(The following story by Andrew Schotz appeared on The Herald-Mail website on June 13, 2010.)
HAGERSTOWN — “Hub City” history lives at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, where train layouts replicate the vibrancy of decades past.
The public was invited to watch and reminisce over the weekend during Railroad Heritage Days.
The annual festival is celebrated at the Roundhouse Museum on South Burhans Boulevard and the Hagerstown Railroad Museum in City Park.
Crystal Sprecher, a co-chairwoman of the event, said Hagerstown used to be a point of intersection for several railroads.
“They all met right here,” she said.
Wayne Brady and Muriel Upperman of Glen Burnie, Md., were visiting Hagerstown Sunday and saw signs for Railroad Heritage Days, so they stopped at the Roundhouse Museum.
Brady was impressed with the train layouts, which took him back awhile.
“I had Christmas gardens,” he said, referring to train layouts, “and stuff like that. I haven’t had one for many, many years, so it’s kind of exciting to see it now.”
Brady said he thinks he still has his HO trains. “I haven’t had ’em out for 40 years, I guess,” he said.
The weekend event offered visitors a chance to walk inside cabooses and the cab of the 1912 Western Maryland Locomotive 202.
A Thomas the Tank trackless train shuttled people around.
Ice cream was given away for free.
Outside the Roundhouse Museum, Ricky Pike of Williamsport talked about the relationship between the military and the railroad, which is how tanks and other vehicles often were transported.
“People don’t realize how big of a part it did play, stateside and overseas,” he said.
As a re-enactor, Pike was wearing the uniform of a soldier in the 29th Infantry Division on D-Day.
He had with him a mix of military clothing, gear and weaponry, mostly from World War II and a little from Vietnam.
Pike said he served with the Maryland Army National Guard in Iraq in 2005 and 2006.