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Kansas City Union Station

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This is a contributing entry for Kansas City Union Station and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

Originally a holiday display in the Grand Hall, Union Station's Model Train Exhibit outgrew its space and moved to a dedicated, year-round location at the north end of the Grand Plaza. Run entirely by volunteers, the model rails fill all available room as the trains wind through representations of many iconic locations in Kansas City. Nearby, visitors can access the Haverty Freight House Bridge, which spans the historic Union Station railyards and provides a walkway to the Crossroads District.


Architecture, Track, Urban design, Railway

Mode of transport, Urban design, Toy, Engineering

Display case, Font, Building, Art

Toy, Lego, Construction set toy, Urban design

Window, Fixture, Display case, Table

Furniture, Building, Lighting, Interior design

Created and maintained entirely by volunteers, this extensive model train exhibit features eight different scales or sizes that run simultaneously in a variety of exhibits, including some that feature recreations of some of Kansas City's most iconic buildings. The trains can be viewed for a suggested donation within an eight thousand square foot exhibit space that includes around five or six dozen trains running at the same time. Volunteers expand the display each holiday season as part of Union Station's annual celebration.

The full-time, volunteer-staff works constantly to maintain the mechanical and electronic elements of the display. Servicing the collection of model trains, some of which outdate the station itself, requires specific knowledge and technical creativity. Many of the older pieces of the exhibit were built by companies which have been out of business for half a century, requiring custom fixes and improvised solutions to issues with parts, electronics, and lubrications. Volunteers work daily in an onsite workshop to provide upkeep.

Near the Model Train Exhibit is access to the Havery Freight House Bridge, named after Michael Haverty - the fourth-generation railroader from Atchinson Kansas who started as a switchman/brakeman with Missouri Pacific Railroad and retired in 2015 as President and CEO of Kansas City Southern. Haverty served as Chairman of the Union Station Kansas City Board from 2005 – 2012. Walking the bridge provides views of Amtrak and freight trains as they arrive and depart the yard.

Model Train Gallery, Union Station. Accessed September 12th, 2023. https://unionstation.org/model-train-gallery/.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Photo by David Trowbridge

Photo by David Trowbridge

Photo by David Trowbridge

Photo by David Trowbridge

Photo by David Trowbridge

Photo by David Trowbridge