A story we shared in October has taken on a life of its own — literally — after a 92-year-old Maine man’s model train village went viral and found a new home.For years, Dean Walker poured his passion into the model train layout above his garage — a hand-built village filled with tiny details and personal touches. When sister station WMTW first met him, he said he was looking for someone who would appreciate the layout as much as he did, someone who could carry it forward when the time felt right.”And that was my hope when we started all this. I would find somebody that would take the entire layout. I wasn’t willing to really split it up. That was my worst desire, was to sell it, piece by piece,” Walker said.After the story drew hundreds of thousands of views online, interest came in from far beyond Maine.”People were just interested to buy. Some people wanted me to donate,” Walker said.Read the original story here: Among the thousands who watched, a couple in New Hampshire reached out after seeing something special. Michael — who traveled to Bethel to see the layout for himself — walked through the room, studied the miniature village up close, and decided to buy the entire collection exactly as Walker built it.”You just don’t see stuff like that today. Even if you were to go out and buy contemporary trains today, they tend not to have the features, and they’re certainly not as well-made,” Michael said.The village that once lived above Walker’s garage is now headed to its new home out of state. Michael says he plans to preserve the layout exactly as it is.”I’m honored that Dean decided to allow me to preserve his legacy, you know, and it will always be the Dean Walker collection,” he said.For Walker, it means the world he created won’t be packed away or broken into pieces. Instead, it will keep running — maintained by someone who values the time, craftsmanship and history in every corner.”It’s just been a wonderful journey. It’s been a train ride. And I’m very happy to have been able to do it. And now I’m passing it on to somebody who will continue,” Walker said.
A story we shared in October has taken on a life of its own — literally — after a 92-year-old Maine man’s model train village went viral and found a new home.
For years, Dean Walker poured his passion into the model train layout above his garage — a hand-built village filled with tiny details and personal touches. When sister station WMTW first met him, he said he was looking for someone who would appreciate the layout as much as he did, someone who could carry it forward when the time felt right.
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“And that was my hope when we started all this. I would find somebody that would take the entire layout. I wasn’t willing to really split it up. That was my worst desire, was to sell it, piece by piece,” Walker said.
After the story drew hundreds of thousands of views online, interest came in from far beyond Maine.
“People were just interested to buy. Some people wanted me to donate,” Walker said.
Read the original story here:
Among the thousands who watched, a couple in New Hampshire reached out after seeing something special. Michael — who traveled to Bethel to see the layout for himself — walked through the room, studied the miniature village up close, and decided to buy the entire collection exactly as Walker built it.
“You just don’t see stuff like that today. Even if you were to go out and buy contemporary trains today, they tend not to have the features, and they’re certainly not as well-made,” Michael said.
The village that once lived above Walker’s garage is now headed to its new home out of state. Michael says he plans to preserve the layout exactly as it is.
“I’m honored that Dean decided to allow me to preserve his legacy, you know, and it will always be the Dean Walker collection,” he said.
For Walker, it means the world he created won’t be packed away or broken into pieces. Instead, it will keep running — maintained by someone who values the time, craftsmanship and history in every corner.
“It’s just been a wonderful journey. It’s been a train ride. And I’m very happy to have been able to do it. And now I’m passing it on to somebody who will continue,” Walker said.
