‘Impractical Jokers’ Celebrity Hosts 47th Annual Holiday Train Show in Rocky Hill for First Responders

By Lea Florentine for The Montgomery News | October 20, 2026

Comedian James Murray, a star and executive producer of the hidden-camera comedy series Impractical Jokers on truTV/TBS, is a local celebrity for saving a beloved non-profit model railroad club in the historic little town of Rocky Hill.

Murray, known as “Murr” on the show, and his wife Melyssa will greet attendees at the Pacific Southern's 47th Annual Holiday Show on Saturday, Nov. 21 & Sunday, Nov. 22, at 26 Washington Street.

Hang out with Murr from Impractical Jokers and his wife, Melyssa - CEO of No. 95 Candles.

As the club's “chief marketing officer” Murray is determined to preserve the local model railroad landmark. Since 1964, the Rocky Hill property has hosted the club’s legendary 5,000-square-foot HO-scale layout featuring over 12,000 feet of hand-laid track. When longtime steward Carl Pate III died in 2024, leaving the layout's future in doubt, Murray—a lifelong train enthusiast—stepped up to purchase the property and guarantee its preservation. His financial investment reflects his deep commitment to keeping this piece of history alive.

Families enjoying the 46th Annual Holiday Train Show in Rocky Hill in November 2025.

The holiday show will feature all sorts of fun activities for families and fans, including: 

•  A tour of the iconic 5,000 square foot Pacific Southern Railway train museum, one of America's longest-running non-profit model railroads.

• Balloon animals.

• A food truck. 

• Hot chocolate.

• A working R2-D2 — the lovable astromech droid from Star Wars.

• Multiple train layouts running throughout the property.

• Creative candles from Melyssa Murray's No. 95 Candles.

• Books authored by James Murray.

Proceeds will support Rocky Hill’s First Aid & Rescue Squad and Fire Department.

James and Melyssa Murray (holding their dogs) with members of the Pacific Southern Model Railroad Club.

Big Plans

The Pacific Southern Model Railroad Club members have big plans for improvements to the layout’s lighting. Club President Jeff Bernardis notes, “We are looking into a more intricate overhead lighting system, using colored LED lamps so that we can show dusk or evening scenes, all programmable and controllable from a central location.”

“We also want to add lighting to the scene elements themselves, including internal and ‘outdoor’ lighting for buildings, traffic signals, and car lights. We want all of this to not only be centrally controllable, but able to animate scenes, for example, having traffic signals cycle, or having individual lights in buildings go on and off suggesting people inside."

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Bernardis, one of many talented PS members, uses skills from his days at Bell Labs on the railroad. He says the club plans to “use open source solutions for the lighting; currently Home Assistant. We would have to make devices based on an ESP32 module, functionally similar to an Arduino, but with on-board Wi-Fi, to be placed around the display. Some custom software may need to be written, for animation and timing.”

Summarizing the club’s efforts, Bernardis points out, “The possibilities are endless. It's easy to think of things to do. We want people coming back year after year to see changes to the layout.”

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The club had its first “road shows” with a table and display at the 2025 National Model Railroad Association’s (NMRA) Trainfest in Milwaukee last November; the Amherst Model Railroad Show in January; and the NMRA convention and train show in Chattanooga in July.

Regarding the shows, Bernardis recalls, “Representing the club at the shows was interesting. Usually clubs do not have tables at these events unless they have an actual layout that they display. Our booth was more about the story of how the club was saved [when James Murray and his wife Melyssa bought the house].”

The club has also been judging events for the Somerset County 4-H Trainmasters club. The PS plans to offer Saturday sessions every other weekend in the coming months for the young train enthusiasts. Bernardis explains, “In addition to allowing them some operating time, we hope to offer clinics for different techniques.”

Photo Gallery

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  Rocky Mayor Bob Uhrik greets R2-D2.

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  James and Melyssa Murray and friends.

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  James Murray at the club's HQ in Rocky Hill.

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  Rocky Hill residents enjoying the show.

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  A club engineer sets up the show.

Bernardis says the club has “brought in some very active members recently.” However, new members are always welcome to join them on Wednesday evenings. He adds that dues for children 12 and under are now free, and dues for 13 to 18 year old members are half of the adult price.

The model railroad has expanded into the backyard garage, and the club continues its work on a 230-foot layout from the defunct Muscoot Valley Railroad Club of Armonk, New York. Members also are building permanent benches for the layout, repairing or refreshing pieces, and installing lighting, and will be laying the roadbed for the track.

At the Holiday Show, the the club will again be selling four different types of custom HO box cars, commemorating the club's founding by Bob Latham, and celebrating its subsequent owners: Geoff Green, Carl and Anne Pate, and Jnow ames and Melyssa Murray. The commemorative box cars are $40.

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Merchandise and memberships (active, virtual or junior), as well as Melyssa’s No. 95 Candles, will also be available.

There will also be photo ops with Murr, a balloon artist, and food available for purchase from Marisol’s food truck during the Open House. The backyard garage will feature the Muscoot Valley layout, as well as skee ball and tabletop basketball. In a tent nearby, the Lionel trains Murr set up with his late father and a layout from the Somerset County 4-H Trainmasters will be running.

The PS Model Railroad Holiday train shows will be held November 21 and 22, 2026 on the half hour from 10am to 5pm at 26 Washington Street in Rocky Hill. Admission is $10 per person (age 10 and under are free). Tickets can be purchased online ($2.51 Event Brite fee) via credit or debit card, PayPal, or Google Pay; or at the door, if available, with cash or credit card. Parking is on the street, so arrive early. All proceeds will benefit Rocky Hill’s First Aid and Rescue Squad and Fire Department.

Go to www.pacificsouthern.org, or the Pacific Southern Railroad Facebook page, for more information or to order tickets online. Tickets can be bought at www.HolidayTrainShow.com, but walk-ups are welcome, subject to availability.

Pacific Southern's 47th Annual Holiday Show

Saturday, Nov. 21 & Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, 10am-5pm, Rocky Hill, New Jersey

Tickets & Details: www.HolidayTrainShow.com