The “Dicken’s of a Christmas” is part of the holiday festivities in
downtown Hanover, New Hampshire each December. CVMRR sets up an open house in the Drake
Room at the Hanover Inn the weekend of the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. The modular
layout is open to the public Friday evening for at least an hour before the lighting
ceremony until 9 pm, and then Saturday from 10 am–4 pm.
The 1999 event featured a special guest: Edgar Mead, local author of
railroad books, appeared and signed copies of his books on the Woodstock Railway, the
Claremont & Concord Railway, and his most recent book covering trains across the
country.
Photos from the 1999 Display
CVMRR members moving modules into the room and beginning assembly. Setup takes about an hour and a half to two hours — take-down is quicker: 20–30 minutes. Many hands make light work!Edgar Mead during a quiet moment in book signing, turning to watch the railroad videos on display.A young visitor takes in the activity near the yard and bridge modules while club members make up trains in the background.Thomas the Tank Engine™ paid a visit! He’s just leaving the siding after waiting for Percy to pass.Spencer Duncan’s Nickel Plate Berkshire. Remarkably, this engine survived a five-foot fall to a concrete floor just months before — you’d never know it.Spencer, CVMRR president, also ran his Metra commuter train model — a little more modern, but just as much fun to watch!Early visitors on Friday evening enjoying the modern commuter train speeding through a bit of countryside.A better action shot of the Metra — that model can really zoom! Careful attention to the mechanism is one of Spencer’s trademarks as a builder.
