Model train enthusiasts will put their hobby in the spotlight in Washington State History Museum during the 14th annual Model Train Festival, taking place from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2.

Every floor of the museum will be buzzing with trains during the event. It features nine miniature railroad towns dressed with holiday decorations and depictions of everyday life. A play space will be set up for the smallest train fans to enjoy.

Layouts will be set up by the following clubs: 4D PNR HO Modular Group; 4D NTRAK Group; Cannonball Express; Kitsap Live Steamers, Mount Rainier N-Scale; Pierce County Lionel Club; Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers and Tacoma Northwestern Model Railroad Club. Washington State Operation Lifesaver will provide safety information at its booth and Steven Goldenbogen will be on hand with a Playmobil display.

Kitsap Live Steamers, based in Port Orchard, will have 14 pieces, some gas operated engines, others steam powered. Club member Don Deffley said the exhibit helps attract new members to the group.

“A lot of people do not know very much about this hobby,” he remarked.

Many who attend do not understand how a steam engine works, something members are happy to explain. Children enjoy operating the trains, he noted.

“They have a lot of fun with it.”

Deffley puts skills he honed during his career as a machinist in building his trains. Other members are retired from careers as airline pilots and the U.S. Navy. A friend of Deffley retired as a designer at Boeing. He bought a lathe and mill and learned how to make trains. Another member is a retired Tacoma police officer now attending a trade school. He has been busy building two trains.

Some weigh more than 1,200 pounds.

George Bourcier is a member of Pierce County Lionel. The group has the same display each year, but members who take turns working shifts during the festival bring their own trains. Some have a Christmas motif.

“Some were made before World War II. Some were made last week,” Bourcier said. “None of them will be the same.”

For his shifts he plans to bring a Christmas train and an ore train with 30 to 35 cars. He will run one for an hour, then change.

“This is one of biggest events of the year at the museum,” Bourcier said, noting attendance during this week is often the highest of the year. The club’s display helps recruit new members and sparks interesting conversations.

Bourcier owns Tacoma Trains and Hobbies in Proctor District. Many of his customers set up displays in their homes during the holidays.

“It is a holiday tradition. For a lot of people this is a seasonal hobby.”

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Admission to the museum is required.