By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

For more than 30 years, Tom Scibetta’s domain has been growing. Villages, farms, logging companies and even a circus have popped up across the hilly landscape, complete with a vast network of railroads and streets.

Where is Scibetta’s empire located? His basement.

Scibetta, who lives on the corner of River Road and Route 370, is the conductor of Rambling Rocky Ridge Railroad, an interactive, electric model Lionel railroad. He has given family and friends tours of his railroad, and now he is inviting area families to join the fun.

While he’s lost count of exactly how long the looping track is, Scibetta’s subterranean setup covers more than 800 square feet and features hand-painted mountains made from over 2,550 pounds of plaster. The microcosm is dotted with thousands of trees, animals, people and, of course, numerous model trains.

“My object is to entertain people,” Scibetta said. “When you see a regular train going around in a circle, it gets boring.”

Over the years, Scibetta has expanded his railroad to include tunnels and bridges. The remote-controlled trains emit sounds of horns, whistles and chugging engines. Scibetta, with occasional help from his grandchildren, has recorded dialogue for the miniature “workers” at stops along the track.

“People get a little more kick out of everything,” he said.

Scibetta’s first foray into the model train world was when he received his first Lionel model train at age 10. When he grew up to be a husband and father, he set up a train around the Christmas tree for his children.

“Eventually, they lost their interest in it,” he said, “but, of course, I never did.”

Scibetta said working on his railroad and sharing it with other people is his “therapy” and an outlet for stress.

“When I come down here and work on this train, I forget about all my problems,” he said.

Scibetta said it takes a train about seven minutes to run the full track, but his interactive tours last at least 30 to 60 minutes as he teaches kids to operate the trains, track switches and test out the sound effects.

“Most people don’t leave in an hour,” he said.

There is no admission to the Rambling Rocky Ridge Railroad, but Scibetta suggests groups no larger than six people because his space is limited. The recommended age for child visitors is 6 and up.

The Scibetta home is located at 7484 River Road in Baldwinsville. To schedule a tour, call 622-3993.