For many families, the return of the holiday season is accompanied by unique traditions and time-honored festivities. Some people enjoy caroling through their neighborhood, and others share a plump ham on Christmas morning. However, local residents Al Strausner and his grandson Matthew Palmeri prefer to celebrate the season by taking a different track - literally.

Every December, Strausner and Palmeri travel to West Willow United Methodist Church, 118 West Willow Road, Willow Street, where they join forces to assemble model train displays. The display is then made available to view until the end of the month, during which time Strausner and Palmeri receive monetary donations and nonperishable food items for local food banks. This year, the two locomotive enthusiasts will collect donations for Solanco Neighborhood Ministries in Quarryville and Conestoga Community Food Bank in Lancaster; each organization operates a food bank in its respective area. Last year, Strausner and Palmeri collected nearly 400 nonperishable goods and monetary donations totaling $500, setting a new record for the annual fundraiser. "The community has been really supportive," Strausner said. "We see lots of people return from last year, and some new faces as well."

The displays will be 14 by 20 feet in size and include a variety of extensions, some of which measure 8 by 10 feet. The sets comprise multiple detailed models of buildings and train cars, and each one is proportionately scaled to serve as a replica of its real and functional counterpart. Strausner and Palmeri change the composition of the display every year by substituting certain pieces, rearranging the placement of the tracks and introducing new structures. This year, the display will feature a model of a circus train, a traveling attraction that was popular in the '50s and '60s.

Strausner's interest in trains was sparked when he was 6 years old, and his collection of models started with a new Plasticville model building. He received a new model as a gift from his aunt and uncle on his birthdays and holidays; many of them remain in his collection to this day. Palmeri became enamored with his grandfather's passion when he was 8 years old, and the two have bonded over their model train sets for the last seven years. "My favorite aspect of building the displays is spending time with my grandfather and doing something we both enjoy," Palmeri said. "I always admired his display, and I began building model railroad displays to have fun with him during the holidays."

Strausner and Palmeri will open their display on Saturday, Dec. 9, and they will receive donations from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays until the end of the month.