CINCINNATI — There’s nothing quite like the sights and sounds of model trains racing around the Christmas tree to get you in the holiday spirit, except for maybe seeing it on a massive scale.

There’s a special charm chugging along inside the Cincinnati Museum Center.

What You Need To Know

  • Visitors can see the Duke Energy Holiday Trains inside Holiday Junction at the Cincinnati Museum Center

  • For 78 years, the trains have helped bring a special magic to the holiday season

  • "Trainmasters" help the entire operation run smoothly
  • Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains opens for the season on Nov. 9

The Duke Energy Holiday Trains are back for the season.

For 78 years, they’ve helped bring a special magic to Cincinnati.

“I’ve been working down here as long as Holiday Junction’s been here,” said Trainmaster Tom Bredestege.

He knows all the ins and outs.

“I’ve been in love with trains since I was three years old. I worked for the railroad for almost 39 years. So I come down here and have some fun with model trains,” he said.

What’s not to love about 50 well-oiled locomotives trailed by 300 rail cars?

The trains race along snowy tracks lined with detailed villages, 100,000 scale miles of a winter wonderland!

“When I was eight or nine years old, I’d pack my lunch, grab a quarter, and I’d get on the bus, come down and watch this layout run when I was a kid. My family, we have over 225 years’ service on the B&O railroad and I was just following suit. It’s just something in your blood. It’s a family thing,” said Bredestege.

These trains deliver a special magic and with experts like Bredestege at the control board, the next generation always gets a chance to see it up close.

“We’ll stop that train right in front of them and we’ll back it up then we’ll go forward ‘Oh look at that!’ It’s a lot of fun with the public,” he said.

It’s fun but also a lot of work.

The team is always checking and adjusting.

“We have the one train set out here that’s over 120 years old now and the guy really has to be careful,” he said.

Every now and then, they might need a new motor.

“When you’re 124 years old, you’ll have a hard time running around yourself,” Bredestege said with a laugh.

It’s a love of trains and the attention to detail that keeps the holiday tradition on track.

“We have a lot of fun with people and they enjoy it and some people have never seen anything like this. You get a fascination out of this. It’s really neat,” he said.

Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains opens for the season on Nov. 9.