DEPOT … A miniature depot, with a matching caboose, warning light, and playground is featured in the newly redesigned model train exhibit at the depot.
WATCHTOWER … A watchtower stands tall over the newly redesigned model train exhibit at the Wauseon Depot.
(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
EXHIBIT … The exhibit going over Fulton County’s history of trains, trolly’s, and rail lines, now calls the Wauseon Depot home. It had previously been on display at the Fulton County Museum.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Wauseon Depot has undergone a major transformation with the addition of a brand-new model train layout and an expanded railroad history exhibit, thanks to the combined efforts of the Swanton Area Railroad and Model Club and the Fulton County Historical Society.
The newly installed layout replaces the previous setup, which had seen years of use and wear. The updated version offers improved detail, cleaner lines, and more floor space.
The Swanton club acquired the display from a collector in Oregon, Ohio, who had originally purchased it from the man who built it in Angola, Indiana.
That builder, a Presbyterian minister, created the original design before it passed through two owners and found its new home at the depot.
Visitors will see that the layout includes thoughtful local touches, such as a miniature version of the Fulton County Fair, a model of the Wauseon Depot and its matching caboose, and detailed storefronts inspired by downtown Wauseon. The model trains themselves were retained from the earlier layout, blending old with new in a seamless display.
Volunteers noted that the trains tend to captivate children, especially during the annual Christmas events with Santa, where many young visitors sometimes spend more time watching the trains than visiting the man in red.
Along with the model trains, the depot now features a reimagined and permanent exhibit on the region’s railroad history.
The panels that previously lined the walls of the Historical Society’s Museum Gallery have been relocated to the depot. These displays cover various railroad and trolley lines that once passed through the area.
The new setup also includes authentic tools once used by railroad workers, such as pickaxes, lanterns, rail carriers, and sledgehammers.
One portion of the exhibit pays tribute to the grueling manual labor performed by section crews, a stark contrast to the modern machinery used today.
In an interesting coincidence, while the new exhibit was being installed, crews were laying track outside the depot in an effort to renew the lines. This showed a huge difference between how railroad lines were done from the past to the present.
The baggage room on the west end of the depot, once used for storage, has now been integrated into the public exhibit space. It features one of the history panels, additional tools, and a display on Henry Ford’s connection to rail innovation.
Organizers say this is the most comprehensive railroad exhibit the depot has hosted. The work combines what was once two separate displays into one cohesive narrative.
Members also emphasized their desire to enhance what was already in place and to tell a fuller, more detailed story of Fulton County’s railroad past. They described the installation as a long-term addition, one that will remain a fixture at the depot for years to come.
Visitors can experience the new layout and exhibit during upcoming open house events on the third Sundays of July and August.