By: Yew Dell Gardens • Photography by Matt Johnson
There’s something magical about the holiday season if you look hard enough and keep your heart open. From a whiff of warm cocoa to that special holiday melody to the glow of light displays, there is something that stirs you. Many have found that feeling while enjoying Yuletide at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, an event where the gardens are shining, the music is bright, and the trains are running through a magical village.
For more than a decade, visitors have come to Yew Dell to step into a holiday-inspired winter wonderland. From lighted displays throughout the grounds to hands-on holiday crafts, a chance to learn a bit about seasonal greens, a tasty treat from Martha Lee’s Kitchen, a visit with Santa, and of course- the magical train village. Built by Bob Irmscher, a local man known throughout the region for model train displays, the winter village has become the stuff of tradition for many families in the area. Executive Director Dr. Paul Cappiello recalls former board member Mary Klein looking for the right person to build the display and, “after seeking out and visiting several large, regional model train shows, and telling anyone who would listen exactly what she wanted to do, she kept hearing the same name as the go-to person she needed to find. And quite amazingly, he happened to live just across the river from Louisville.”
Irmscher has built model trains and layouts since he was a child. He still remembers the first model train his grandfather gave him as a toddler, “I was barely tall enough to see on top of the table. I loved the movement of the trains, the sounds they made. I fell in love with it pretty quick.”
Now in southern Indiana, Irmscher is a professional landscaper and has developed a reputation for his train displays. His work has been featured in model train layout videos, including a fully landscaped 27’ x 35’ train room at his home. He even designed a fabulous G-gauge garden railway setup in Greenville, Indiana.
Irmscher jumped right into action after agreeing to volunteer and create the display in 2011. Within 51 days he was able to design and build a 6’ x 16’ O-scale layout that would not only match Yew Dell’s whimsical style but also could be taken down, stored, and reassembled year after year. He also agreed to volunteer thereafter, adding “I’m thrilled to come out here every year and set it up.
If you ask him why, his quick answer is that it’s all about seeing the reactions of kids young and old. Whether it is recalling memories of old or sparking the imagination, this train village brings out something magical. Irmscher explains, “I’ve seen some that bring tears to my eyes. That they get so excited. I’ve seen some where they can’t even stand still- and they take off running. They want to follow the train wherever it goes. They want to be with it. That brings me a lot of joy.”
You can take a journey through the train village along with other heartfelt moments during Yuletide at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens. The event runs Fridays & Saturdays through December 21 with two time slots per evening. Advance tickets are recommended. Learn more at www.yewdellgardens.org
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