SANTA SAYS >>>>

There are some hobbies better kept to yourself. You know, the ones you do alone in your castle late at night. And then there are some truly cool hobbies, like model railroads. These should be celebrated and dragged out in the open for all to admire. Which is why the 16th Annual Model Train Festival, downtown Tacoma's biggest model railroad exposition (taking into account, of course, the relatively small size of the subjects at hand because they are, of course, models), is being held Dec. 26-Jan. 1, instead of like, a half-hour. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy every floor of the Washington State History Museum filled with operating modular layouts.

These local clubs are providing model train layouts: 4D PNR HO Modular Group, 4D NTRAK Group, Mount Rainier N-Scale, Pierce County Lionel Club, Tacoma Northwestern Model Railroad Club, and Boeing Employees Model Railroad Club. Plus, the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers will be on hand to operate their masterpiece-the largest permanent model railroad layout in the state. Washington Operation Lifesaver, a program dedicated to preventing and reducing accidents at highway-rail grade crossings, will have an information booth set up at the event.

But remember to look both ways before crossing, and keep your pennies to yourself. 

[Washington State History Museum, Monday, Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $6-$8, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272. 9747]

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