The "My New & Fantastic Christmas Tree Ornament" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just put the finishing touch on our small Christmas Tree we have in our family room.  Now, there is some background you need to know before I tell you about the ornament I just placed on the tree ... so here goes.  While growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania I lived near the Lancaster Train Station.  Matter of fact I lived about 100 yards from the four or five sets of train tracks that ran through the terminal.  I spent many a day during my summer vacation as well as many weekend days and afternoons during the school year at the station.  

Photo of the Lancaster Train Station from April 27, 1929.

Loved watching the trains, playing football ad baseball on the grassy areas next to the station, sliding down the brass railing inside the station as well as visiting the soda shop where I usually had a cherry coke and read a comic book which they sold there.  My longtime friend Jere's father worked to the west of the station at the Railway Express building and the two of us would stop by to see his dad as well as raid the Coke machine.  

The Lancaster Train Station as it appears today.

I still have fond memories of my childhood time spent at the Lancaster Train Station.  Well, yesterday I opened the Lancaster Sunday News and there at the bottom of the front page of one of the sections was a story telling of a special holiday ornament that was being offered for sale to help benefit the community of Lancaster.  This is the 10th year the LEADS non-profit organization has offered an ornament.  

The concourse leading to the platforms.

Lancaster Central Market, Watt & Shand department store, Old City Hall and the Fulton Opera House are a few of the other ornaments that have been offered in the past.  Some of the things that LEADS has accomplished in Lancaster is hanging flower baskets from the lampposts during summer months, decorating the same posts for the holidays and decorating the large tree in center square at Christmas.  

The main stairwell.  Spent many a day
sliding down the brass railing shown here.

This years ornament features the train station.  The station opened in 1929 and was constructed of red brick in the classical revival style of architecture.  The building featured a center block flanked by recessed wings.  The main entrance was at ground level in the center block with a large glass and metal marquee.  On the second level are concrete columns which frame three tall, rounded windows while the parapet above showcases a clock.  Inside is a second floor main waiting area which leads to a long waiting area with staircases on both sides that lead downward to the platforms.  Antique wooden benches line the waiting areas, some with initials scratched into them from...well, guess who.  

The old soda fountain which still exists today.

The building was at one time owned by the Pennsyl- vania Railroad, but is now owned by Amtrak.  The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Lancaster City Historic District.  There are to be 500 ornaments of the Train Station which are naturally 3D and crafted in solid brass and plated in 24-karat gold.   Well, I just had to have one to hang on the tree.  They are offered for sale at a variety of places with some of those places being: the Visitor's Center on Penn Square, Lancaster Galleries in downtown Lancaster as well as the Turkey Lady stand on Lancaster Central Market.  The selling price is $20.  By 2:00 PM the first day they went on sale I was the proud owner of two of these really neat ornaments; one for myself and one for a good, longtime friend of mine.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

My new Lancaster Train Station ornament that looks great on the tree.

My friend Jere's HO train yard features a reproduction of the Lancaster Train Station.