South Elgin: Toys R Us

A kid-sized Percy! 

South Elgin -- On a rainy day, it's always good to know where to find train play tables. For kids, of course, any day is a good day to explore Toys R Us. The train aisle in the South Elgin store is easy to find, thanks to a kid-sized Percy on one end and an "Explore Sodor" hands-on display on the other. The standard retail Thomas play table sits in the middle of the generously-sized aisle. This being a toy store, finding any spot where the kids want to stay put for more than two minutes is a good thing!

Fun for boys of all ages.
(Our resident girl was inspecting art and horse toys.) 

Toys R Us/Babies R Us of South Elgin is located at 486 Randall Road. 

Clintonville Station Revisited

Valley Model Railroad Association, you have a new fan. My family stopped by the group's open house this evening after dinner, as a surprise treat. It was, according to my seven-year old, "the best thing ever." We had attended the open house once before, but it's been a year or two, so it took a few guesses for him to determine where we might be going. It wasn't long before "Is it a train station?" led him to "Oh, is it the one with the model trains inside?" Bingo. We had one happy boy. 

The HO layout of the Valley Model Railroaders fills most of South Elgin's Clintonville Station. Built in 1902, most of the building once held power generating equipment for the area's electrical railroad lines. In the 1950s, the machinery moved out and the club moved in. They've been there ever since, creating an expansive world of track and scenery.

My kids spent at least a happy half-hour staring at the rolling stock ambling through miniature towns, countrysides, and rail yards. True to their personalities, different aspects of the layout intrigued each of my children. The oldest looked for his favorite engines and absorbed the logistics of moving the trains. Miss Middle Child focused on the diorama aspects of the display: details such as curtains in house windows and the path sunbathers must have taken to the beach. The truck-crazy toddler loved seeing any train move past him, but he couldn't understand why the diggers and dumpers weren't actively moving, too. Just when we parents thought we would be able to call it a night and head home, an offer of driving a train was presented. Bedtime had to wait; our young engineer had a train to run. His first experience operating DCC (with sound and lights!) was an unqualified success. Upon arriving home, he brought over a stretch of his Lego train track and began explaining to me why a track can't be too steep and showing me what grade would be best. So, thank you to the Valley Model Railroaders for sharing your hobby with a curious little boy and giving him new ideas for engineering at home. 

South Elgin: Clintonville Station/Valley Model Railroad Association Club

South Elgin -- My household is about to embark on a whole week of of Thanksgiving vacation, which means that finding out-of-the-house things to do with the kids will be a priority for the next few days. One excellent choice for weekend family fun is a visit to the the wonderful old Clintonville Station in South Elgin. What was once a stop on the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railway is now a model railroad haven on the Illinois Prairie Path. The Valley Model Railroad Association, tenants of the building since 1953, will open its' doors to the public this weekend to see the club's HO trains in action. Visitors will even have the chance to run some of the trains and participate in a raffle. The open house runs Friday, Nov. 22 through Sunday afternoon, Nov. 24.  Check the club's website for full details. 

The public is welcome to visit Valley Model Railroad throughout the year, as well. On Friday evenings (with reservations), guests may bring their own trains to run on the club's track. Church or scouting groups, as well as birthday parties, are also welcomed with a tour of the building and railroad activities. Contact the club for information and reservations. 

Clintonville Station is located at 33W519 Kenyon Road 
South Elgin, IL. 

South Elgin: Polar Express ride at An Almost Winter Day

Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With snow on the ground today and Christmas carols playing in the stores, it is now undeniable that ye olde holiday season is upon us. Here in the land of Kids Who Love Trains, that means I should be gearing up for the seasonal delight of many a family: The Polar Express Christmas train ride. These rides, put on by many park districts and other community groups, feature a reading of the popular storybook by Chris Van Allsburg and a visit by Santa. Unfortunately, despite many years as mom to a railroad fanatic, we have never actually participated in any of the dozens of December rides in the area because:

1. I'm a cheapskate frugal manager of my family's financial resources. 
2. Crowds = cranky parents. (Someday my kids may share with therapists the humiliation of being  dressed in matching neon  -- and easy to locate -- outfits whenever we hit the town, but that means I was, in fact, successful in not loosing them amid the mob.)
3. I'm still learning to plan family activities more than 24 hours in advance. 

It's that last point that is the real issue here for anyone wanting to enjoy the Polar Express experience. I would love to give you a full listing of all your Christmas train ride options. Fortunately, that work has been compiled by other sites so all of us can get a jump on our holiday scheduling for 2014 because if you, like me, don't already have tickets in hand for a St. Nick on a train experience, we're probably out of luck. These events are hugely popular and sell out weeks, if not months in advance. Generally, it's just not a "Hey, what should we do this weekend?" kind of activity. Don't despair, though, if someone in your house had their heart set on a festive ride on the rails. For the procrastinators among us, or those who are simply ready to jump into the holiday spirit nice and early, South Elgin has an event to try. 

This Saturday, Nov. 16, South Elgin's SEBA Park will be the site of An Almost Winter Day. Several Christmas-themed activities are planned, including a ride from the Trolley Museum to the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve as a reading of the Polar Express is presented. No reservations are accepted, so plan your afternoon accordingly. Kids and their families will also be able to enjoy activities such as a petting zoo, s'mores making, sleigh rides, and cookie decorating. Santa is expected at 4:30 p.m. and the community's Christmas tree lighting will happen at 5 p.m. at the Footprints in Time Plaza. Everything gets started at 3 p.m. and wraps up with the the tree lighting. 

By the way, as you are making plans for last-minute Christmas activities this year and thinking ahead to next year's calendar, keep in mind that what was once a "Polar Express ride" may become a "Santa train ride." Concerns over copyright infringement mean that groups offering these rides either need to pay royalties (and raise fees) or redesign their program. The show will go on, but the name of the activity may change. 

Also, tickets for the 2014 Polar Express ride at the Fox River Trolley Museum go on sale June 1, 2014!

South Elgin: Pumpkin Trolley (and the very scary Terror Trolley)

The Pumpkin Patch (a few years back)

Crisp fall weather and the gorgeous leaves of the Fox River Valley mean its time for the annual Pumpkin Trolley. This weekend and next, Oct. 12-13 and Oct. 19-20, visitors to the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin can enjoy a stop at the pumpkin patch during the trolley's run from the museum grounds to the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve and back. The trains run from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at regular prices.

A pumpkin to keep!

The museum will also be presenting the spooky side of the season Oct. 19 and 26 with the Ghost Story Train and the Terror Trolley. Just a very few seats remain for the Ghost Story Train, but plenty of brave souls can reserve seats on the Terror Trolley. The Ghost Story Train is appropriate for all ages. Only junior high-age students and older should attempt the Terror Trolley. Check the museum's website for additional details and to reserve tickets. Tickets for both events are $13.20 per person for all ages and will be available to pick up on the evening of the event. S'mores are included at both programs!

Here's a post I wrote last year about Trolley Fest at the Fox River Trolley Museum. 

South Elgin: Fox River Trolley Museum

A sign from local rail lines of the past. 

Stops included the

"Yeoman City of Childhood."

Red trolley! Trolley rides begin at the "Castle Muir" station
and gift shop at the north end of the property. 

Ooh, new velvet seats!
Keep your hands and heads inside the train, kids.

Waiting for the return train at the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve

Our brave girl and her dad on the hand car

Our family usually makes at least one trip to South Elgin's Fox River Trolley Museum each year. We often go in the fall for the Pumpkin Trolley, and many friends have made it a destination for their Polar Express Christmas program or other special events. This year we went during Trolley fest for the special treat of seeing and riding a handcar. For the fest, which was held concurrently with South Elgin's other RiverFest activities, the museum had extra rolling stock out for rides. We rode a car from the early twentieth century for the first leg of our journey along the Fox River, enjoyed the handcar and the beautiful scenery of the Jon Duerr forest preserve and then returned to the museum grounds via a Chicago CTA car. On the museum grounds, the kids enjoyed exploring other open cars and rail equipment. Some of collection is waiting for the time and resources for renovation, so there are a few cars that aren't much to look at, but the restored cars, the Fox River location and the knowledgeable volunteers always make it a pleasant outing. Be sure to watch for the Wood Cliff flag stop on the west side of the tracks during your ride.

Herself with the "new" train

Taking a look at the inside of a caboose

Some final words of wisdom