Classic Toy Train Display in Peekskill -- by the Half Moon Press

Dec./Jan., 2000 issue

Classic Toy Train Display in Peekskill The Holiday Display of Classic Toy Trains in Peekskill has delighted children and adults with sound, light and motion, since 1997.

Once again, the display will do more than provide free seasonal entertainment. It will make a lasting impact by collecting toys for the US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

Last year the display collected several hundred toys and was recognized by the USMCR for helping fulfill the "dreams of our nation's neediest children."

"Each gift that our visitors bring makes a real difference in the life of a child who might otherwise feel neglected. The trains are our thanks to the community," said Tim Trewhella, the organizer and one of the builders of the display.

The display is located at 21 South Division Street at the intersection of South and South Division Streets, in a space provided by the city. The Grand Opening will be at 6 p.m., December 2, following the city's 5 p.m. tree lighting ceremony at the Gazebo, North Division and Park Streets.

Visitors are invited to drop off new, unwrapped presents during the display's regular hours of operation: Thursdays and Fridays, 6 - 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. -noon and 6 - 8 p.m.; Sundays, noon - 3 p.m. Call 739-7257 for holiday week hours. The display will run through January 14.

Also on board this year is RAF Film, which will present a special one-time matinee of the feature film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad," around the corner at the Paramount Center for the Arts, 1008 Brown Street, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 23. Admission is $7, but $2 discount coupons are available at the display.

The display features Lionel trains and operating accessories from the 1940s and 50s, with some elements dating to the 1920s. "You may see other layouts during the holidays, but no one else runs what we do. They're the same trains your grandfather played with," said the owner of one of the trains, Jim Misewich.

Mr. Misewich supervised the track and electrical work on the layout, and continues to integrate the computerized operation of the post-war trains. He has been a serious Lionel train collector for more than 35 years, and offers free appraisals of Lionel trains during display hours.

The event is sponsored by the Peekskill Improvement District, a civic group which promotes commerce in the city's downtown. "The trains are a bright star in the city's holiday season," said BID president Arnie Paglia.