Winter Wonderland
Manassas Candy factory train show 2015
(Running Standard Gauge)
The building and operating of the trains at the Manassas Candy Factory is a team effort. Much planning goes into the setup months before hand. What can we do different? What radius of train will fit where? Where should the Standard gauge table top layout go? Setup occurred Monday afternoon with 15 NCTers on hand. Lots of pushing and sliding of modules, measurements and calculating the fits. Team effort completely. Changes were made and wiring adjusted. Tuesday was tweak day if anything needed it. Wednesday at 5pm we were up and running for a marvelous 5 day run of playing trains at the old Manassas Candy Factory.
The squall of a little boy and his sister every time the old Lionel gateman comes out of his shack will carry my heart a long way over the next snowy winter months. The little baby held close to mommy seems to respond to the clatter on the rails. Frank’s candy factory disgorging 1800 M&M’s one at a time to the thrill of the kids…will lay sweet on my mind, particularly this year when none of my kids are home here.
A two year old had so much excitement touching a huge standard gauge car in front of him. I asked if he wanted to help me put some trains on the track. I partially opened the train box on the floor and the closed it with a snap and hollered “OH Trains!” the little fella jumped back, then grabbed the top and tossed it across the floor and pulled out a passenger car with both hands. Momma gasped… not to worry sez I; this is gonna work. The boy got the car on top of the track but struggled, as we all do, with the sloppy flex-trucks of American Flyer standard gauge. The train was built in 1926, the second year after AF tried to break into the standard gauge market. Those trucks don’t like to set right on the tracks. Momma reached down to help her son set the car straight and between them, the consist was all on the track and they are hooked on the toys I say!
Many times as the kids ran everywhere, I asked the parents who was gonna nap this afternoon. ALL parents hoped they could, along with the kids.
Several wonderful comments for returning families: “We were here when he was so high” “Clem, your location is different every year” ”I like this arrangement the best.” “Free train magazines? WOW! Oh look this was published the month/year I was born!!” And the best: “We’ll be back next year to visit the trains at the old Manassas Candy Factory.”
You be there as well…
Merry Christmas everyone. It seems Santa was away visiting our men and women in harms way. May be next year, I pray, we will have peace in the world and safe travels for Santa.
For an unknown reason a full size fako steam loco rolled up outside the Candy Factory. I hear it is on eBay and can be yours. It was made of plywood, drain and water pipes canvas, and imagination. I loved it.
A young girl was reaching to touch a train on the inside loop and her Mother reached to grab her hand. At that moment the AF night flyer was ahead of schedule and rumbled past. Two trains can’t operate in the same place at the same time. The wreck was a glorious scattering of tin. No damage done and schedules were met OT.
I play with Standard gauge trains primarily. For the show we ran the following STG trains:
STOMPER and his trailer “The Verdant Detector.” Hope Danielson witnessed the detector detent verdantcy so the show was TCA approved.) (Late Christmas Eve did you see the silhouette of STOMPER passing the full moon? He was the Middle East flying top cover for Santa who was delivering presents and love to the believers who still reside there.
Orange Suede whose Lionel #402 loco was caught smoking. Everyone knows an electric loco don’t smoke!
Chromed repro #51 hauling 2 X 29 day coaches, one of which my Mother and I painted 70 years ago.
Sequestration (AKA magic train) wowed the crowd with his ability to change from a rusty consist to a perfectly finished train at the flick of my hand.
Rare 1926 American Flyer first year 3 car passenger set in dark green
Hope’s Lionel #8 and 2 olive pax cars.
George Tsakiris’ new dark blue 400E and 4X 400 series cars. Stunning set. (First time on the tracks) George hadda handle the train with special white gloves given to him by some DV I forget the name of. (He was happy he did not get the gloves dirty!)
Ed’s Beavers’ 2 X Classic trains’ steamers and McCoy freights. Ed drove 94 miles each way to Manassas to set up the layout on Monday and again on Sunday to play trains and takedown his track. That’s dedication! Thanks Ed!
Lionel 390E with 310/312 pea green consist.
3X custom extended pax cars pulled by a Lionel black 392E
Big Brass, who is set up for and pulled the AF set. He melted his e-unit during the pull.
Tubby ran with a short consist. He draws very little power and is made of Tupperware parts and a Classic Trains’ motor.
CX work rail car and trailer
Green over orange local trolley powered by a KTM motor.
Ed’s TCA silver STG anniversary four car set
Carl’s double headed Lionel 384’s in Christmas sets. A beaut!
Jim Gray’s 611 set flew around the O gauge layout to the delight of Thomas, Dennis Gill’s son, had been asking for a 611 sighting at the show.
We all experienced a wonderful time for us and the 2141 visitors we had to the Winter Wonderland event at the Manassas Candy Factory, 2015.
Clem Clement
