Washington is a town revered for its history, including its investment in the railroad industry. One local couple has made it their mission to celebrate the impact trains have had on their lives and their community.

“Our goal was to establish a top-quality tourist attraction that was affordable, family-friendly and educational,” Iron Spike Inc. board secretary and treasurer Claire Saucier said. “And of course it had to involve trains.”

In the early 1900s, Washington—with its prime riverside location—served as a major railroad and cargo distribution hub. Aside from already residing in Washington with her husband, board president Don Burhans, Washington’s relationship with locomotives provided key inspiration as to where to begin their passion project: The Iron Spike Model Train Museum.

“Washington was a big railroad town,” Saucier said. “Barges would dock and unload their cargo on rail cars to be shipped.”

Trains also resurrect treasured childhood memories for Saucier and Burhans.

“I grew up in St. Louis,” Saucier said, “and one of my favorite memories was riding the train to Washington to visit my grandparents. Model trains have been my husband’s [Burhans] passion for a long time.”

The Iron Spike Model Train Museum was built for all ages to enjoy. Saucier hopes that the diverse list of activities they have planned will bring together the next generation of enthusiasts who will appreciate the hobby and art form.

“We like to give first-time visitors an in-depth tour, sharing a bit of background information on why we [museum] exist,” Saucier said. “We have a game that teaches you how to build and operate the models, and our Thomas the Tank Engine room gets a lot of use, too.”

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, the museum is funded by donations and powered by the work of volunteers. Student volunteers will have the opportunity to conduct STEM lessons related to locomotives, such as how to operate the model trains by programming their cellphones.

“We’re [museum] a public charity,” Saucier said. “Everybody that works here is a volunteer.”

Saucier finds watching visitors earn their “learner’s permit” with the trains to be a fun experience.

“They [visitors] learn how to read the track, operate switches, and build the trains before they ‘earn the right’ to add more cars,” Saucier said. “The biggest thing people want to do is crash the trains.”

With work on the museum coming along, Saucier, Burhans and their fellow volunteers have many potential ideas for the future.

“We want to build a similar display of the downtown [Washington] area from when trains were huge, and we’d like to expand our Thomas the Train room so that it can host birthday parties,” Saucier said. “We’re also in the process of obtaining an old dining car to use as a café, and we hope to offer a hobby shop for new materials and crafting classes on how to make the pieces for the models.”

While the major construction is not estimated to be done for another two years, Saucier invites curious train lovers to stop by with their own model trains and check out the progress.

“[Trains] are an accessible art form here [museum], and we want to inspire people to be creative,” Saucier said. “Come and watch us grow.”