A Model Railroader Retired from his nearly 40-year career with the railroad, Larry Wright continues his connection to the railroad world by spending countless hours in his Topeka basement painstakingly putting together an impressive model railroad, including Santa Fe business, freight and passenger cars. “The most fun was putting everything together,” says Wright, “but the most gratifying thing about this hobby is sharing it with others and reminiscing.” Neighbors, friends and relatives, sometimes with kids and grandkids in tow, often come to Wright’s home to see the locomotives zip around the track as Wright pushes control buttons to make the magic happen. “I love seeing people’s reactions to the railroad,” he says. “And I like to see other people’s railroads and check out what the competition’s been up to. We all like to pick up pointers and see what we might want to add to our own displays.” Wright likens the competitive, collaborative nature of a serious model railroading to an incurable fever and meets monthly with members of a model railroad club. Wright muses that the majority of the club’s members became smitten with railroad nostalgia not because they worked on the rails, but because they received a toy train set as youngsters. “Some of them envy those of us who worked on the railroad, but they’ve got the fever all the same,” confirms Wright, noting that club meetings at Ward-Meade Park often entail programs about train adventures and tips for the avid collector. Though pleased with his expansive collection, Wright says, “I’ve got plenty, but I still just go crazy for it. I keep my options open because I never know when I’m going to find the next piece.”
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