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NEW CASTLE, NY — The best holiday traditions tie us to the past in a way that is more immediate than the lessons found in history books. A new, but quickly building, holiday tradition at the two-century-old Horace Greeley House also relies on a few tricks from the modern world (and a bit of magic from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter).
It’s “full steam ahead” for The Great Holiday Train Show at the New Castle Historical Society, back for a third year. The holiday tradition delighted families from all around in its first two years, and is now even bigger and better than before.
This year’s show features new additions, including magical Harry Potter LEGO scenes of the Hogwarts Express, Platform 9¾, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A custom-made holiday tree train that is over six feet tall, with six trains running on six levels, is met with “oohs and aahs” normally reserved for circus acts and fireworks displays.
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Exploring the historic 19th-century summer residence of Horace Greeley festively decorated for the holidays is a holiday treat in it’s own right, but the passionately crafted train display makes this special museum a special outing, even for kids, young and old, who aren’t especially impressed by louvered lunettes.
And likewise, the delight evident on the faces of kids and model train enthusiasts will be treasured even by those of us most interested in stepping back in time to a Victorian era holiday.
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“It’s a wonderful day trip for those seeking a break from the hustle and bustle — there is not another train show to match the combination of convenience, community, and charm we offer,” New Castle Historical Society President Georgia Frasch explained. “The Horace Greeley House opens a window into a different time and a special part of New Castle’s history and local identity, meant to be enjoyed and experienced by our community. Especially this time of year, we are so pleased to bring back one of the most classic holiday activities that connects with every generation.”
Frasch told Patch that the annual event helps The New Castle Historical Society achieve that mission in ways both seen and unseen. The Great Holiday Train show provides a natural opportunity to open the doors to schools, special needs and senior groups for private tours, exposing those who might not otherwise have an opportunity to explore a key facet of local and national history.
The funds raised from ticket sales have also proven essential for other initiatives that bring local history alive in classrooms and help the group to preserve and raise awareness about the irreplaceable relics that surround us, Frasch explained.
All of the train displays are maintained and assembled by train enthusiasts with over 70 years of combined experience in their trade. They have been avid train hobbyists since Santa gifted them their first trains and love passing this joy to the next generation — and just when it seems the mission is accomplished, they outdo themselves.
The job is made even more challenging because of the historically significant venue. All the trains and holiday lights are battery-powered in part because running extension cords from the home’s limited power outlets simply wasn’t a viable option.
The new LEGO Train Display features over 10,000 LEGO bricks and pieces built over 25 man-hours. Visitors are transported to a holiday village scene with a scale model passenger train passing by a winter cottage, restaurants and hotel with street cars, an ice skating rink, and even Santa’s wonderland. Perhaps most popular are the Harry Potter scene selections of Hogwarts Castle, the Hogwarts Express, Platform 9¾, and The Shrieking Shack.
The popular NYC display featuring scale models of the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station and the Hells Gate Bridge has a few new elements this year, including the Statue of Liberty, the Twin Towers and Thomas the Tank Engine and James the Red Engine riding through the Empire City.
Perhaps the crown jewel of the show is an original 1960 D-290 Lionel dealer display layout. Most of these layouts have been lost to history, but this rare find passed through two train collectors before landing in Great Train Show producer Chris Fresiello’s hands. The lovingly restored display went through 20 hours of disassembly, cleaning, wiring and reassembly.
Fresiello has been an avid rail fan since the age of five. He is the artist behind that bespoke holiday train tree that illicits gasps of delight from visitors.
Fresiello said he became fascinated with trains since Santa brought him his first Lionel train set as a small child. That love of model trains (and an unfortunate interaction with an unscrupulous dealer) ultimately led him to the Lionel factory in Ohio with Tom Vitkowski (of Tom’s Trains in Ardsley) to become authorized repairmen.
Michael McNamee, a commercial banking attorney by day, train hobbyist by night, and an avid rail fan since the age of nine, tends to the trains during the show. He built the LEGO display with the help of his son. The model train aficionado created his own YouTube channel called “Kisco Falls Railroad” (with over 200 videos) and Instagram page during the pandemic. Which is good news for the rest of us who now get to enjoy the fruits of his obsession.
Whether the goal is exploring history or indulging in a little “childish” fantasy, The Great Holiday Train Show is a budding Hudson Valley holiday tradition that will likely still be connecting future generations to us long after our time becomes history.
The museum gift shop will be open to find the perfect gift for your “trainiac” friends and family members. Just, maybe, don’t hand out the train whistles until after the car ride home.
The train show will run until Jan. 7. Tickets can be purchased here.
The New Castle Historical Society is located at 100 King St. in Chappaqua, just a five-minute walk from the train station.
On Saturday, Dec. 17 (rescheduled date), you will be able to pair a visit to the train show with a stroll through cozy Chappaqua. Santa will be there for visits, along with ice sculptures, delicious food and holiday shopping. There will be a tree lighting at the Greeley House at the end of the evening.
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