Planes and Trains event returning to Museum of Aviation

In Middle Georgia, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Planes and Trains at the Museum of Aviation.

Every year during the week of Thanksgiving, the Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club and the Museum of Aviation team up for a week of Planes and Trains with large layouts of model railroads in the Century of Flight building.

With more planes added in the Century of Flight building this year and over a half mile more of model railroad track, this year's Planes and Trains will be the biggest one yet.

"We have actually had to tighten up our displays some because of the increased airplanes in the building, so they won't be as spread out," Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club member Ken Joyner said.

The club's large module display will be back as well as other popular HO scale and N scale layouts. The huge Christmas display will be back after a year's absence.

"It is just beautiful," Joyner said. "It is an entire winter town complete with snow and all with an HO train running through it."

Thomas the Tank Engine will be back on an HO layout, and more of Thomas' friends have been added.

All in all, there will be more than 10 miles of model railroad track.

"We have people that start asking in February if we are going to be back," Joyner said.

"It is quite a Warner Robins, Middle Georgia tradition."

While the large module track is owned by the club, the smaller layouts are owned by individual members, which lead to a lot of surprises -- even for other club members.

"Everyone who owns a layout does their own upkeep and changes whatever they want to change or adds buildings. So it is always fun for the club members to see what an individual has done to their layout as well," Joyner said.

One layout that Joyner knows has undergone a lot of change is the popular circus display, which has doubled in size this year.

"The circus itself has changed and the layout for the train, which will be better for viewing," said Joyner, who also mentioned that the circus has 100 elephants in the display.

While some of the layouts might evoke memories of days gone by -- like the 1950s drive in -- this isn't your grandfather's train layout. Most of the trains are controlled by radio, and some are even controlled by smartphones.

The Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and holds a public meeting at the IHOP restaurant, 2710 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins, on the third Tuesday of every month. Anyone interested in learning more about model railroads is invited to attend.

For more information on the club visit its web site at www.mgmrc.org or address questions to email info@mgmrc.org.

Planes and Trains will be held Saturday through Nov. 29, every day except Thanksgiving and will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Planes and Trains is free to the public. The first weekend of the event will include other exhibits from the Southeastern Railroad Museum, Operation Lifesaver and vendors will everything from train T-shirts to wooden alphabet trains for sale.