COMMERCE, Mich. – In a converted grocery store in Commerce Township, model railroad fans can feast their eyes upon Chi-Town Union Station.
It's a wonderful recreation of train travel to and from Chicago in the 1950s.
The trains, tracks and villages are to scale: A quarter inch equals one foot.
The man who created it, with the help of many volunteers, is retired Ford engineer Paul Gribbell.
There's a coal train that is 202 cars long and a rotary coal dumper.
The supporting lumber underneath the layout is enough to build five houses. It's said to be the biggest model railroad in the world.
The trains are controlled by computers but the painstaking assembly includes cutting every railroad tie by hand.
The Chi-Town Union Station is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays -- it's located at 8275 Cooley Lake Road.
During the holidays, The Chi-Town Union Station has expanded its operation. It's open every day except Christmas and New Year's Day.
It's $5 for adults and $3 for kids over the age of five.
More information can be found at chi-townunionstation.com.