Boyer train collection is open for the season

After thousands of volunteer hours, the Jimmy Boyer Christmas Train Show debuted last year. The collection not only includes a large display with villages and dozens of trains, but also other train memorabilia, including 300 engines and some 1,600 rail cars (many in their original boxes) that line the walls of the train museum.

The show of HO-gauge trains at the Marvel Museum, 510 Bedford St., Georgetown, is open one more day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 16.

The large train collection was donated to the society by lifelong train enthusiast Jimmy Boyer, who opened his Georgetown home every Christmas season for visitors to view his train display.

When Boyer moved out of his home to a senior-care facility, he contacted Jim Bowden, Georgetown Historical Society president, about donating his collection. 

While Bowden said yes, he had no real idea how extensive the collection was. Boxes upon boxes were transported to the museum, which had to be renovated to house the trains and a new Western Auto store exhibit.

But with the help of railroad enthusiasts Kevin Brown, Chris Black and Ronnie Gillespie, all of Seaford, they were able to re-create Boyer’s layout like he had it in his garage. New track was added, all trains were converted to steel couplings, and upgraded controls were added.

The entire contents of a Western Auto store is housed in the same building. It’s the 50-year collection of Maurice Sanger, who now lives in Rehoboth Beach, and operated stores in Kent Island and Centreville, Md., where his collection was on display prior to the move to Georgetown. The store is like walking back in time when Western Auto stores were the main retailers in many communities, including Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Millsboro, Georgetown, Laurel and Seaford in Sussex County. After being sold several times, the last store closed in 2002, although some independent stores remained open using the name.