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RailFair Show Offers Relaxing Experience With Trains

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 26, 2007

TAMPA - Most of our experiences with trains involve being stopped at crossing gates on State Road 60 between Tampa and Brandon, or along other east Hillsborough County roads, usually during rush hour and often accompanied by a spike in our blood pressure because of the delay.

But another experience with trains was offered at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Dec. 15, the kind more likely to lower blood pressure than raise it. The RailFair Model Train Show drew train enthusiasts and dealers from across the country.

Everyone from wide-eyed children to serious train hobbyists mingled among 320 dealer tables and several detailed and elaborate train layouts. Everything from whole train sets, individual locomotives and cars, books, memorabilia and accessories were available in all sizes, from the large, garden-sized G-gauge to O-gauge, and the most common HO-scale, N-gauge and tiny Z-gauge.

"It was one of the best shows we've had this year," said Bill Hollash Jr., owner of Hollash Trains in Riverview. Hollash, who worked his large setup with the help of his wife, Jean, son Michael and father Bill Senior, credited event organizer Charlie Miller of Virginia with the success of the show.

"He put a lot of effort into this," said Hollash, who's been in the train business for 12 years after working with his dad in chicken farming for 31 years.

"We do O-gauge," Hollash said, "Lionel-sized stuff. We do a lot of mail-order and shows, mainly. I like O-gauge, so that's what we're into."

The layouts were the most eye-popping aspect of the show, with handmade trees, intricately detailed bridges, realistic streams and lakes and buildings painted to appear weatherbeaten and worn.

For information, contact Charles Miller at (703) 536-2954 or rrshows@aol.com.

Valrico resident Frank Shannon can be contacted at FXShannon @aol.com or (813) 546-2282.

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