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Toy trains fill Holts Summit hotel conference room for fourth year
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By MICHELLE BROOKS
News Tribune
Trains and Christmas are a traditional combination.
For 9-year-old Arthur Kristofik, the tradition began on a Christmas morning when he opened a box with a diesel engine that hauled space-based cars, including the Mercury Red Stone rocket launcher, and a cherry-picker to hoist the astronaut to the door.
Forty-three years later, Kristofik still is fascinated with trains. That's why he's created the Magical Christmas Toy Train Layout at Best Value Inn, Holts Summit.
For several years, Kristofik would move all of the furniture out of his living room to fit four train sets underneath their tree -- one set for each member of the family, he said.
Now, he has a conference room that he's filled with a 16-foot-by-24-foot display through Jan. 15.
This is the fourth year Kristofik has offered the free O-gauge Lionel display. More than 1,000 visitors came through last year.
"This is my hobby," Kristofik said. "But since I have everything, I can set it up to thank the community for its support and give them something extra for the holidays."
Kristofik has a presentation that walks visitors through the five working trains and the 35 animated pieces in about 30 minutes.
With about one mile of electric wires connecting all the intricate details, he even has interactive buttons that visitors can push to make a hot air balloon rise or the depot clerk walk out of the station.
"It gives them a chance to push some buttons -- that's after I explain it's not a toy, it just looks like one," Kristofik said. (But he does build in a master kill switch on his control panel.)
And that's not just for kids, though many little boys have left crying because they didn't want to leave.
"Adults really go goo-goo-eyed for this," Kristofik said. "They don't expect this caliber."
His collection features premium and garden-variety pieces from before and after World War II, and some modern additions.
After four decades of collecting, Kristofik has more engines, cars, and accessories than he could possibly display at one time. So each year, he rotates some of his items by theme -- "to keep it fresh," he said.
The Christmas village -- with approximately 60 buildings more than 20 years old hand-painted by his wife -- remains year to year, though.
This year's theme areas include a backshop service area including a repair shed, a coal loading station and a working transfer table, with neighboring hobos.
Then, there's the energy field with oil rigs, a windmill and a nuclear power plant.
The amusement park is a real visitor-pleaser, Kristofik said. But he always wanted one growing up, so this has been a good excuse to build up his collection of those theme features.
Visitors enter through a walkway blocked by a Kenner Bridge and Girder bridge feature that lifts up on hinges.
And the kids seem to really get a kick out of watching the Royal Mounted Policeman rescue the maiden laying helpless on the tracks.
Kristofik begins set up in September and barely puts the finishing touches on by opening day, the day after Thanksgiving.
But it's the engineering and layout he looks forward to most.
"It's a great stress-reliever," he said. "I've always been a hands-on individual.
"I get to be a little kid again."
mbrooks@newstribune.com
For 9-year-old Arthur Kristofik, the tradition began on a Christmas morning when he opened a box with a diesel engine that hauled space-based cars, including the Mercury Red Stone rocket launcher, and a cherry-picker to hoist the astronaut to the door.
Forty-three years later, Kristofik still is fascinated with trains. That's why he's created the Magical Christmas Toy Train Layout at Best Value Inn, Holts Summit.
For several years, Kristofik would move all of the furniture out of his living room to fit four train sets underneath their tree -- one set for each member of the family, he said.
Now, he has a conference room that he's filled with a 16-foot-by-24-foot display through Jan. 15.
This is the fourth year Kristofik has offered the free O-gauge Lionel display. More than 1,000 visitors came through last year.
"This is my hobby," Kristofik said. "But since I have everything, I can set it up to thank the community for its support and give them something extra for the holidays."
Kristofik has a presentation that walks visitors through the five working trains and the 35 animated pieces in about 30 minutes.
With about one mile of electric wires connecting all the intricate details, he even has interactive buttons that visitors can push to make a hot air balloon rise or the depot clerk walk out of the station.
"It gives them a chance to push some buttons -- that's after I explain it's not a toy, it just looks like one," Kristofik said. (But he does build in a master kill switch on his control panel.)
And that's not just for kids, though many little boys have left crying because they didn't want to leave.
"Adults really go goo-goo-eyed for this," Kristofik said. "They don't expect this caliber."
His collection features premium and garden-variety pieces from before and after World War II, and some modern additions.
After four decades of collecting, Kristofik has more engines, cars, and accessories than he could possibly display at one time. So each year, he rotates some of his items by theme -- "to keep it fresh," he said.
The Christmas village -- with approximately 60 buildings more than 20 years old hand-painted by his wife -- remains year to year, though.
This year's theme areas include a backshop service area including a repair shed, a coal loading station and a working transfer table, with neighboring hobos.
Then, there's the energy field with oil rigs, a windmill and a nuclear power plant.
The amusement park is a real visitor-pleaser, Kristofik said. But he always wanted one growing up, so this has been a good excuse to build up his collection of those theme features.
Visitors enter through a walkway blocked by a Kenner Bridge and Girder bridge feature that lifts up on hinges.
And the kids seem to really get a kick out of watching the Royal Mounted Policeman rescue the maiden laying helpless on the tracks.
Kristofik begins set up in September and barely puts the finishing touches on by opening day, the day after Thanksgiving.
But it's the engineering and layout he looks forward to most.
"It's a great stress-reliever," he said. "I've always been a hands-on individual.
"I get to be a little kid again."
mbrooks@newstribune.com
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