A hobby that has grown and grown over the years takes up most of the basement in Tom Thompson’s DeKalb home.

At 22 feet in one direction and 20 feet in another, Thompson’s G-scale model train setup – a recreation of a European village in the Alps – has taken on a life of its own. It’s all about the stories for Thompson: He finds joy in imagining the possibilities with the villagers, businesses and train passengers who inhabit the tiny world.

“Everywhere you look, you’ll see little interesting tidbits, something that kind of tells an interesting story,” Thompson said.