Beneath fluorescent lighting and set to a playlist of Christmastime hits, hundreds of people flocked to The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland on Saturday for the annual Rocky Mountain Holiday Train Show.

Born over 40 years ago and revitalized in the 2000s, the official show in March draws up to 11,000 people each year, making it the largest of its kind west of the Mississippi River, according to its website. Loveland’s smaller, two-day holiday version has been around since 2016, and features over 200 sellers and at least a dozen operating models.

The sound of train whistles and the distinct scent of the mineral oil used for creating that quintessential model train smoke could be heard and smelled throughout the event center as electronic locomotives chugged around miniature townscapes.

At sellers’ booths, many sifted through various models of Rio Grandes, Southern Pacifics and Santa Fes to potentially procure for their own collections.

Surrounded by an oval track, William Boorman, superintendent of Aurora’s Sunrise Division Rocky Mountain Region — part of the National Model Railroad Association — looked on as a family watched a miniature high-speed passenger train.

“It’s just kind of neat to see kids get excited over different things,” Boorman said.

The model surrounding Boorman was about 20 feet from top to bottom, and was made up of 16 different modules, he said. Each module has wires underneath it that connect to the miniatures on top as well as the adjacent sections.

“It’s good enjoyment to get more people involved,” Boorman said, noting that he grew up around trains and loved coming to shows as a kid. “You can get really expensive with it, or you can keep it real simple. It’s just fun.”

Children made up a fair number of those in attendance, in part because those under 12 got in free. Many gravitated toward the different models, especially one made entirely out of LEGO bricks.

Once upon a time, Charlie Labonde was one of those children, attending his first show. On Saturday, he returned after about 20 years away from the hobby, a product of finding his old train sets while clearing out his parents’ basement.

“I figured I’d get back into it, and this seemed like a great place to do that,” Labonde said, standing next to Cassandra Goodby, with whom he was attending the show.

As for what he was looking for at the show, Labonde said he was hoping to buy electronics to make sounds for his model.

“Mine were just old and simple, they were just on/off switches,” he said. “Now, I’m an adult, I can make it better.”

The holiday show will continue on Sunday at the event center with doors open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.