GARDEN CITY, Kansas – There are many hobby’s people can have, but only one brings excitement to Harry Putnam and that’s building model train sets.
"Cause I'm the engineer,” Putnam said.
Putnam’s been a model train enthusiast since 1994. He’s won several awards for his layout of them. He does all his own electrical work and customizes the little details he wants to change. The hobby isn’t cheap – he says he’s put in about $15,000 into his set-up so far.
“Whatever your pocket book will afford, that's what you can get,” he said. “You get the cheaper models or you can go into the Cadillac ones, and you're going to get the kitchen sink and everything with that thing.”
One of the highlights of one of his sets is Thomas the Train based on the popular children’s book.
Organizers have put on the Garden City Show for the last six or seven years with the goal of creating a family fun-filled event and hopefully sparking a new appreciation for the joy model trains bring.
“A lot of it's the comradery and just being a kid again,” said Henry Turner, a show coordinator.
The show features about 10 layouts, which can be seen this Saturday and Sunday at the Finney County Fairgrounds. Vendors will also be present selling model trains and supplies.
Tickets cost $4 for adults or $10 for families. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Miles of Smiles.
