The Big Train Project

#96 April Status Report

April 6, 2015

April 06, 2015 This is the second in a series of articles describing the work the EJ volunteers are doing to prepare for the installation of an interior for first floor of the Middle City’s Grand Hotel.  This interior will include a lobby, a main staircase, and a restaurant.  Last month’s article addressed the furniture […]

15 Cincinnati Spring Break Things To Do!

March 31, 2015

If you’re staying in or traveling to Cincinnati for this year’s Spring Break, there are plenty of things to see and do! 1. Go see a movie! Many local movie theaters have bargain ticket prices on Tuesdays? Springdale Cinemas offers tickets for $7.50, Kenwood and Esquire theaters are $6, and at Danbury theaters in Cincinnati Mills, Eastgate and […]

#95 March Status Report

March 5, 2015

The MVGRS team of EJ volunteers recently completed the upgrading of the lighting in the buildings in Middle Period City.  As we did this, we noticed that some of these buildings, especially those facing the large locomotive wheels across the aisle from the city, begged to have interior detail added to their ground floors.  The […]

Does This Look Like a Paper Airplane?

March 3, 2015

  Well it’s a paper airplane … in 1/32 scale!  That means it’s about 18” long!  Don’t believe it?  You can see for yourself and several others like it all made by one man! These will be on display at the 6th Annual Model Engineering Show hosted by EnterTRAINment Junction the weekend of March 7th and 8th.  […]

Would You Ride a Train This Small?

February 3, 2015

Balmer Locomotive Works (BLW – not to be confused with the Baldwin Locomotive Works which turned out a few more locomotives.) Chuck Balmer, a retired electrical engineer and resident of Urbana, Ohio has a growing collection of operating model locomotives in ¾” scale. They run on 3½” gauge track (that’s 3½” between the rails – […]

#94 February Status Report

Like last month, this month’s report will be a look back at the history of one of the scenes on the EnterTRAINment Junction (EJ) layout, showing how it has evolved over the years.  The choice this month is the “Modern Yard,” the last scene a visitor comes to before exiting the layout.  This too was […]

EnterTRAINment Named Best Amusement Center in Cincinnati

January 27, 2015

This year EnterTRAINment Junction won the 2014 Best Of Parenting, Best Amusement Center Award! Everything from Best Burger to Best Orthodontist in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky was voted on. Just behind us were our friends Kings Island and Lazer Kraze! So a BIG thank you to everyone who came out and had fun with us this […]

We’re Upgrading!

January 20, 2015

We’ve started upgrading our system, if you keep up with The Big Train Project, then you are up to date with all the additions and changes to the TOP of our train layout…but what’s going on underneath? I took a trip inside our mountains to meet Brian Kienlen, the head guy behind our system upgrades! The […]

#93 January Status Report

January 14, 2015

The Big Train Project Status Report (Part 93) This month’s report will be a bit different from previous reports.  It will be a look back at the history of just one of the scenes on the EnterTRAINment Junction (EJ) layout, showing how it has evolved over the years.  The choice of a scene for this […]

4 Gluing Alternatives Train Table DI

January 13, 2015

To Glue or Not to Glue? We get asked daily what is the best way to secure your wooden track pieces to your train table. I usually recommend wood glue, IF you are dead set on having them be secured for good, BUT there are other options and better ways that will keep your child’s interest […]