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The Choo Choo Barn is an amazingly detailed model railroad and village display in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. I highly recommend a visit if someone in your family or group enjoys model railroading and creating model villages. It's one of the best.
The Amish farm includes animated workers building a barn.
The amusement park includes moving rides.
There's a diary barn too.
The fire scene is amazing as first responders leave the firehouse to tend the fire at the A-frame
An old locomotive passes the lumber yard
See the action on the ski slope.
Count how many animals are moving in this zoo.
A short video includes several scenes, which I hope illustrate why I think the Choo Choo Barn place is worth visiting. [No, they did not pay me to advertise or endorse their attraction.]
On our recent holiday in the UK, my wife suggested we re-visit Chester--I'm glad she did. There's a sort of timelessness as you walk amongst the restored "black and white" shops, tour an old cathedral, enjoy an ice cream by the river Dee, or stroll along ancient sandstone walls.
We arrived by rail from Euston station, London and stayed in a hotel near the ornate 1768 East Gate-- less than a mile from the railway station. The 1899 clock atop the gate comemorates Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.
East Gate, Chester/ G Sutton
On our first day, we walked about Grosvenor Park, stopping for photos and enjoying the scenery. The small railway looks like a fun ride for children.
Grosvenor Park, Chester / G Sutton 2018
Railway at Grosvenor Park, Chester / G Sutton 2018
Caught this bird near Grosvenor Park
We crossed the River Dee on two bridges and ambled about the picturesque city storing one image after another lest we forget.
Here's a video of the calm waters of the river Dee from a different bridge.
Here's an example of the "black and white" architechture--a hallmark of Chester architecture. The buildings are part of a 19th century Tudor Revival.
We listened to street entertainers and enjoyed fish n' chips at one of the local pubs. Some entertainers were quite good.
Here's a video clip from the a street musician.
Some pretty good Fish 'n Chips followed by a cuppa.
After fish 'n chips
On the second day we toured Chester Cathedral, examined the Roman finds (link), and circumnavigated the city along the two miles of walls. See my post on the Cathedral for more details of that experience.
Section of the south wall by the river Dee
We enjoyed an outdoors lunch by the old pink and buff colored town hall with a green-grey slate roof and three-sided clock.
Chester Town Hall 1864-1869
And on the third day we visited the Grosvenor museum (link), cruised the River Dee, and enjoyed our surrounds.
BTW--there's lots of spots to eat along the river bank including ubiquitous ice cream stands.
Cruise boats on the River Dee, Chester
You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.
As the sign says, Bekonscot is a model village and railway.
We boarded a train at Marylebone London and headed west to Beaconsfield. A short walk took us to Bekonscot.
We followed the winding path in the miniature village to see a great variety of scenes- cottages, castles, industrial works, airports, waterways, a zoo, a circus and more.
Watch this video to get an overview of the village.
The circus tent
A lion at the zoo
The race
Trains continually run everywhere throughout the village.
And many scenes are animated like this model farm and windmill.
There's a lot going on at the Bekonscot circus.
Here, the children are on the playground by their cottages.
Enjoy a funfair in this creative scene.
And then there was trouble--in the distance, a cottage is on fire.
