Wailoa Center’s Fountain Gallery will display the installation “Wooden Art in Motion” by Le Notley from Sept. 4-24.
Wailoa Center’s Fountain Gallery will display the installation “Wooden Art in Motion” by Le Notley from Sept. 4-24.
There will be a First Friday reception from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 4 for Notley, who will run his hand-crafted model trains around his custom-built track and eagerly answer any questions the public might have regarding his exhibit. Notley also will be available throughout September to demonstrate the set, dubbed the “Basswood Railroad Lines.”
“Having these trains on display is a rare opportunity for our community to experience,” said Wailoa Center director Codie King. “Mr. Notley’s craftsmanship and attention to detail is unsurpassed. Everyone needs to see this display.”
Notley was born and raised in Hilo and grew up in the late ’40s through the early ’60s away from any trains, locomotives and train cars. “Hilo was definitely not a train town,” he said.
After finishing a tour of duty in the Navy, Notley returned to Hilo and attended the Hawaii Technical School studying architectural drafting before working for Hawaii Electric Light Co.
“I always had a hidden passion for trains,” Notley said. “When I finally retired from HELCO in early 2000, I decided it was time to make my passion for trains come true.
“A friend said, ‘Why don’t you build one yourself? You’re good with your hands and you can use your architectural experience.’”
Notley found basswood was the ideal material to construct the train and he built the train to “O” scale dimensions, completing the locomotive and tender in three months. He liked the finished train and built four corresponding freight cars also of basswood material.
“I was delighted with what I created out of wood,” Notley said.
Not happy with only the locomotive and tender with four freight cars, he also built five passenger cars.
“Thank goodness for my architectural knowledge to rely on, for building this train without plans or a kit was definitely a formidable task,” he said.
Wailoa Center is a Division of the state Parks, Department of Land and Natural Resources. It is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed Saturday, Sunday and state holidays.
For additional information, call 933-0416 or email wailoa@yahoo.com.