Traditionally, the hobby we all know and love was typically sequestered to our basements, spare bedrooms, or the occasional pole barn. Publications like Classic Toy Trains began to bring those of us in the hobby together, allowing us to see layouts and collections from all over the country. While CTT continues to be a staple for highlighting some of the most detailed and unique layouts, online platforms have ushered in a new era of sharing layouts, the layout building process, and new products to millions of people, of all ages, around the world.
It was YouTube that brought a small group of model railroaders together in 2021. Spearheaded by Jason Stuckert of Jason’s O Gauge Trains (JD Stucks) a group made up of YouTubers and members of the Detroit 3 Railers (D3R) met at Jason’s house for a day and night of running trains on his new layout. At the time, his layout didn’t even have an upper level; it consisted of just three loops of track on bare plywood.
Shortly after everyone returned home, Jason reached out to me and a few others about hosting a bigger event while coining the term “Train-A-Palooza.” Jason’s vision was to bring more collectors together, specifically those with a presence on social media and the members of his club, the D3R, to run trains over a weekend the following summer. This idea became a reality, with over 30 guests descending on Jason’s home in the summer of 2022 to enjoy our fantastic hobby, buy trains, sell trains, and enjoy each other’s company.
Year two made a slight adjustment to the event; it was hosted by Greg and Daniel Browning, members of the D3R club. This allowed guests to see a different layout and gave Jason an opportunity to enjoy the event without the stress of hosting.
The event shifted from a one day, Saturday event, to two days, with Jason hosting a smaller gathering Friday night and Saturday being a full day at the Brownings. Detroit 3 Trailers modular club layout, which is made up of four huge loops of track, perfect for seamless operation was set up in the Browning’s driveway, allowing guests to run their trains, or test trains they may have purchased on the trip. With the D3R modular layout set up in the driveway and the Brownings exceptional layout in the basement, it made for a fantastic day.
This year, we’ve held our third Train-A-Palooza with more than 90 people in attendance. Those that descended on Detroit came from New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Washington DC, Florida, Missouri, and beyond. The event expanded to a full two day adventure around Detroit and the rural areas outside the city.
We created set schedule of layout visits to allow guests to see many of the other Detroit 3 Railer layouts. Friday started at noon with a visit to Clem Kreczkowski’s layout, a spectacular design with 300 feet of single loop track that crosses and winds around itself creating the illusion of multiple loops. That was followed by Don and David Lambert’s layout, a three-rail scale vision of the 2018 Altoona area and the famous Horseshoe Curve. Custom buildings, including the Juniata Locomotive Shop and Railroaders Museum, make this layout truly one of a kind. Friday culminated at Jason’s house for food, yard games, and of course, train operations.
Saturday kicked off with donuts and coffee at Charlie Stoia’s layout, a vision of steam power across northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Charlies layout highlights many Copper Range cars and locomotives, a few of which are custom run locomotives he has helped design.
Bob Shaw’s 62’ x 23’ “Moon Valley” layout was next. With its whimsical scenes and next level detailing, Bob’s was a fan favorite. A bonus was the hand-built and painted ship and airplane models that accompanied Bob’s layout, truly a sight to behold.
The third layout of the day was that of Joe DeLude. Walking up the steps to Joe’s second floor layout you enter in the center of the action. Trains travel on two long loops around the perimeter of the room with a large Ross transfer table positioned in the middle. It becomes clear that Joe’s layout was built by a professional craftsman with custom storage and display cabinets throughout the layout room.
The last private layout was one that needed no introduction, Northbrook has been seen by many of us in the three-rail hobby. With the artistic touch of Norm Charbonneau, Northbrook is an exceptional example of a three-rail scale layout with professional model building skills.
Train-A-Palooza 2024 ended at the D3R clubhouse where the modular layout and modular standard gauge layout were set up. Catered food allowed for all members (and guests) to sit back, relax, and enjoy the trains, company, and our hobby. After a long day of traveling and visiting layouts, it was a pleasure to just relax with good friends.
Train-A-Palooza brings with it an opportunity for guests to bring their own models to run, sell, and buy. But more so, it brings people together to connect and talk about the hobby we love.
I was fortunate enough to be in Jason’s basement that first year and have attend every year since. Train-A-Palooza is usually one of the highlights of my summer (that doesn’t involve time with my children). We hope this event continues to grow and expand, welcoming more people in this hobby to expand their network, be inspired, and steward the hobby in a positive way.
