Howard C. Aley reported in the publication “The Time of Your Life” in 1881 railroads had become the preferred form of travel to the fair for many. The trains would stop on the big farm across from state Route 46 and fairgoers would walk to the fairground entrance.

Trains played an important part of the early fairs and today trains continue to be a part of the fair. Two different groups bring the joy of trains to the Fairground’s Western Reserve Village by showcasing real ones and model versions..

On the real side of the coin is steam engine No. 301. The engine is one of two switch yard engines ordered by Youngstown Sheet and Tube in 1915. The engines saw service in the Youngstown Sheet and Tube’s Hubbard Works and occasionally in the Campbell yard for many years. The twin was scrapped, but 301 was preserved and donated by YS&T to the Mahoning Valley Railroad Heritage Association in the 1960s. It was moved to a track at the Ohio Edison plant in Niles.

In 1985, the Engine 301 was brought down the Erie Railroad’s Niles-Lisbon branch and was then trucked to its present location in the Western Reserve Village where the association continues to see to its preservation and care.

Mahoning Valley Railroad Heritage Association President Carl Jacobson, is among the members working at restoring the vintage railroad signal at the Canfield Fairgrounds. Last year a severe storm caused it to fall and suffer a lot of damage. Over the summer, members of the MVRHA removed the signal and completed restoration in time for this year’s fair. (Photo by J.T. Whitehouse/archives)

“A boiler inspector had examined the 301 and said it could be made operational,” said Western Reserve Village Trustee Bill Davis.

Keeping the 301 in good shape has been a bit of a chore. The location of the engine is close to state Route 46. The state uses liquid deicer product on the route; it then dries and is kicked up as dust by passing vehicles. The powdered salt settles on the engine and causes rust problems. About 15 years ago, a shelter was constructed to protect the engine. Each winter, plastic siding is put up, but some of the dust is still getting through.

“We need a better shelter to protect the engine and caboose,” said Mahoning Valley Railroad Heritage Association President Carl Jacobson.

For now the engine goes through derusting and repainting on a regular basis. The MVRHA also cares for many artifacts that are railroad related. For this year’s fair, a historic railroad signal has been restored and will be finished in time for this year’s fair. The signal had fallen and was damaged after a terrible storm last year. It was removed, restored and is ready to be brought back to the fairgrounds this summer.

Members of the MVRHA will be on hand during the fair to answer questions and give tours of the historic engine.

Joe Conroy, Joey Conroy and Bill Blatchford helped reintroduce the Western Reserve Village train layout in 2021. (Photo by J.T. Whitehouse/archives)

Shrinking down the size, the Western Reserve Historical Railroaders will continue to operate a portable model train display again this year. The display will be in its sixth year at the fair and continues to be a favorite stop for young and old alike.

The first layout to appear at the Western Reserve Village was in 2019 when model train enthusiasts Joe Conroy, Joey Conroy, Bill Blatchford, Chuck Sauer and Jack Whitehouse put up an unusual display. The train board was donated by the MVRHA and was designed to hold about 120 pounds of potting soil. In the soil, live plants and herbs would be placed, then train buildings and vehicles added. Two main line tracks ran around the four tables and carried vintage and newer Lionel trains.

In 2020, the fair went to a limited Junior Fair and the train displays were not set up. The layout returned in 2021 for the final year of live plants, but the tables were starting to buckle.

“It was just too much weight,” Conroy said.

With the addition of model enthusiasts Dan Turner and Lee Stere, the decision was made to return to conventional model scenery and eliminate the live plants. Turner also came up with a plan to convert the four tables to one large mobile layout.

In the spring and summer of 2022, members of the Western Reserve Historic Railroaders redesigned and constructed a new layout for the fair that was 17-feet by 7.5-feet and was a one-piece table on four wheels. Pictured is Lee Stere, Dan Turner and Dennis Mamone working on the project. (Photo by J.T. Whitehouse/archives)

Following the 2021 fair, the four tables were loaded onto a trailer and hauled to a garage in Boardman where Stere, a self-taught carpenter, went to work on the planned layout. It was up and running for the 2022 fair.

Stere incorporated the original table top corners onto the new mobile table with a cabinet for storage underneath. The two end sections were placed on hinges and could bend upward and be locked in to make the unit smaller in length. The unit was only 8″ shorter than the original layout at 17-feet by 7.5-feet.

The foundation work was completed in early June 2022, and a new track was ordered and installed in July. The new layout includes a long outside rail that is still a long oval. The new inside track is a winding line that will cross itself and proceed through a tunnel system. A third line for bump-and-go trolleys was added.

The layout featured operating fair rides, agriculture and some of the Western Reserve Village buildings. The following year a wooded mountain scene and line was added. New member Dennis Mamone also brought a new element to the layout in 2022.

“I am bringing a city block,” Mamone said.

With the growing membership, the model train enthusiasts formed an unofficial group called the Western Reserve Historic Railroaders. The group handles the train display during the fair and maintains it year round.

The layout this year will showcase much of what Mahoning County is all about. The east end will contain a rail yard, then a rural farm scene. One new addition expected this year will be Baird Brothers Sawmill, which grew out of a local farm in Mahoning County.

The layout will continue with Mill Creek Park represented on the mountain scene, the Western Reserve Village, a Youngstown city street and the Canfield Fair with rides and displays. New this year will be a backdrop of the county’s rich steel history with a section of scale model mills.

The layout will be located at the north end of the old Erie Railroad Station in the village. The exhibit is among the free items offered at the village.