Enjoying the window display at Dave Rossi Photography, Westfield Studios, former downtown location.

Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ.Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ. Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ.Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ. Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ.Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ. Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ.Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ. Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ.Children enjoying the large scale LGB train display in the window of Westfield Studios, Dave Rossi Photography, 104 Quimby Street, Downtown Westfield, NJ.

The Quimby Street Line: Was A Westfield Tradition at Dave Rossi’s Westfield Studio

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There’s something magical about watching a little train make its journey, carrying whimsical cargo through a world of its own. For almost two decades, from 1993 to 2012, that magic lived at Dave’s third and most endearing photo studio location on Quimby Street in Westfield. Here, an LGB G scale train ran continuously in the front window, capturing the hearts of children, parents, and even the busiest of businessmen passing by.

The train’s cargo wasn’t your average freight. No, this was Dave’s creative playground, where pumpkins, Santa Claus, spinning tops, dreidels, pine cones, cameras, and even jelly beans found a place to ride. Sesame Street and Disney characters sometimes hitched a ride through snowy landscapes that Dave meticulously crafted, and each season brought a fresh array of playful and charming cargo. The children could never quite predict what Dave would put on the train next, so they came back often, running from window to window, pressing their little faces against the glass to catch every new adventure. Over 40 feet of track weaved through the studio’s window and interior, creating an irresistible scene for passersby.

If you stood outside on Quimby Street, you could see the magic in action. Children would remember or catch a glimpse of the train from halfway down the block, and you could watch as their pace quickened with excitement. They’d pull ahead of their parents, eager to reach the windows just a moment sooner and steal an extra minute of watching the train.

Inside the studio, Dave made it a welcoming haven. Two cozy vantage points awaited those who ventured in to watch, where children giggled and parents lingered a little longer than they might have intended. Dave’s secret weapon? Speaking to the kids in a character they affectionately called “Duck.” He never failed to draw out smiles and laughter, making the experience a memorable one even for the smallest visitors.

It wasn’t just children who came to see the train. Businesspeople on their lunch breaks would stop to admire the train’s progress through its seasonal wonderland. Parents were often seen standing quietly in the back, hands clasped together in a silent plea to Dave to stop the train so they could finally coax their little ones away. If the train happened to be off, it never stayed that way for long. A gentle knock on the window was all it took to bring it back to life.

The window itself became a beloved stop on the route for local preschools, who made visiting Dave’s train part of their regular schedule. In fact, if you asked anyone under three feet tall where the train station was, they’d point you right to Dave’s studio window. It wasn’t officially named, but it earned a fitting nickname over the years: “The Quimby Street Line.”

And that glass? A constant source of evidence that something special was happening. Ice cream smears stretched across the window, about two feet off the ground and nearly twenty feet long, a testament to little hands and noses pressed eagerly against the glass to catch every moment. Dave and his team would clean it daily, each smudge marking another child’s wonder and excitement.

The Quimby Street Line wasn’t just a train in a window—it was a community. It was a place where children and adults alike gathered to share a moment of joy, and where memories were made without a single photograph ever being taken. Dave’s photo studio may have been a place of business, but for the children of Westfield, it was the train station, a little piece of magic that ran faithfully, day in and day out, bringing smiles and laughter to all who stopped to look.


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