Train sculptures brighten downtown Naperville streets

Trains are almost as much a part of the Christmas holidays as flying reindeer and stockings hung by the chimney with care.

You've got your Polar Express. You've got your Santa Trains. You've got your Lego trains and those big honkin' Lionels that clickity-clack around the tree.

So when it came time for the Downtown Naperville Alliance to pick a theme for this year's outdoor holiday sculpture displays in the city's central business district, it wasn't too tough to settle on the idea of miniature train engines. And, better still, miniature train engines with seats designed for a kid to take a load off so mom or dad can snap a picture or two.

The 17 sculptures were unveiled last week and will remain on display until mid-Jamuary.

Each of the pieces is sponsored by a group or company and painted by a different artist, organizers said. You can vote for your favorite by visiting http://downtownnaperville.com/trains.

The winning sculpture will be chosen at the end of December. Once the trains go off display, they'll be returned to the organization that sponsored them to auction, donate or keep.

Outdoor sculptures have been part of the downtown Naperville streetscape for years. The first such sculptures were part of a Naperville United Way fundraiser in the summer of 2001. Beginning in 2012, the Downtown Naperville Alliance adopted the idea to help decorate downtown streets for the holidays. The first year the sculptures featured snowmen and last year they were based on gingerbread cookies.