The Big Train Project

This Winter Mix Indoor and Outdoor Fun With Your Kids

December 7, 2022

When winter weather arrives it is tempting to completely change all of your activities and do everything indoor. It makes sense. After all, freezing temperatures are uncomfortable on the skin. It makes sense to stay where it is comfortable. However, children need to move and be active. Besides, people live and even thrive in cold […]

Include a Museum in Your Thanksgiving Family Plan

November 8, 2022

This Thanksgiving it will be time once again to invite your family together under the same roof. And thanks to vaccinations and other mitigation efforts, COVID is less of a concern than in the past few years. It’s time for a big Thanksgiving. But when you gather all the family together for part of the […]

#174 – October Status Report

October 27, 2022

Crossing Gate Repair This month’s report details the work done to repair the crossing gates located at two road-track crossings in EnterTRAINment Junction’s (EJ’s) Modern City (one pair across from the restrooms and the other pair across from the entrance to the Display Area).  The first pair of gates appeared on the layout in March […]

Give Your Child Practice Being Independent

October 4, 2022

Whether in the grocery store, in the neighborhood, or at a museum or other outing, your child is always wanting to explore the boundaries of their freedom. Your job as a parent is not to protect them from everything. Nor is it to expose them to risky situations and hope they survive. Instead it is […]

Grandma’s Magic Purse

September 5, 2022

The kids were talking to each other as they followed their family past an exhibit they had visited earlier. Apparently they were getting ready for the trip home at the end of a day at Entertrainment Junction. Somehow, they seemed to be eagerly awaiting the car ride home. “I wonder what’s in Grandma’s magic purse,” […]

#173 – August Status Report

August 4, 2022

This month’s report details the work done to repair the EnterTRAINment Junction’s (EJ’s) Inclined Railway and return it to operation. EJ’s Inclined Railway, or Incline for short, is located behind the Roundhouse in the EJ layout’s Middle Period (Figure 1).  Its purpose is to provide passenger access between the lower level Engine Servicing Facility and […]

Build Outdoor Time Into Your Museum Visit With Kids

August 2, 2022

In the summer, kids get a lot of necessary outdoor time. It’s easy to run outside when you don’t need a jacket, and easy to find time when the sun shines all day. They are eager to run outside because they need that time, and you need to plan for that. On your next museum […]

Kids Love Model Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

July 5, 2022

It’s not a mystery that kids love models of all kinds. Trains, planes, and automobiles. Dolls, action figures, miniature people and any creatures that can be imagined. Small homes, small towns, small roads. All of it. The reasons for this are clear: their imaginations are building worlds all the time, and model toys help them […]

Help Your Kids Develop a Sense of Wonder This Summer

June 6, 2022

You’ve seen the ads: two smiling kids, happily carrying their backpacks, all look in the direction that their grandfather points. Together they laugh and almost skip off in the direction of the next exhibit. But you also have lived the reality. Traveling with kids can be a challenge. Car rides and a change of routine […]

#172 May Status Report

May 2, 2022

This month’s report shows the most recent addition to the EnterTRAINment Junction (EJ) layout.  It’s a new house planted in the former party grounds (Figure 1) located between the parking lot for the Modern City’s central subway station and the series of residences along the EJ aisle toward the Lift Bridge.  This house is very […]

Help Your Kids Stay Healthy and Safe While Traveling This Summer

Kids and colds seem to be fast friends. Whether it is cold and flu season; back-to-school season, spring, or well, any time of the year, it seems our children can bring home any germ at any time. And while it seems they have been spared the worst effects of COVID, there is still evidence that […]

Help Your Children Have an Enjoyable Car Trip

April 18, 2022

Long car rides can be a parent’s nightmare. Whether it’s a spring break trip to a favorite vacation spot, or a long ride to see the relatives at the holidays, hours together in the car can lead to frustration, exhaustion, and isolation. Here are some tips to help your family avoid extremes on their next […]

#171 March Status Report

February 28, 2022

This month’s report is about the rework of the ball signal that operated at the turntable end of the town of Riverbend in the EnterTRAINment Junction (EJ) layout’s Early Period.  It’s another example of how the EJ modelers use electro-mechanical design concepts to create operating models for the layout.  Also, this report provides documentation of […]

Enjoy the Hocking Valley via Steam Train

February 16, 2022

Train enthusiasts and visitors to Entertrainment Junction might not be surprised to learn that Ohio is a great place to learn about and observe trains. From Cleveland to Cincinnati, Ohio’s access to water and land transportation has made it a central part of America’s trade and our growth from east to west. Fortunately, these investments […]