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Lego enthusiasts thrill to see trains and villages in Palatine

Posted March 25, 2018 1:00 am

By Gilbert R. Boucher II

Lego builder Eric Wackerfuss of Evanston shows off a dragon he built at the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club exhibit Sunday at the Palatine Public Library. Almost 3,000 train enthusiasts were expected to visit the show and look at the exciting Lego towns. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

Children rushed around Sunday watching model trains pass by towns made of Legos during the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club Exhibit at the Palatine Public Library.

The designers used more than a million Lego bricks to build approximately 200 feet of tracks and cityscapes that featured dragons, superheroes, fast-food restaurants and "Star Wars" characters.

"Everything you see here is pretty much made of Legos. It is all personal creations from the club," said club president Jamie LeBlanc. "We love to put out a lot of content with a lot of little vignettes. There are a lot of little mini figures doing stupid stuff for everybody to see. So the more they look, usually the more they find and the more they laugh. Which is always our specialty."

The Lego enthusiast group originated in 2001 and now consists of 25 active members from Illinois and Wisconsin, who enjoy building, designing and displaying Lego creations throughout the Chicago area.

Wide-eyed children pointed to Hulk eating a hot dog and Luke Skywalker from "Star Wars" riding a Tauntaun outside a Pizza Hut.

"It's a lot of fun to see all the models and the trains," said Palatine resident Christian Schiavone, who brought his two sons, Tyler and Caden, to see the Lego cityscapes. "They are interested in a lot of things that are themed here, like the Minecraft section, and all of the guitars are fun fantasy to see, too."

Christian Schiavone of Palatine points to Lego characters with his sons, Tyler, 10, left, and Caden, 8, at the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club exhibit on Sunday at the Palatine Public Library. Almost 3,000 train enthusiasts were expected to visit the show and look at the exciting Lego towns. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

Magnus Murdent, 8, of Wheeling watches the train come down the track at the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club exhibit on Sunday at the Palatine Public Library. Almost 3,000 train enthusiasts were expected to visit the show and look at the exciting Lego towns. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

"Star Wars" character Luke Skywalker rides a Tauntaun near a Pizza Hut at the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club exhibit on Sunday at the Palatine Public Library. Almost 3,000 train enthusiasts were expected to visit the show and look at the exciting Lego towns. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

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