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Kansas City Union Station

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This is a contributing entry for Kansas City Union Station and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

Originally a holiday display in the Grand Hall, Union Station's Model Train Exhibit outgrew its space and moved to a dedicated, year-round location at the north end of the Grand Plaza. Run entirely by volunteers, the model rails fill all available space as the trains wind through representations of many iconic locations in Kansas City. Nearby, visitors can access the Haverty Freight House Bridge, which spans the historic Union Station railyards and provides a walkway to the Crossroads District.


Train, Scale model, Play Vehicle, Rail transport

Train, Electricity, Scale model, Track

Urban design, Scale model

Scale model, Toy, Toy block, Plastic

Created and maintained entirely by volunteers, this extensive model train exhibit features eight different scales or sizes that run simultaneously in a variety of exhibits, including some that feature recreations of some of Kansas City's most iconic buildings. The trains can be viewed for a suggested donation within an 8,000-square-foot exhibit space that features around five or six dozen trains running simultaneously. Volunteers expand the display each holiday season as part of Union Station's annual celebration.

The full-time, volunteer staff work constantly to maintain the mechanical and electronic elements of the display. Servicing the collection of model trains, some of which outdate the station itself, requires specific knowledge and technical creativity. Many of the older pieces of the exhibit were built by companies that have been out of business for half a century, requiring custom fixes and improvised solutions to issues with parts, electronics, and lubrications. Volunteers work daily in an on-site workshop to provide upkeep.

Near the Model Train Exhibit is access to the Havery Freight House Bridge, named after Michael Haverty - the fourth-generation railroader from Atchinson, Kansas, who started as a switchman/brakeman with the Missouri Pacific Railroad and retired in 2015 as President and CEO of Kansas City Southern. Haverty served as Chairman of the Union Station Kansas City Board from 2005 to 2012. Walking the bridge provides views of Amtrak and freight trains as they arrive and depart the yard.