Model trains may be child’s play, but don’t tell that to Bernie Callen, his brother-in-law Marty Horning, or Callen’s nephew and Horning’s son, Mat Horning.
The three are responsible for the largest model train layout in New Jersey and probably the largest in the United States. The layout, 185.5 feet in length and an average width of 30 feet, is located on the third floor of a 120,000 square-foot warehouse building in Paterson owned by Callen and the senior Horning. The warehouse was once the home of the Rogers Locomotive and Steam Works, a 1800s-era company that built more than 6,000 locomotives during its heyday.
Callen is a Jersey City native whose family operated Callen Photo Mount on Danforth Avenue for 60 years until it closed in 2001.
The layout is the largest in New Jersey.
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All three are also founders of the NJ Hi-Railers Club, with 40 members who pay an annual fee for 24-hour access to “Silk City” and to store their own train sets. The layout is a $2 million endeavor, much of it financed by Callen and his brother-in-law with help from club members.
All aboard
Recently, Callen held an open house so the public could see the “Silk City” layout. The young and old were entranced as the railroads of yore came to life.
The layout is structured in three sections: the Southern Division with a large passenger terminal and a four-track subway system; a Central Division containing five mainlines and numerous crossovers, and the Northern Division made up of large yard with steam and diesel servicing facilities.
There are also smaller layouts that allow the public to operate trains by remote control.
Callen said the layout that exists started about 10 years ago when his nephew Mat took an interest in model trains. Soon his father and uncle got involved.
“We used to go to train shows and people would have modular layouts, and we got friendly with these people,” Callen said. “And we let them know that we have extra space here to run them and repair them, and they took us up on the offer.”
That began the layout that exists today as well as creating a place for railroad aficionados to view memorabilia and collector trains, such as a Blue Comet model train that appeared in a famous episode of the TV gangster drama, “The Sopranos.” The charcter Bobby Baccalieri fell on the model train after he was shot by rivals.
The group also recently acquired a 120-by-7-foot control panel used at Grand Central Terminal from 1986 to 2008, which is still being installed.
Upcoming open houses for “Silk City,” located at 185 Sixth Ave. in Paterson are March 21, April 25, and May 16. Shows are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a $7 admission fee for adults and $2 for children under 12. Children under 5 are free. For more information, contact the club at 973-925-2390 or visit njhirailers.com.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.