EnterTrainment Junction 鈥� the West Chester attraction that claims to have held the world鈥檚 largest indoor model train display since 2008 鈥� will close in January.
The 25,000 square foot display shares the history of U.S. transportation since the invention of the steam engine in the 1800s.
Don Oeters, its owner and founder, said the attraction has had some marketing difficulties. For many, the train-themed building off of I-75 remains a mystery beyond its enthusiasm for locomotives.
鈥淧eople still to this day don't know sometimes what we are, what we do, what we have there,鈥� Oeters said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e amazed when they come in.鈥�
A step into the junction transports visitors into a Disney-like train station town. Each of its attractions have their own faux storefront along the indoor cobblestone street: a museum, hobby shop, gift shop, kids jungle gym and play area, indoor circus-themed funhouse and a cafe.
It also houses the most complete collection of marble and marble-related items in the world, and a historical exhibit and miniature replica of the now-closed Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati.
It鈥檚 all set to close in January.
鈥淢y general manager is retiring, and I'm a lot older than him. So I started thinking about maybe an exit plan,鈥� Oeters said.
Bill Balfour is a co-owner and general manager. He said they announced the plans to close early to allow the community a last chance to see it.
鈥淭here's a lot of people that have said, 鈥榃e meant to get to that place,鈥� Balfour said. 鈥淪o we wanted to give them a chance to kind of see the really cool stuff that we have here.鈥�
Balfour has been with the business from the beginning. Hundreds of volunteers have helped build the display, he said.
鈥淚t's a whole lot of people that have put a lot of effort, a lot of love into making it what it is,鈥� Balfour said. 鈥淚 think that's the hardest part when you think about us closing, is these people wanted this to be their legacy. We all did.鈥�
They have buyers interested in the building, but they have yet to find one for the business. But, Oeters said they鈥檝e been talking with someone who might be interested in moving the display to a bigger city.
鈥淚t's too soon to say, but if it happens, I'll feel like I can relax and feel like my child has been able to be reborn,鈥� Oeters said. 鈥淪o, I'm hoping that this will continue.鈥�
200 years of train history, in G scale
Oeters is a lifetime hobbyist and got his first train set as a toddler. Though, until his retirement from owning and running Watson鈥檚 Pool and Spa Co. in 2006, he kept his displays to his basement and garden.
鈥淚 don't golf and I don't ski,鈥� Oeters said. 鈥淚 needed something to do and stay busy. I just couldn't stay home and watch TV.鈥�
A fellow member of the Garden Railway Club planted the idea for the large, indoor display.
鈥淚 said, 鈥楽ure, it'd be fun,鈥� but who would be stupid enough to buy a building for it?鈥� Oeters said. 鈥淭he concept of doing this just started building and I started having more ideas. And, so the dream became a reality.鈥�
About 100 trains peruse its landscapes, camps, villages and cities. It's all in G scale, making the trains 1/27th of actual size, or about the size of a loaf of bread.
鈥淚f you would have been here the first week we opened, it looked good, it was impressive,鈥� Balfour said. 鈥淵ou had big buildings. You had a bunch of little buildings. But over time, they've just kept adding and adding.鈥�
Volunteers design intricate scenes filled with hundreds of 3-inch tall people, each deliberately placed and given a historically accurate back story.
It's separated into three sections, or eras. In the first, river towns and camps host small groups of travelers. Civil War camps highlight trains鈥� integral role in U.S. history.
鈥淢aybe a kid comes in and all they see is the train, and then mom and dad point out, look, the horse is pulling a wagon,鈥� Balfour said. 鈥淎nd the kids learn something probably without even thinking about the fact that they're learning something.鈥�
The second era adds diesel trains and cars. It models coal mining towns and growing metropolitan cities.
In one city scene, a theater advertises Abbott and Costello on its sign.
鈥淪omebody pointed out that Abbott was spelled wrong,鈥� Balfour said. 鈥淚t's supposed to have two Ts and they didn't want to take the sign apart and rebuild it. So instead they just put a little guy on the ladder holding a T and he forever will be sitting there holding the T to add and fix the sign, and it'll never actually be fixed.鈥�
The last section of the display shows modern transportation. A 21st century city is complete with skyscrapers, a subway system and studio apartments with terrace gardens. A wedding party was recently added to one of the roofs.
鈥淭hey're constantly adding stuff. Even though we have announced that we're going to be closing, they wanted to finish their projects,鈥� Balfour said. 鈥淭he day we close, somebody will probably be trying to put something into the buildings so they can take a picture of it and say, 鈥業 did that.'鈥�
Some visitors spend hours admiring the display, he said.
鈥淚f you really get into the details, we have some people come in and are here from when we open at 10 until we close at 6,鈥� Balfour said.
The EnterTrainment Junction will be open for the rest of the year. That includes yearly events, like its Christmas Journey. A visit to Santa鈥檚 workshop in the junction's funhouse grants families access to the elves鈥� workshop, to Mrs. Claus鈥� kitchen and a session with Santa in his study.