The Villages - December 2017 - 10

A long-time train fanatic, Goldberg fell in love with
locomotives at age 7.
"We lived in a Manhattan apartment, and one day
my father and his brothers got together and bought an
American Flyer train set," he said. "I got hooked right then
and there, and I looked forward to holidays because we
always set up the train."
Goldberg also enjoyed riding the subway, feeling the
rumble of the underground rail car as it whooshed through
the belly of the city. He continued to be fascinated with
trains, but put them aside in his teen years.
"I lost interest when girls came along," Goldberg
explains. "But I kept them in the back of my mind. Then,
I went to college and got drafted and went into the Army.
When I came out of the service, I got married and we moved
to an apartment in Rego Park, Queens. One day as I was
coming off the subway, I saw Model Railroader Magazine at
a newsstand. I thought, 'Wow, I haven't seen that magazine
in years.' I bought a copy and took it home to show my wife."
Goldberg pauses, allowing a smile to brighten his face.
"My wife said, 'Oh, no.' I think she knew what was
coming," he said.
When it came time to house hunt, Goldberg made sure
he had space for a layout.
"We bought a ranch-style home with a basement," he
said.
Later, he joined a train club and became an assistant
scenery foreman.
"You learn a lot when you're part of a club," Goldberg
said. "Everyone has their niche - carpentry and so on. I
learned about electricity."
In 2005, Goldberg and his wife moved to the Village of
Poinciana on the recommendation of friends.
"We were bowling when a friend suggested we look at
The Villages' website," Goldberg said. "We couldn't believe
it. My wife said, 'This can't be real.' It was a Wednesday, and
by the weekend, we were here. I had to see the place; it was
so well manicured - like Disney."
Within a year, Goldberg had found a group he could
get on board with: The Villages Model Railroad Club. He
saw the notice in the Recreation News and attended his
first meeting at Bridgeport Recreation Center. Goldberg is a
charter member.

"We work together to combine our talents," he
said.
Members keep their own modules at homes, where
they can tinker with their part of the displays. The
club has some modules in storage, Goldberg said -
tiny towns, mountain scenes and meticulous working
parts.
"We pay a lot of fees to keep these units stored -
almost $12,000 a year," he said.
Donations help the club manage those costs.
The club breaks off into several clubs based on the
sizes of their trains. G gauge is the largest train size
followed by O gauge, HO gauge and N gauge.
Village of Summerhill resident Brooks Crum is
chairman of the O-gauge group.

You learn a lot when you're part of a club. Everyone has their niche
- carpentry and so on. I learned about electricity.
- Alan Goldberg
10

DECEMBER 2017



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - December 2017

Contents
The Villages - December 2017 - Cover1
The Villages - December 2017 - Contents
The Villages - December 2017 - 1
The Villages - December 2017 - 2
The Villages - December 2017 - 3
The Villages - December 2017 - 4
The Villages - December 2017 - 5
The Villages - December 2017 - 6
The Villages - December 2017 - 7
The Villages - December 2017 - 8
The Villages - December 2017 - 9
The Villages - December 2017 - 10
The Villages - December 2017 - 11
The Villages - December 2017 - 12
The Villages - December 2017 - 13
The Villages - December 2017 - 14
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