The Sandhills Central Model Railroad Club will host its annual pre-holiday Train Show from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23. The show will be held in the basement of the Campbell House at 482 E. Connecticut Avenue in Southern Pines.

Admission is $3. Children under four feet, eight inches tall are free.

Why that particular measurement? It is the distance between the two tracks on a modern railroad!

Visitors to the show will see a large HO-scale train layout featuring the Town of Southern Pines and surrounding areas.

Numerous freight and passenger trains will be operating at the same time on different tracks. Steam locomotives of another era, as well as colorful modern diesel engines will start from several large railyards, and will wind their way through tunnels, fields, neighborhoods and towns before completing their routes.

Younger visitors will delight in seeing Thomas the Tank and Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express as they make their way around the track.

The Sandhills Central Model Railroad Club was founded in 1979, and started its first train shows for the public in 1982. Until last year the club ran all of its model trains in Southern Pines. However, club members are currently building a second layout in the historic restored depot in Aberdeen.

This new layout, currently still under construction, will feature an open house during the Town of Aberdeen's Christmas tree lighting and parade in December.

Club members meet every Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. throughout the year, at either the Campbell House or Aberdeen Depot locations. Visitors and new members are welcome.

For information regarding meeting locations, membership, or any other information regarding the Sandhills Model Railroad Club, call Jim Ferrante at 295-7229 or Jim McNiff at 692-7439.