All aboard! Choo, choo!
Swanson’s model train is steaming around the track for the holiday season. This year, our train has traveled far back in time to the prehistoric age and we have gone all out to make it spectacular. It’s a fantasy world where dinosaurs roam the land with some of your favorite characters: Scooby-Doo, the Peanuts Gang, Hobbits, and more.
Have you ever seen a T-Rex donning a holiday hat? How about Shrek and Donkey chilling in a bog with water lilies and an Elasmosaurus? Look, there’s Elsa and Olaf waving from the snowy hillside! Can you hear the train’s whistle? These sights, sounds, and surprises are waiting for you and your family to discover in this year’s landscape.
Our team has imagined and created magical model train landscapes for over 20 years, each year with a different theme. It’s our favorite way to share the magic of the holiday season with kids and those who are kids at heart. Past themes have included “Frozen Wonderland, the PNW, Star Wars, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It’s no surprise that the holiday train is a cherished attraction at Swansons. What’s not to love?
For our “Dinosaurland” train, we started construction of the train in late summer and it’s been quite a journey watching the transformation from a bare plywood platform into a mossy tropical jungle filled with dinosaurs and fun characters. The train platform measures 10 feet wide by 30 feet long. That’s a lot of space to fill!
It’s been a year of firsts for us in terms of train construction as well, incorporating an “active” volcano, more aerial elements, sound effects, and faux cliffs and waterfalls. The tunnel and waterfalls were a challenge. We learned to sculpt with Styrofoam, creating casts of plaster rocks, then painting the details. The volcano is actually hollow, allowing for a small fan and a light bulb to be installed inside and creating the effect of spewing lava.
We hope you and your family enjoy our train this year. Be sure to grab a dinosaur activity booklet when you visit. You’ll find puzzles, games, and even a dinosaur cookie recipe inside. You can also access all of the fun activities online and see more train photos by clicking below.
What should our theme be next year? Let us know in the comments or on social media using #heyswansons!