Dan Ensing, a model train enthusiast and longtime member of Lee Street Christian Reformed Church in Wyoming, Mich., shared his annual Christmas train display with the church this year, including a handmade replica of the Lee Street CRC building as part of the set.
Ensing, a retired band instrument repair specialist, also serves as leader of the church’s praise band. He typically sets his yearly holiday display in his basement, recording virtual tours on YouTube. This year, after spending about four months meticulously crafting a scale replica of the church to include in the growing model, he found an available room at Lee Street CRC in which to set up for December.
The replica incorporates such detail as the cornerstone of the church, depicting when it was built, as well as the church bell. “I got blueprints from the office and actually worked from the blueprints (in building the replica),” said Ensing, who has been a member at Lee Street for close to 40 years.
Knowing that the display would be set up at the church, “It set the bar a lot higher, to make it as accurate as I possibly could,” Ensing said.
Lee Street CRC was the host church for Synod 2024 and will celebrate its centennial in 2026.
Ensing grew up with a father who was a train enthusiast, and has been setting up model train displays for about 20 years, starting first at his work, and then later inside his home. It’s the first year he has set up the display at the church.
Ensing has two HO-scale trains that circle the tracks of his display, one the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter children’s books and the other the train featured in the animated movie The Polar Express.
The 116-square foot (almost 11 square m) display also depicts scenes from the Harry Potter books, including castle replicas built by Ensing.
To add a little more fun to the display, Ensing has incorporated characters from other stories, such as Olaf from Disney’s Frozen and the Abominable Snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
The display is available for visitors to see on Sundays after worship services, and various children and youth groups have had an opportunity to see the display as well, such as the Cadets and GEMS at Lee Street.