# Holiday train show Colvin Run Mill, Great Falls, Virginia



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

This year there will be a holiday train show in the Barn and the Colvin Run Mill Park in Great Falls, Virginia. It will be open to the public for two weekends this year, December 15,16 and 22,23. The hours are 11AM to 4 PM each day. We will have 4 trains running. There will be 1:20.3, 1:22.5/24, 1:29 and Thomas 1:??. Come by and say hello. Jim and JoAnne Stapleton (Dr. and Mrs Rivet) are the powers behind the show. A number of elves will be bringing trains to run.

The Park is between Reston and McLean on the north side of Route 7.












































Chuck


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Good luck. It's always a great show that has great attendance. It's probably the only chance kids will have in the area to see model trains running.

Still miss helping.

Doc


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc:


You can always come up and help. We are setting up Thursday morning--hint, hint,

Chuck


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

ALL

Video from last weekend at Colvin Run Mill taken by Ralph Fox. Colvin Run Mill video here

Jo Anne and I have provided the track, buildings, trees, figures, etc for this Christmas train exhibit for 23 consecutive years at this Historic site operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority. Fellow train enthusiasts Chuck N and Peter Jobusch have been the other team members from the beginning, and others like Don [Doc] Watson and Scott Loomer have participated regularly through the years. This year for the first time, we were open for two weekends rather than one. 

Enjoy. Merry Christmas to all. 

Jim and Jo Anne


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

We have declared success for this show. The official attendance set by the site management was 800 people for the four days. The Redskins had Sunday games that started at 1 PM on both weekends, so that seemed to have a moderate effect, especially the first Sunday. We were only open a total of 20 hours, so that is 40 people each hour. If you get more than 50 people in the room it feels pretty crowded, so we were close to capacity most of the time. Our local US Congressman came by with his wife and visited for about an hour on Saturday. 

Thanks to all who came and helped run trains and keep the door closed so the temperature stayed above 40 degrees in the building.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

So good to hear of folks providing an operating train layout during the Holiday season so the kids can enjoy. That's quite a feat 23 years. I hope you can do for many more years to come. Thanks for sharing and hope you all have a Merry Christmas. Later RJD


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Thanks for posting the pics and the video.


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