At Highland Park Public Library, the celebration of Halloween was set to the rhythm of the rails and the clickety clack of a train rumbling along the track of the Halloween Railroad.
Families were invited to stop in for this one-day free event to watch a Halloween-themed model train on its journey to Spookytown, as it made its way bringing many Halloween scenes and figures to life.
Library organizers say the program was presented by North Central ‘O’ Gaugers Model Railroad Club, and has been a traditional favorite of kids programming for many years.
“I think it’s just fun for families to bring their kids, to dress in costume, check out model railroads, and put themselves in a Halloween state of mind,” said Beth Keller, Highland Park Public Library marketing specialist.
Although the Halloween Railroad is a long-standing event, it was not held in 2019 due to library remodeling, and also canceled in 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Tyler Lang attended with family on Oct. 30.
“My son loves trains and this is such a great way for us to celebrate Halloween together on a Saturday afternoon,” Lang said.
Vern Lappe, special runs director of the North Central ‘O’ Gaugers Model Railroad Club, brought the train to the library for the event.
Lappe says once you are hooked on trains, you’re just hooked.
For him, it all started for him 15 years ago when he set up his first electric model train under his Christmas tree.
According to Lappe, the group does four or five community-themed railroad runs each year, featuring special trains.
“It’s a fundraising effort and we raise about $2,000 for our club each year doing these area library visits,” Lappe said.
Mahsa Zadah and her family from Glenview attended Saturday.
“I did a Google search for a fun Halloween event for the kids and this was really a unique choice for us,” Zadah said.
Melaina Maraldi, youth services librarian, says train displays are a much-loved attraction and capture the imagination of kids and also have multigenerational appeal.
“Bringing families in for the event, actually increases library circulation, and we’ve paired this train event with youth book displays featuring books on Halloween and books on trains,” Maraldi said.
Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter.
