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  • RIDING TRAINS: Mud Creek Central Railroad members ride a train they just made. The club is open to the public for the first time Sunday, and people will be able to ride or purchase life-size trains built by members of the club. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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August 10, 2010

You-operate train rides opening

By Britney Milazzo The Tonawanda News

Town of Lockport — Have you ever wanted to operate a train?

Well, Sunday is your chance to do so at Mud Creek Central Railroad, 7349 Tonawanda Creek Road.

Owner Mike Burg bought 65 acres of land on an old farm on Tonawanda Creek Road to set up a railroad system and member-made trains for locals to ride.

“Members will escort the guests around the tracks, but our guests are also allowed to ride in the front and test the trains out for themselves,” Burg said. A brief safety and riding lessen is provided.

His inspiration? A 1950s show called, “You Asked For It.”

“It was just an interest of mine since I was a little kid,” Burg said. “I used to watch the show a lot and wanted to create this for myself. After a very long time, I was able to.”

The life-size locomotive building was started by the Niagara Frontier Live Steamers in the Southern Tier in the 1940s and has expanded into other clubs around Western New York, Burg said. Mud Creek Central is the only life-size train club in Lockport, and this is the first year it is open to the public.

“Anyone’s welcome. We really want people to come out and see what we’re all about, because it’s really something neat,” Burg said. “The feeling of controlling a real train and the smell of burning coal are some things that make large-scale railroading different from smaller-scale model railroading. You are the engineer looking down the track.”

Burg said the club consists of about 25 members who make and buy life-size trains. The trains run from $500 to $3,000.

“Mud Creek Central is dedicated to providing a track for the skilled craftsmen of hand-built locomotives in live steam, electric and gas, and rolling stock modeled after prototype railroads,” Burg said.

Burg said members are continuing to build more tracks for the future.

“Eventually, we want to have 5 miles of tracks,” Burg said.

Sunday will include free access to Mud Creek Central Railroad and a $10 fee for families to ride a train.

Burg said if people want to join as a member, “they can learn how to build engines or cars and participate in the building of the railway.”

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