This is the time of year many families take their model train sets out of the attic and set them up underneath the Christmas tree. But you'd need a really big tree for the trains set up in Lancaster County. WFMZ's Karin Mallett has our ticket to the Choo Choo Barn in Wednesday's One Tank Trip.  Smoke pours from the roof, firefighters arrive and a woman in her skivvies is saved. It happens every 5 minutes in the miniature world inside the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County. >>Kristi Largoza: The Choo Choo Barn started right here in Strausburg underneath my grandparents Christmas tree. >>REPORTER: It was 1945.. and model trains were George Groff's hobby. Before long, the set up became a permanent fixture in his basement and in 1961 the trains were moved to this barn and opened to the public. >>nats: train on tracks >> It was 500 square feet at the time. It had 6 trains and 6 animations. >>REPORTER: Today, there's more than 1700 square feet of 0 gauge model track with 22 operating trains and more than 150 hand built animations. >>Standup: It's the details here that make the difference but if you don't look closely there are a few things you might miss. Like this guy in the train station... sort of a private moment but when nature calls.. you gotta go. >>REPORTER: Not much is left from the original layout except for part of the ski slope but Groff family secrets are abound. >> My dad Tom took it over in the 70s, he's the head animator now and he makes everything from scratch. >>REPORTER: Like his parents' home.. and his own. And in homage to his children- a police car pulling over a red Grand Cherokee.. >> That's to commemorate the number of police tickets my brother got when he first got his license. And then there's a row of sunflowers behind me because I was really in love with sunflowers. >>REPORTER: There are landmarks you'll recognize. And reminders of the modern world we live in.. during the day.. and at night. It's dark here every 20 minutes to give you a new perspective on the tiny town. Living in a miniature world on a One Tank Trip to the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, Karin Mallett 69 News, Berks Edition.

website: http://www.choochoobarn.com/
One-way distance: 41 miles
One-way time: 45 minutes
original airdate: 12/17/2008

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