Auto center in Palatine sports giant layout for model trains
Trains have fascinated John Busch III for more than three decades.
Busch, store manager for the Busch Auto Service Center at 137 S. Northwest Hwy. in Palatine, first brought his hobby to the store five years ago
It started as a simple loop around an artificial Christmas tree, and has since taken on a life of its own.
Busch figures that the mainline run is about 320 feet long including a helix in the center so that the two trains he operates can go from the upper level to the lower level and vice versa.
Busch, the third generation of his family to work at the store, which was founded in 1945, has been collecting model trains for over 30 years, including N, HO, and O gauge.
John Busch III uses a remote to control the track switches on his Lionel Train layout inside his tire store in Palatine.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com