Mayflower resident in Winter Park shares passion for model trains

Ever since he was a child, Bob Maraio had dreamed of it. He dreamed about the wonder and excitement of a sprawling display of model trains — chugging through a miniature community of shops, stations and hilltops.

At age 75, Maraio finally has realized that dream — and he is sharing it with his fellow residents at The Mayflower Retirement Community. 

The model-train hobbyist has gifted his collection to the Winter Park retirement community, working together with a club of residents to shape and evolve an impressive model train layout.

Most of the pieces come from Maraio’s collection that he has acquired over the years — and most have remained in boxes and never were used in an actual permanent set.

“The train set was all boxed up, and it came with us,” Maraio said. “I was retired then, and I had hoped to be able to have a layout, but there’s no place to have a layout unless you have a basement. We didn’t have enough room in the house. I had a decision to make, and that was what was I going to do with all the trains.”

Maraio moved to The Mayflower about three years ago, and shortly after donated the trains to the community in exchange for a dedicated space to put them. Eventually, Maraio and some Mayflower residents started The Mayflower Model Railroad Club — a group of about 10 residents that meets every Friday to work on the train set.

“We saw it as a win-win for everybody,” Maraio said.

Together, the club has added to the ever-changing layout, which was once the size of a ping-pong table but has since grown to about 11 feet by 9 feet thanks to some added surfaces. The train set within The Mayflower community includes everything from a church and train station to a replica of Park Avenue, complete with a brick street, shops and some classic ’50s and ’ 60s cars.

Club member Carole Rubin even has taken the time to add trees and a garden as the designated chief landscaper.

“We’re always working on something — we’ve added accessories, we’ve had accessories and connected them to the track,” Maraio said.

Maraio’s passion for model trains started at a young age, when he got his first Lionel set at around age 10. It was a simple train set that circled around the base of Christmas tree. From that day forward, Maraio wanted to have an actual model-train layout.

He began seriously collecting as an adult in the 1980s and acquired about 100 different engines and train cars — much of which now resides in display cases or on the train set at The Mayflower.

“I never imagined it would look this way — I don’t know if any of us thought it would be like this,” Maraio said. “When we started the club, I was the only model-railroad enthusiast. Everybody else said, ‘I don’t know anything about model railroading, but I’m willing to give it a try.’ They’ve become enthusiastic.”

Maraio hopes grandchildren and great-grandchildren will come take a look at the trains as well, and perhaps discover their own passion for the hobby.

“We’ve had great-grandchildren jumping up and down with joy,” he said. “We’d like to encourage the hobby in the hopes that some of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who come over will take an interest. It’s a unique hobby.” 

Today the model train is decorated with tiny Christmas lights, wreaths and trees — a miniature village set to celebrate the holidays. Maraio said he’s happy to have shared his trains with the other residents at The Mayflower and looks forward to finding new members for the club.

“It brings a lot of fond memories back to folks,” Maraio said. “Those of us who are living here … many of us had trains or wish we had trains when we were kids. It’s something that really brings back nostalgia for both men and women.”