A model train enthusiast who grew up in the northwest Iowa town of Sanborn has donated his large, multi-train display to a museum there.
Rob Balt, curator of Yesterday’s Memories & Truck Museum, says they’re thrilled to take in the extensive exhibit from Michael Johnson, who now lives in West Des Moines.
“His dad worked for the railroad two generations before that, as well,” Balt says. “As he got older, he decided to start collecting Christmas houses, and then he started adding train sets to it, and it kind of expanded and expanded. For about 14 years, he put it up in his house. Well, as he got closer to 80, he decided, ‘I just don’t want to do this every year.'”
Johnson is a 1963 graduate of Sanborn Community High School. He and his wife decided they wanted the display to be available to a larger group than just family and friends. Plus, it had grown to be a huge undertaking.
Balt says Johnson had to make several trips to Sanborn to bring up and assemble the complete display.
“He’s come up here for about three days at a time, and he’s made about seven trips, so quite a bit of time, because it’s on platforms,” Balt says. “He expanded it a little bit and had to cut a few things, and he put a plexiglass divider along the front so the kids couldn’t grab it.”
The museum is hosting a free open house on Wednesday from 5 to 8 PM to promote the new exhibit, and Johnson will be there to answer questions.
(By Patrick Hazelett, KICD, Spencer)