Each year at Christmas, groups of children come to the Dupler home on Kimberly Drive for a glimpse into what has been a lifelong hobby for Will Dupler.
His wife, Linda Dupler, hands each child a wooden train whistle and a red bandana before they walk into a small room above Dupler’s garage filled with a town of model trains he’s collected since childhood.
He works on his trains year round, but he said sharing his hobby with kids at Christmas time is one of the best parts.
“That’s what makes it fun,” he said. “It makes it all worthwhile when you see the little ones just light up.”
Will’s collection is extensive. Train sets travel on rails weaved around vintage Plasticville buildings from the 1950s and ‘60s, including gas stations and a fire department. The entire town is powered by three miles of wiring hidden underneath the tables. The model locomotives produce steam as they run, and a loud train whistle sounds off as they round the tracks.
The Duplers, members of Fairview Baptist Church, have opened their home around Christmas for years so children from the church and neighborhood could see the model trains run, Linda said.
This year, the couple posted an invitation in a Facebook neighborhood watch group. So far, 45 families have come by, with 10 more scheduled after Christmas.
“This has been the first year we’ve really invited people out, and we’ve learned a lot about how to do everything smoothly,” she said. “It’s been really fun.”
After getting to see all the trains run their routes, the Duplers give the children plenty of Christmas treats and candy to take home as they look forward to seeing the trains next year.
“We always send them home with some sugar,” Will said.
Will said when he was 4 years old, he visited his neighbor’s house during Christmas and saw a Sante Fe train set under their Christmas tree.
He was hooked.
Though Will credits his love for steam locomotives in particular to early memories of his grandmother taking him to a bridge in his hometown to watch the trains pass underneath.
“I’d sit there for an hour or until she just got tired,” he said. “So I’m very partial.”
Will works on his trains year round. He is a member of several online train groups where other enthusiasts share and swap engines, including some that no longer work and are seemingly unable to be fixed. But after spending time with each one, he said he is usually able to repair them.
“Once I start, my mind leaves everything behind and I focus on exactly what I’m doing,” he said. “That lets your mind rest. When somebody brings an engine they’ve had since they were a little boy that hasn’t run in years, and they want to put it around their tree, I can make it happen.”
Will grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to the Golden Triangle after marrying Linda. He owned and operated Performance Marine, a boating dealership and supply company, before retiring at 62 and passing the business on to his son.
Now, his days are filled with working on his trains and his other hobby, building hot rods.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.