Full steam ahead for inaugural Mt. Hope Train & Toy Show
The inaugural Mt. Hope Train & Toy Show slated for Saturday, March 24 might be new to the Mt. Hope Event Center, but Jon and Cindi Ulbright’s shows have been around the area for decades. Known for the incredible variety and running sets, this electric train showcase draws thousands.
Between the nostalgia of hearing the shrill whistle of the steam engine to the slow, rhythmic cadence of the train as it chugs along the trail, there is something that is mesmerizing and peaceful about trains. These miniature train sets like this one from 1942 are one way to keep the stories of the importance of trains in America alive.
Sponsored by CJ Trains LLC, the show at the Mt. Hope Event Center will showcase a host of model trains and a lot of other neat toys that are both valuable and nostalgic.
Senior citizens may well recall the days when electric trains were all the rage, whether it was a gigantic village set up in a basement or a Lionel train set chugging around the base of the family Christmas tree.
A glimpse into those days of yore is coming with a train and toy show in Mt. Hope presenting an opportunity for visitors to get all aboard for a fantastic day of excitement and entertainment as the inaugural Mt. Hope Train & Toy Show chugs into Holmes County on Saturday, March 24.
Sponsored by CJ Trains LLC, the show at the Mt. Hope Event Center will showcase a host of model trains and a lot of other neat toys that are both valuable and nostalgic.
Included in the event will be running lay-outs, farm and vintage toys, die-cast train models, books and videos, and trains of all gauges.
This kind of event is sure to take older visitors back to the days of their youth while introducing the train hobby to a whole new set of younger people.
A train enthusiast since his childhood days, event promoter Jon Ulbright and his wife Cathi have been sponsoring train shows since 1984.
Between the nostalgia of hearing the shrill whistle of the steam engine to the slow, rhythmic cadence of the train as it chugs along the trail, there is something that is mesmerizing and peaceful about trains. These miniature train sets are one way to keep the stories of the importance of trains in America alive, and Ulbright said the goal is to present a show that not only does that, but also allows collectors a chance to connect, enjoy the fellowship of train enthusiasts and bring back memories.
As teacher and then a Wooster councilman, Ulbright poured himself into his work, but his passion has always been trains.
“It’s a great hobby,” Ulbright said of his train collections. “Everyday jobs can get very intense, and trains can be almost therapeutic for me. I go downstairs, move things around and trains have been an escape from the rigors of everyday life. I can immerse myself in the hobby, and I think the nostalgia and the relaxing manor of trains is comforting to a lot of people because it takes them back.”
While Ulbright has been around trains for some time, his passion began decades ago as a 4-year-old when he said he “caught the train disease” when he got his first Lionel set while living in Navarre.
His passion for trains grew throughout his childhood until 1961 when he packed up all his sets and stored them in his parents’ attic as he pursued a college degree in history.
In 1967 when his father passed away, Ulbright cleared out his work shop and put up an enormous lay-out for his trains. Saw horses and lumber provided the stage for his ever-growing set. However, as a struggling graduate student, several of his friends offered to purchase some of his rarer box cars.
That was when he realized maybe he had something special with old trains in their original boxes. Instead of selling his cars, he invested more into them, and his collection grew.
“I started putting up more shelves and more sets, and at that point I started to be less of an operator and more of a collector,” Ulbright said. “I started to purchase more rare pieces and started selling duplicates as I upgraded.”
That led him to form a partnership and create the Classic Trains Exhibition in 1984, and by 1995 he was putting on 36 train shows a year. His shows were in Wooster, New Philadelphia and Massillon, but eventually the two partners split, and he and his wife created CJ Trains LLC.
He cut back on the number of shows and went from Fisher Auditorium in Wooster to the Buckeye Event Center, and the show continued to grow, first to 288, then eventually the number of vendors grew to 609 tables in 2012, the largest single-day show in the state of Ohio.
When the Buckeye Event Center came to an end, Ulbright began to explore options and found the Mt. Hope Event Center, where the show now takes place.
“It was a really nice fit for us for a lot of reasons, and we are excited to have a home in Mt. Hope,” Ulbright said.
While people can purchase all kinds of hobby train products at the show, one of the big draws is the running lay-outs set up by vendors. Ulbright said that is to showcase the intricate train settings and most of all to spread the joy of the hobby they love.
“We are all of the same mind-set in that the running lay-outs are there to not only serve as a nostalgic look into the past, but to introduce younger people to trains,” Ulbright said. “In the old days families had the trains running around the Christmas tree, and we want to promote that sense of wonder that electric trains can bring. We all feel it is important to introduce young people to the hobby because we don’t want it to die out.”
The Mt. Hope show will open at 10 a.m., and Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen will provide catered meals for those who want to stay all day. Admission is $5 for adults, and children 12 and under are free.