.
The club unofficially began in 2015 when a group of like-minded model train enthusiasts put together a holiday display in the city’s old firehouse.
By 2018, members moved their annual display to the Delmarva Discovery Museum, where to this day, it remains a popular part of the Christmas season in Pocomoke.
By April 2020, the group formed an official club and partnered with the city in July of that year to use the train station to feature its layouts on a year-round basis.
The club’s mission is to increase interest in this hobby, as well as expand the public’s knowledge of the history of railroad transportation on the Shore through its displays and memorabilia, the running of model trains, and holding other community events.
One layout currently under construction pays homage to the history of the railroad lines and important stops along the way, from Pocomoke City to Cape Charles.
Members Earl Ludy and Anthony Smith are the lead engineers on the layout, seeking to capture the essence of great railroad towns like Nassawadox and Parksley by incorporating models of some of the key businesses — like Bayshore Concrete, Watson’s Hardware, and the Northampton Lumber Company — that were part of Eastern Shore life over the decades.
The largest layout pays tribute to Pocomoke City, with replicas of familiar landmarks including the drawbridge, the Sturgis School, and the MarVa Theater.
A vignette in this layout shows a tiny white convertible belonging to renowned local radio personality James “Choppy” Layton pulling a trailer housing his gear on his way back to Pocomoke radio station WDMV after a gig.
Many of the buildings in the layouts are built for the club from photographs by Delmar resident Rick Kerwin, while other buildings are antique or vintage from the 20th century.
A Civil War layout with trains was donated by Paul Walker, a Rochester, N.Y., resident, who made the buildings and a unique bridge in that display.
Treasurer Betty Burgert is the club’s only female member. She said she serves as the “chief decorator,” applying all the “finishing touches,” such as pathways, people, flowers, and trees.
“I just love it. It taps into my creative side,” she said.
Burgert also prepares several small layouts throughout the year for the seasons or holidays such as Halloween.
Her love of trains was actually inspired by her grandmother, who decorated the tree, along with a train and village underneath, all on Christmas Eve.
“Then she cooked a big dinner the next day,” Burgert said. “We had a big family, too. I don’t know how she did it.”
Paul Nimmerichter created a layout that harkens back to the 1950s — one that might have been lovingly created in a basement or spare room by a father and son.
While many of the other layouts pay attention to keeping the scale fairly consistent, this one mixes things up.
Nimmerichter describes his layout as a “hodgepodge of everything we could find,” which only adds to its charm.
Proudly displayed on a wall is a photo donated by the twin sons of Bryan Bundick, a Pennsylvania Railroad employee, who clerked and collected tickets at the Pocomoke station from 1936 to 1962.
The members also love to share tidbits of history with visitors.
“Did you know they didn’t make trains during World War II?” asked Club President Paul Becker. He went on to explain that the use of metals was largely reserved for the war effort.
This fall, the club hopes to have a layout finished that will allow the public to bring their own trains to run on a two loop, 0-gauge track, with the option to also run a club train instead.
The club is also hoping to implement a Young Engineers Club around the same time as a way for students to learn more about the hobby and create excitement about it.
“This is important to us, for students to show interest in this wonderful hobby and for us to pass our love for it along to them,” said Becker, who is an educator.
n The club welcomes experienced hobbyists or newcomers to become members. Groups or schools are invited to schedule a visit or field trip by contacting [email protected] or by messaging the club page on Facebook.
