A freight train rounds the curve behind the Plasticville School at the north end of City Park. It’s dusk and lights warm the stained glass windows for the evening mass in the church next door. The garbage truck is making its final pickup of the week from the homes on the west side of the park where young lovers stroll hand-in-hand under the light of the lamps and the crescent moon.

This toy train, an S-gauge American Flyer, has been in my family since 1951. The Plasticville houses also date back to the 1950s. My dad used to set it up for Christmas every year and I'm trying to keep that tradition alive.