We "Throw the Switch" on December 5th!

Please join us at the Southeast Anchor Library at the corner of Conkling St. & Eastern Avenue on December 5th at 11:00 AM for the opening ceremonies. Help us celebrate a new Highlandtown tradition. Watch us 'throw the switch' to get the trains moving for the 2009 holiday season. Meet and honor the train layout volunteers, see our giant slide show of the train gardens of Highlandtown and enjoy treats from Hoehn's bakery and Santonis Market. Join our parade across Conkling Street to 'throw the switch'. Everyone Welcome.


Lots more going on in Highlandtown that day as The Miracle on Main Street holiday festivities begin....

Maryland State Boy Choir performs at the Southeast Anchor Library at 2 pm. FREE
NicoloWhimsey Show at the Creative Alliance at 3 pm FREE Creative Alliance,
Holiday Craft Show at Sky Lofts. 11 Am - 4 PM

Santa will be at the Southeast Anchor Library in the afternoon and they'll be a holiday petting zoo at Abbott Memorial Church.

Volunteers Needed

The Train Garden Committee is looking for community volunteers to help greet visitors and keep the trains on track. If you can volunteer to work a 2 1/2 hour shift on a Thursday evening, or on a Saturday or Sunday in December, please e-mail Nancy Supik nancy@marksupikco.com or phone her at 410-732-8414. Experience with model trains is helpful, but a friendly smile is the only requirement.

A Modular Train Platform built in local woodshop

How do you assemble a train in one place and then move it to another without having to relay track and wiring? Anwer: With lots of careful planning. Fortunately for the Highlandtown Train Garden Committee, Ted, Terry, Bernie & David had plenty of experience constructing large train layouts. They presented their idea for a modular train platform to Mark Supik, a local woodworker. Mark approached National Lumber who generously donated the plywood needed for the platform. Built in 4 sections with removable legs, the platform was built at Mark Supik & Co. on Haven Street and then transported to the old Library on Eastern Ave where it was reassembled. The track, lighting, buildings and platforms were all assemble with care taken to make sure each module remained detachable. On November 21st, the platform will be separated into 4 modules, transported down the street to the firehouse on Conkling Street and reassembled. After the New Year, the team can break down the train for storage. Pretty clever!

Old Train Garden Photos - Here's one

Here's a photo of Mark Supik in front of his family's train garden on Port Street taken sometime in the 1950's. We'd love to see your photos. Please contact Jackie at the Baltimore Guide if you find any. We're making a slide show of the photos to show at the train garden opening event on December 5th.

Jackie: 410-732-6603 or editor@baltimoreguide.com

Train Gardens of Christmas Past. Please share your photos.

Do you have photographs of your family's holiday train gardens from year's past. We're looking for old photos for a slideshow to be shown at the train garden. Please contact Jackie Watts at The Guide to set up a time to bring your photos for scanning. Here's Bernie Deasel's photo. Bernie is one of the train garden volunteers.

Contact Jackie by phone: 410-732-8414
Email Jackie: editor@baltimoreguide.com

Train Garden

Highlandtown is excited to announce a Christmas Train Garden opening on December 5th, 2009. Please come by Fire House No. 41, at 520 S. Conkling St.