SANTA BARBARA — This weekend’s “Plains, Trains and Violins” concerts will be accompanied by — what else?— an antique train exhibit.
David Halbeisen from the Coast Toy Train Club will set up the exhibit in The Granada Theatre Founders Room to go with the Santa Barbara Symphony concert, set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara.
The exhibit will be an 8 foot by 8 foot displnay with newer Lionel toy trains, which include digital remote control and digital sound system; model buildings dating from 1924-1960; model trees from the same era as the buildings and some even older; amd model people. These are called dime-store figures because they date back to the days when retailers like Kresge and Woolworths were where one purchased such items. These dime-store people date from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s.
The exhibit will be set up as two O-gauge setup. Due to the age of the trains and accessories, Mr. Halbeisen’s collection is expensive and is worth many thousands of dollars, according to a symphony news release.
Lionel Trains stopped manufacturing in 1969. Model Products Corp. began manufacturing toy trains in its stead in 1970.
— Dave Mason
