50 Years of “Wow!” at the Brandywine Railroad

Posted by Victoria Rose on November 17, 2022

Brandywine Railroad model train display. Photo credit-Carlos Alejandro.

For the last two weeks, I have asked each person I met what they know about the Brandywine Railroad at the Brandywine Museum of Art. Without fail, their eyes light up and a smile appears—even from people who only visited once over four decades ago. From the two-year-old who simply yelled “TRAINS!” to longtime visitors in their eighties, their memories bring instant joy. They mention the trains, the scenes, a tiny piece that they remember in exact detail: “Oh, is the little drive-in movie still playing? That was always my favorite!” or “My kids loved following Thomas through the tunnels!” or “My grandparents brought me every year.”

Custom-built Steam Locomotive on the Brandywine Railroad

“We want that ‘Wow!’ factor,” says David Jensen, Senior Model Railroad Specialist at the Brandywine Museum of Art. Along with Paul Hoerner, Model Railroad Specialist at the Brandywine Museum of Art, they are the third generation of caretakers of the Brandywine Railroad.

It started with a small local group that was hired to bring a train display to the museum for the 1972 holiday season. Then in 1973 two local college students, Jeff Punderson and Kirk Lindvig, brought in the current O-gauge layout that has been maintained, updated, and expanded ever since. In 1976 Steven Clarke joined the team, and continued to lead the team until his retirement in 2016.

“I started out as a visitor to the Brandywine with my family when I was 15” in 1979, says Jensen. “I had model trains at home, so I began talking with the operator of the layout at that time.” Clarke was happy to bring someone else in with a passion for the display. “I showed an interest in running the trains, so the operator invited me to help run them so that he could concentrate on the maintenance.”

Jensen has worked with trains throughout his career, of every size. “My family and I worked at the Wilmington and Western tourist railroad,” he says. “I always loved trains, so when the railroad closed down for the winter, model railroading was a way for me and my brothers to keep ‘playing with trains’ throughout the year.”

Jensen has brought his history to the railroad in a special way: “I custom built a scale model of the Wilmington and Western steam locomotive 98. It was a locomotive that I used to run as an engineer and it was a lot of work to get the model just right, so that one means a lot to me personally, as well as professionally.”

Hoerner has been with the Brandywine Railroad since 1987, when he answered a “Help Wanted” ad on a bulletin board by one of his classrooms at West Chester University “to come help set up a model train display at the Brandywine right before Christmas.” It ended up being a perfect opportunity. “I always liked model railroading and knew I could always use the extra money for Christmas—and the rest is history.”

Trains had always been a special part of the holidays for Hoerner. “My Dad always set up a Lionel train set on Christmas Eve in my bedroom, so that when I woke up there were ‘magically’ trains for Christmas.” After the holidays, they would go back to the “North Pole”—their attic.

Young family standing in front of N. C. Wyeth's Old Kris (ca. 1925) on view during the holiday season in one of the Museum's galleries

The Brandywine Railroad comes down from the “North Pole” of the Brandywine Museum only a few weeks before the display opens each year. The first day is spent re-assembling the twenty-eight sections which form the base of the display, each carefully bolted into place by Hoerner and then adjusted to ensure smooth running surfaces for the tracks and trains. But the Brandywine Railroad is a year-round operation for Jensen and Hoerner. During the summer Jensen inspects, maintains, and repairs each piece of the display, about half of which is from his own personal collection. Some pieces are rebuilt, others are replaced, and others retired.

The off-season is also a chance to work on new attractions. This year, a new display includes the grounds of the Radnor Hunt, complete with a perfect replica of the famous judging tower built by Hoerner. It took him a few weeks to finish the piece, ensuring the miniature has every detail of the original. This year also introduces a new backdrop to the entire room, designed by the Brandywine Museum’s own Manager of Design & Digital Strategy, Joshua Schnapf. The backdrop ranges from familiar rolling hills to the Philadelphia skyline.

The newest member of the Brandywine Railroad, Traci Harkins, also works in security for the museum. “Other than ‘Where is the restroom?’ the most common question I get is ‘Where are the trains?’ or ‘When do the trains come back?’” she says. She is still learning how to run the trains, which are controlled using a mix of computer programs via iPads, classic switches and controls, and buttons and foot-pedals that visitors can interact with to turn on certain displays and trains.

In her second year, Harkins loves being part of the “traditions and memories” of the Brandywine Railroad. She is experienced in working with the public, especially the youngest visitors, and reminding them to enjoy the trains using their eyes rather than their hands. It can be tempting to reach out and touch the realistic displays, but the entire display is a highly fine-tuned machine. Keeping the tracks smooth, the trains perfectly weighted, and the thousands of moving pieces in perfect shape means they can create fantastic feats of engineering. For example, the freight train uses just two engines to pull over 100 cars along the tracks, wowing children and veteran train engineers alike.

Radnor Hunt Judging Tower on the Brandywine Railroad

It is all worth it, Hoerner says, for opening day “when all of the hard work and preparations for the season are done and the first visitors come through the door. The cries of delight and smiles from young and old ignite the holiday season.” Jensen agrees: “I hope our visitors enjoy making holiday memories at the Brandywine and that this exhibition brings joy to all.”

Hoerner reflects on the past of the exhibit while hoping it brings perspective to the present. “As we celebrate the 50th year of the Brandywine Railroad this holiday season,” he says, “I hope the message visitors take away is that some traditions endure, and I hope that while they are here, they can forget about the hustle and bustle of modern life for a little bit and simply enjoy watching trains.”

The Brandywine Railroad holiday train display opens to the public Saturday, Nov. 19 and runs through Jan. 8. While there, check out Fragile Earth: The Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art, as well as the permanent exhibitions throughout the museum. The Brandywine River Museum is located at 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, PA. More information can be found online at Brandywine.org/Museum.

About Victoria Rose

Victoria Rose (she/her) is an editor, writer, avid reader, self-described geek, and fan of all things creative. Her passion for words has led to her current career as a freelance editor, and she is the owner of Flickering Words, an editing service. When not wielding a red pen (or cursor), she loves reading books of all genres, playing video, board, and word games, baking ridiculous creations to show off on the internet, or enjoying the gorgeous outdoors. She is a board member of the West Chester Film Festival and part of the Thirsty Monsters, a team of streamers from around the world who fundraise for various charities supporting LGBTQIA+ and accessibility rights. She can be found online @WordsFlickering or the Brandywine Art Guide @BrandywineArtGuide.