(The Newark Advocate published the following story by L.B. Whyde on its website on August 12.)
VANATTA, Ohio — Bill Lange prepares to go to work by putting on shorts and a CSX railroad T-shirt. He doesn’t have to go far, just to the front of his property outside Vanatta.
As soon as he enters his shop, he goes to his favorite toy, literally. He grabs a large remote with a multitude of buttons and pushes the required combinations to make a model train go around the tracks hanging from the ceiling. Not just any model train, no, this one is a deluxe Lionel Train with rail sounds.
The steam engine makes “chugga chugga” sounds; the air valves pop on and off, the wheels squeal when he puts on the brakes, and smoke curls out of the small smokestack that smells like burning coal.
The whistle is special for Lange. He pauses what he is doing so he can fully enjoy the deep “down-in-the-hollow-of-West Virginia” sound that the whistle on the small train makes.
He especially likes to blow the whistle while the train is traveling through the small tunnel. The sounds resonate around the small shop.
Lange is in heaven. Who wouldn’t be? Lange gets to play with his hobby, which he has had since he was 9 years old. At 68, Lange owns Train Car Ltd., which features Lionel trains, planes and rockets.
The small shop is packed with every item a model railroader would want. There are miniature engines, train cars, drawbridges, hobo hotels, lighted passenger stations and automatic crossing gates.
Between 70 and 80 percent of the business is focused on trains.
“Every day, I’m a kid,” Lange said. “No one demonstrates Lionel like I do. There is nothing like this in the area. Otherwise you would have to go to Columbus, Lancaster or Mansfield.”
The shop used to be the home of Dollhouse Depot, featuring miniatures and operated by Lange’s wife, Beverly.
After 26 years in the business, she retired the first of this year, and Lange took over and remodeled the shop into Train Car Ltd.
Lange has a long history with hobby shops as he opened his first one in the early ’60s on Deo Drive in the Plaza Shopping Center.
Lange retired from Alltel three years ago and decided it was time to devote himself to his hobby.
“Model railroading gives you relaxation,” Lange said. “When (I’m) working a train project, everything else goes out of my mind. It is a stress reliever from everyday troubles.”
Lionel Trains, which is more than 100 years old, has been able to use advancements in technology to produce authentic sounding bells, whistles, brakes and even conversation between engineer and tower. The rail cars can be unhooked with a touch of a button, and 99 different trains can be programmed on one controller.
Lionel realizes that not every hobbyist can afford the $1,500 engines it makes train sets in a variety of prices starting at $160. The Lionel catalog has 152 pages of trains and accessories.
“It is unbelievable what Lionel has done with technology,” Lange said. “I believe that is what has helped make model railroading popular again.”
Train Car Ltd. is on the other side of the railroad tracks that run alongside Ohio 13 toward Utica and St. Louisville.
Sitting alongside the building is an actual railroad car that Lange has been in the process of restoring for many years. With “Newark Panhandle RR” inscribed on the side, the paint is chipped and peeling revealing the rust underneath.
“I bought that because I was a nut,” Lange said. “I am restoring it slowly but surely. I thought when I retired I would have lots of time on my hands, but that’s not so. You’ve got to lose your marbles now and then because it’s fun.”
Lange has been interested in trains ever since he was little. He can remember growing up in the east end of Newark on Oakwood Ave and walking up to the railroad tracks to watch the old steam engines fill up at the water tower.
“The only whipping I ever got from my dad was when he caught me walking up to close to a train,” Lange said. “That is how I got hooked on trains. It’s in my blood.”
Train Car Ltd., is located at 21 Williams Rd, Newark just off of Ohio 13 at Vanatta. The summer hours for the shop is Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 745-2798