ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WLVT) - Matthew Eck has big dreams for a nine-year-old.
"I want to be an engineer when I grow up," he said.
Every year, the Macungie boy finds himself at the America on Wheels museum for its annual holiday train display, which kicked off Friday.
"I just like coming here near Christmas, because they're only up near Christmas and just like watching them go," he said.
"We're all about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles, and then, for five weeks, trains," said Linda Merkel, the museum's executive director.
The trains have been at the museum for the holidays for the past ten years. The display on the second floor was created by the Lehigh Valley Garden Railroaders (LVGR), a group that's been around for about 20 years. Vice president Chris Kacsur said it took two weeks to assemble the showcase.
"It's just such a pleasant comfortable experience to see them just moving and going around chugging through the gallery, and it just brings you back in time," Merkel said.
The display features five trains on five continuous tracks. Kacsur said the group specializes in what's called G gauge (or G-Scale) model railroading.
"We're so excited when they start moving in, and everything starts chugging along," Merkel said.
The display intrigued the Johnson family from Scottsdale, Arizona, who were in the area after visiting relatives.
"It was on the shortlist of museums," explained Sarah Johnson. "We know that Allentown has quite a few that are great for the kids."
"I just kind of like the tracking in the city," said her eight-year-old son Jeremiah Johnson, referring to the display.
"[I like] how this train moves," pointed out her five-year-old daughter Maddie.
Train lovers, young and old, stopped by on opening day. Eck said he spent a lot of time at the display last year.
"Like 3, 4 hours straight," he explained. "Just watching them go by and like looking at them all.”
The display chugs along through December 29. It’s free for kids 12 and under.
The museum will turn on a Lego-designed train display Saturday on the first floor. The LVGR display is on the second floor.