The Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) education focus is often taught in classrooms, in books and on electronic devices. At Mr. Muffin’s Trains in downtown Atlanta, STEAM is a more hands-on experience with real-world application.
Steve and Liz Nelson, the owners of Mr. Muffin’s Trains, work to promote the hobby of model railroading as a family activity. Playing with model trains can promote family fun and skill development.
“Liz likes to talk about teaching STEM through model railroading and then add a dash of art in building a model train layout – we have STEAM,” Steve Nelson told The Reporter.
Hamilton County’s Hometown Weatherman Paul Poteet and Mr. Muffin himself, Steve Nelson, stand amid the wonder and mystery that is Mr. Muffin’s Trains. (Reporter photo by Stu Clampitt)
According to Nelson, model railroading reached its peak with the baby-boomers in the post-World War II world.
“Like pianos, every house had them,” Nelson said. “For dozens of years, it was the most popular holiday gift and has been forever linked with the holidays. Currently, model railroading remains the largest hobby in the U.S. in terms of wholesale sales as measured by the University of Louisville’s hobby survey. It seems like everyone has a train, or toy train story, in their experience.”
In a world where much childhood play takes place on a two-dimensional screen, model railroading offers a form of play that is both old-fashioned and timeless.
“For more than a hundred years, children have been using toy trains – along with construction sets, toy figures, empty boxes and anything else at hand – to build their own imaginary worlds,” Nelson said. “While all of this can be accomplished today on a computer screen, there’s still enormous value in building something with your hands, making it operate, and sharing it with your friends. Childhood development experts call it “unstructured, imaginative, free play” and they say it helps kids grow mentally and socially. We just think it’s fun, and having fun has to be a good thing.”
The owners of Mr. Muffin’s Trains support many families that are actively building model train layouts in the homes. Some are recent retirees that always wanted an operating model railroad, but lots of layouts are being built by father-son or even grandfather-grandson teams.
“Lots of family members enjoy getting involved with the scenery and building the ‘sets’ the train passes through,” Nelson said.
You can visit Mr. Muffin’s Trains and the third-largest model train layout in the United States any Saturday at 165 E. Main St., Atlanta. Visit them online at MrMuffinsTrains.com.
If you’d like to lean more, Steve Nelson and the business were recently featured on the PBS program “Journey Indiana,” which you can see at this link.