The Bull Moose Line may soon be chugging into Sunset Hill Farm County Park.
The Porter County parks board agreed on Thursday to continue discussions with the Illiana Garden Railroad Society about setting up shop at the park after the closure of Samuelson’s Garden Center left the society and its G-scale railroad with nowhere to go.
Park board members and society members will figure out where the best place at the park is for the railroad’s permanent display, but the society said it would like to locate at the park by the summer.
“I think it very much fits in with the concept we’ve developed for Sunset Hill to be a venue for people to come for family-friendly events,” said Walter Lenckos, parks superintendent.
Society President David Ransom said the group had a permanent display at Samuelson’s for the past several years but had a portable model train unit it brought to Sunset Hill years ago.
“It was a great location, and we feel we would benefit there a great deal,” he said before going into a few details about the model railroad’s specs, which include a pond and a waterfall, the town of Franville, a farm, a baseball game, and a host of small vignettes, including a deputy at an accident.
The railroad display requires water and electricity, as well as a security fence since the display is kept out all winter, though the buildings and trains are put in storage. The society also would need a storage shed.
The society runs the railroad on Saturdays from May through the end of September, Ransom said, and hosts Thomas the Tank Engine and other special events, as well as playing railroad-themed music.
“There would be weekends now and then when you would have to tone the music down because other people would be using the park, but otherwise I’m for it,” said board member David Canright.
In other business, a baseball team in uniform came to thank the board for hosting the team at Sunset Hill for the past few years.
While it wasn’t the Chicago Cubs, members of the vintage team the Sunset Hill Colonels, which includes Lenckos, were at least as gracious.
“We came primarily to say ‘thank you’ to the park board for what you’ve done to support and promote this endeavor,” said team member Mitch Peters, adding that the team, which is putting together its schedule for next year, wants to encourage more people to come out to the park and see the team play at Sunset Hill. “It’s a wonderful facility, and all the teams that have come to play have really enjoyed themselves at your park.”
Additionally, Lenckos said postcards should be arriving at 5,000 randomly selected Porter County households about a survey for updating the department’s comprehensive master plan.
Recipients can answer the survey online, on the phone or on paper. The results will be presented at the board’s January meeting.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
