Nostalgic trains of thought

Brian Fields gave a demonstration at the Orange County Fair Saturday afternoon of some of the most popular toys in the world.

Ironically, most of the people in the audience were senior citizens.

Fields, the president of the South Pacific Division of the Toy Train Operating Society, brought his antique electric trains to the fair for the third consecutive year. As a number of baby boomers — and a smattering of kids — filled the seats in the Home Arts and Crafts Gallery, Fields gave a presentation and history lesson on the old metal models from Lionel, Marx and other companies whose brand names dominated toy chests more than half a century ago.

“It’s a hobby anyone can enjoy,” Fields said. “You see people just light up when you say ‘Lionel,’ because that’s the model they had when they were kids.”

Toy trains, he noted, have faded from prominence in recent years as video games and computers have taken over. Still, his eye twinkled when a pair of small boys in front of him seized the trains and began rolling them back and forth.

“As you can see, young kids like playing with trains,” Fields said. “I think kids like the motion aspect.”

That was true for many of the older audience members, who said playing with electric trains was an essential part of growing up. H. B. Corcorran, who is retired and lives in Santa Ana, said his old trains had passed down generations in his family — to his son, and then to his grandson.

“To me, it was just fun putting the tracks together and designing the layout,” Corcorran said. “That was the fun. Of course, you could only keep it up for a few days before you had to put it away.”

Ardith Paget, a homemaker from Anaheim, said the demonstration at the fair brought back family memories of her own. She and her brother had a beloved train set as kids, and she planned to make it into a family heirloom.

“My brother told me shortly before he died that he still had the train set, so if I find it in the attic [of his house], I’m going to send it to my nephew for his grandson,” she said.

THINGS TO DO

Scorpions, Sammy Hagar

The Pacific Amphitheatre concert series will end with a bang as former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar, his longtime backing band the Wabos and the German hard-rock band the Scorpions unite for a rocking set. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are between $45 and $85.

Horses and bulls

Bull riding in the Action Sports Arena will be joined by Fiesta del Charro, a traditional Mexican equestrian show featuring riders who do tricks in colorful clothes. There is some reserved seating available for $12.50, but otherwise the show is free with regular fair admission. The hooves begin pounding at 4:15 and 8:15 p.m.

Belly dancing

The Orange County Fair is always an eclectic place — and this afternoon, you can get a taste of Egypt on the Main Mall Stage with Diamonds of the Nile, a belly dancing troupe. The show is free with fair admission and starts at 1:30 p.m.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.