No matter how much work it takes to set up the elaborate train display in the lower level of the Elizabethtown Public Library, it's never a burden for the members of The Train Guys. Sharing their passion for the hobby is rewarding, said Craig Coble, coordinator for the club.

"We all agree the biggest thrill is watching people's expressions when they look at this display," Coble said. "With the kids, you get wide-eyed astonishment because they have no idea this stuff exists, and they love being able to push buttons and make things happen in the display."

The display is open to the public on Thursdays in December, as well as on Friday, Dec. 13, during Second Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. It is also open on Saturdays in December from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The display is located downstairs in the library, 10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown.

It's not just the kids who get a kick out of the trains, Coble said, noting that adult visitors will ask questions and want to know more about the mechanics. He recalled a recent visit when a group of parents got the engineers' attention and started applauding.

The display spans 65 feet in length and 18 feet in width and includes 17 individual track loops.

"We can run up to 20 trains at one time," Coble said. It also features 50 push buttons so visitors can operate trains and accessories throughout the layout.

Other parts of the O-scale display feature canals and bridges, a tribute to Three Mile Island, a cityscape complete with a burning building and flashing fire trucks and a cityscape named for longtime volunteer Barry Hassinger.

"We have an elevated trolley system that takes people from Hassinger City to the airport, and visitors will be able to run that," Coble said.

Impressive details can be found throughout the display, including a retro train board that flips through as trains arrive, reminiscent of a similar board that used to operate at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.

Visitors are encouraged to push buttons to launch a rocket or load barrels onto a train before running the cars around a loop.

On the floor, a G-scale, or garden-scale, train display is located near the main display's exit.

"Kids end up laying right on the ground with their chin in their hands, watching the trains," Coble said.

Last year, the group debuted a unique Christmas scene with a light-up track, and it proved to be so popular, they brought it back this year as the final element of the display.

There is a suggested donation to tour the display, and proceeds from that as well as money raised through a silent auction and a giveaway all go to support the library.

"Our gift to the library for several years now has typically been $10,000 or more at the Christmas season," Coble said.

Along with the open house dates, The Train Guys are available for private showings with small groups, and people are encouraged to bring their own trains to run on the tracks.

The group currently includes about 25 members, with a dozen or so who are present at the open houses.

"We like to operate with a pretty big crew, because the display demands a lot of the guys with up to 20 trains running, but also because people have questions for us," Coble shared. "The guys are all very capable, and they enjoy fielding questions."

The group is also open to new members and invites anyone who loves trains and wants to support the library. The members begin setting up the display in early October and typically work two nights a week plus Saturdays up until it opens in early December.

On Saturdays in December, a free shuttle will transport visitors between the library display and one at Masonic Village, operating about every half hour.

"These are two of the biggest displays open for the Christmas season in the Eastern United States," Coble said.

He encourages people to visit the display early in the month as lines can get long closer to Christmas.

"If there is a line, it's not a total disaster, because the hall is full of a circus amusement park display that entertains people as soon as they walk in the hallway," Coble noted. "If they're waiting a little bit, there's still entertainment for them."

For more information on The Train Guys or to schedule a private showing, call 717-367-7467.