Miniature town, train display wows children, adults in York

With cookie crumbs and chocolate-covered cheeks, little boys darted around tables of tiny towns yelling “choo-choo!”

With the blowing of a train horn, it was clear to parents that the trip out on a frigid night was worth it. The boys giggled, pointed and squealed as the miniature trains sped past lit model houses, stores and even a carnival.

The display is part of an annual tradition for the Rev. Charles Aurand at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in York.

Trains in the display include the pastor’s first Lionel train set from 1959, a replica of a 1958 pink train set and a Southern Railroad crescent train. Church members added their own miniature sets to the display.

Admission was a can of food and other items that the church will donate to two York-area assistance agencies, PATH, or People Attempting to Help, and Tender Hearts charities.

This story was originally published December 31, 2016 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Miniature town, train display wows children, adults in York."