Larry Causey reported on the show in the Temple Daily Telegram.

A good crowd, fascinating model train layouts and wall-to-wall vendors filled the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center on Saturday, for the 22nd annual Temple Model Train Show.

“It’s turning out to be a real good show,” Bill Lancaster, show chairman for Central Texas Area Model Railroaders, said. “The vendors seem to be doing fairly well.”

About 2,000 people came to the show last year, he said. CentraMod sold 63 tickets in the first 30 minutes Saturday.

Vendors offered model train equipment of every size and description, along with books, videos and T-shirts. Huge, detailed model train layouts drew streams of onlookers.

The winner of a portable model train layout will be drawn, an hour before the show closes today. The show runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 and $4 for senior adults. Active duty military and their dependents get in free today.

Josh Chlapek, 23, who graduated from Temple High School in 1999, started coming to the model train show about 15 years ago. Chlapek, now living in Denton, had his G-gauge layout set up Saturday in one of the side rooms.

Chlapek said he started in model trains with a circle on a table. His layout now is too big for a garage or living room. Saturday, he had an outer loop with two inner loops, and three trains running at the same time.

In his “switching yard,” he has other trains, including a Santa Fe passenger train.