Swap meet puts kids on the right train collecting track
Filed Under Kitchen Curtain | Posted on April 17, 2008
To celebrate the birthday, his father,Kitchen Curtain Rick Redman drove the 55 miles from Peru to Lafayette for a model railroad swap meet at First Church of the Nazarene.
“I used to collect trains when I was his age,” Redman said. “I kind of got out of it as I got older. But now that I’ve got somebody else a little more interested in it, we’ve gone to several train shows recently.”
They ended up leaving with a few cars for Collin’s new train set waiting at home. “I haven’t got it set up yet,” the birthday boy said.
About 250 people showed up for the show, organized by Edward Melshen. “I’m a semi-retired farmer who’s been collecting toy trains since 1950,” he said.
It’s the second such event he’s organized in as many years. “I’m a little disappointed at the turnout,” Melshen said, noting the show was heavily advertised.
Cold rainy weather could have kept some people away. But for die-hard model train lovers, there’s no such thing as bad weather.
Everything from train books, and model railroad cars to toy cars, assorted children’s toys, toy tractors and even real life railroad artifacts were available.
A.J. Dunk of Rossville had a set of authentic crossing lights for sale for $100.Kitchen Curtain “A friend of mine got these lights and gave those to me.”
Dunk also had a real crossing bell he bought at an auction. It didn’t sell. “I have a full railroad signal at home. So I’ll probably put the bell back on it at home.”
Gary Smith of Boswell brought his grandson, Tanner Boes, 6, of Lafayette to the swap meet.
Tanner likes trains “because they run very fast.” The boy has a set in his own room that he plays with every day.
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