HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Byram Center, NJ

Investment manager John H. Scully was raised in Metuchen and attended the Pingry School, which at the time was located in Elizabeth. As a child, his heart was always in Byram, Sussex County, where he and his family spent their summers in a log cabin tucked next to Cranberry Lake.

His love of the area far transcended the scenic lake or boyhood summer shenanigans. Scully's real fascination was with the Lackawanna Railroad, which ran the length of New Jersey – and through Cranberry Lake – from the 1850s to 1950s.

“When I was 3 or 4 years old, I loved watching trains go by – it just really got me,” Scully said. “I was mesmerized.”

And he still is.

More than 60 years after he saw his first train, Scully began re-creating the Lackawanna Railroad through a 3,000-square-foot model train set in his East Hampton, N.Y., basement. On Saturday, Aug. 6, 20 years after he laid his first track, that donated set will debut at Jersey City's Liberty Science Center in the new exhibit "The Great Train Set."

Scully's set includes 425 feet of track, as well as models of six railway stations, including the Lackawanna Terminal in Hoboken. It also includes models of the local coal mine industry, suburban homes, bodies of water, 5,000 miniature trees and shrubs, 400 people, a drive-in movie theater, and multiple shops and stores, including a grocery store fully stocked, right down to individual sausage links.

The exhibit, which is included with the price of general admission ($25 to $32), also features train point-of-view cameras, with real-time video projected onto the walls of the museum; clips from a documentary about the display called “Still Plays with Trains”; and a star map of the July 1952 sky in Cranberry Lake illuminated onto the ceiling – the same sky Scully perhaps once gazed at while imagining his colossal creation.

When he was about 5, Scully's mother brought him to Macy’s in New York City during Christmastime, where he saw the store’s iconic, massive train layout.

“John has a vivid memory of this - he just couldn’t understand why he didn’t have a set like that in his home,” said John’s wife, Regina K. Scully, laughing. “I think the seeds of having this large layout were planted at that age. He said, ‘One day, I’m going to build that big layout,’ and that’s really what happened. His little Lionel set went from closet-sized to filling up our 3,000-square-foot basement.”

He began building the train set of his childhood dreams in 2002, after the Scullys finished building their East Hampton home. Soon, the train set became the basement.

“Every month he would say, ‘Regina, we don’t really need that gym, do we? Do we really need that wine cellar?' It became a joke,“ she said. “Finally, he left me one little treadmill parked in the middle of the repair railroad yard. I had all of these trains go right by me that would need to be repaired. It was a little tight, but it was very sweet and cute.”

“I just got excited from the childhood nostalgia of this train layout,” Scully said. “We wanted to build it and share it with the kids of East Hampton. I’m just a big kid myself.”

Scully enlisted engineers, lighting specialists, carpenters, architects, artists, archivists and electricians to help bring his model to life through 2019. Some of the work was done pro bono, and he didn’t keep track of the rest of the cost. To the Scullys, there wasn’t a price for historical accuracy and attention to detail.

“Every stripe on every train is historically accurate,” Regina said. "Everything is meticulously well-constructed. It was a symphony of talent that put this together. It’s a work of art. John is a history buff, and one of the things he is most proud of in this layout is its 100% historical accuracy. There are history lessons woven in the entire layout.”

For years, hundreds of kids of all ages – including those of celebrities like Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, and the grandkids of Paul McCartney – visited the home of “Johnny Choo-Choo,” as he was known in the area, to see his basement train set. However, when those visits stopped because of COVID-19, the Scullys realized it was time to switch gears.

History, reinvented:The last memory of the Frenchtown fire will soon be replaced with an Italian restaurant

They began looking for a museum to donate the set to, and were connected with the Liberty Science Center. They were also connected with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. However, John immediately put a stop to the latter.

“I told John that the Smithsonian was interested, and he stopped me mid-sentence,” Regina said. “He said, ‘My trains are not going to Washington, D.C. They’re going to be in New Jersey.”

He couldn’t imagine his creation that he built over 17years being anywhere but the place he was raised and inspired by. It was all driven by a passion for trains, nostalgia and childhood – elements the Scullys hope that visitors can relate to when they visit "The Great Train Set."

“John said to me, ‘Everyone should be connected to the things that bring them the most joy. It’s a way for people to connect and reminds them what makes them happy,’ “ Regina said. “For John, that’s trains. We all have in our memories the things that bring us the most joy. This triggers that for everyone.”

Go: "The Great Train Set," Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City, exhibit included with general admission tickets ($25 to $32); 201-200-1000, lsc.org/explore/exhibitions/great-train-set.

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA Today Network New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Contact: [email protected] or @JIntersimone.

HOBOKEN, NJ — All aboard!

Hoboken’s historic Lackawanna Terminal is included in a new, gigantic model railroad display at Liberty Science Center (LSC) that pays homage to the bygone era of traveling by railways.

Touted as “one of the most elaborate and detailed model railroads ever built,” the 3,000-square-foot set recreates the Lackawanna Railroad line, which originated in Hoboken, crossed through New Jersey’s scenic small towns and into coal country in eastern Pennsylvania. The line began in 1851 as a way to haul coal and later expanded into a commuter rail.

“The Great Train Set” at LSC transports visitors back to the 1950s, the final decade of operations for the Lackawanna Railroad. Beyond its more than 425 feet of train track, the set is complete with models of railway stations, the local coal mine industry, suburban homes, bodies of water, 5,000 miniature native trees and shrubs, 400 little people, a drive-in movie theater, and multiple businesses, including a grocery store fully stocked right down to the sausage links.

Of the six railway stations included in the model, Hoboken’s Lackawanna Terminal is the only one that’s still in use today.

The historic property is also slated to undergo renovations as part of a long-awaited project to revitalize the area surrounding Hoboken’s waterfront transit hub.

“The Great Train Set” was originally created by John H. Scully, a business executive who grew up in Metuchen.

Like many children in the 1950s, Scully, 78, was fascinated by trains, in his case the Lackawanna Railroad that ran the length of New Jersey, where he grew up, and through Cranberry Lake in Byram Township, where his family had a summer home.

His unwavering fascination eventually led him to build one of the world’s largest and most detailed model train sets. Scully spent 10 years working with a team of architects, artists, engineers, archivists and electricians to handcraft the model, transforming the basement of his Hamptons estate into a replica of the Lackawanna Railroad with Cranberry Lake at its core.

After researching a new, permanent home for his treasure, Scully and his wife, Regina, decided to donate his model railroad to Liberty Science Center.

LSC president and chief executive officer Paul Hoffman thanked the couple for making the museum “the final stop for his iconic model train set.”

“The exhibit artfully balances the old and the new, bringing modernized LED technology and interactive elements to Scully’s breathtaking tribute to the 1950s Lackawanna Railroad. Moreover, the train set is a marvel of science, technology, engineering and math – the very same disciplines at the heart of our Center’s mission,” Hoffman said.

A June 26 preview night of the exhibit was attended by many friends of LSC, including Gov. Phil Murphy, who said “The Great Train Set” will “be something that transforms all sorts of lives, particularly kids’ lives.”

The exhibit, which is included with the price of general admission ($25 to $32), also features train point-of-view cameras, with real-time video projected onto the walls of the museum and clips from a documentary about the display called “Still Plays with Trains.”

Community Submitted Event

Like many children in the 1950s, John H. Scully was fascinated by trains, in his case the Lackawanna Railroad that ran the length of New Jersey, where he grew up, and through Cranberry Lake in Byram Township, where his family had a summer home.

Unlike many children, his fascination never wavered, even throughout his adult life. Indeed, the distinguished business executive originally from Metuchen, NJ, spent many years building one of the world’s largest and most meticulously detailed model train sets, a 3,000-square-foot recreation of that railroad line.

Beyond its more than 425 feet of train track, the set is complete with models of New Jersey railway stations, the local coal mine industry, suburban homes, realistic bodies of water, 5,000 miniature native trees and shrubs, 400 little people, a drive-in movie theater, and multiple shops and stores including a grocery store fully stocked right down to individual sausage links.

After researching a new home for his treasure, Regina and John Scully decided to donate his extraordinary model railroad to Liberty Science Center to share this slice of history with its thousands of daily visitors.

LSC has designed and constructed a magnificent new exhibition centered around the railroad: The Great Train Set.

Opening to LSC Members on Friday, July 29 and to the public on Saturday, August 6, The Great Train Set will transport visitors back to the 1950s, the final decade of the Lackawanna Railroad.

That line began in 1851 as a way to haul anthracite coal from mines near Scranton, Pennsylvania, and later expanded into a commuter rail.

LSC guests will marvel at the historical accuracy and scrupulous attention to the smallest details, beginning at the Lackawanna Terminal in Hoboken—one of five major rail-ferry terminals on the Jersey side of the Hudson, and the only one still in use today.

The set reconstructs six of the Lackawanna’s stations.

Scully and his wife, Regina K. Scully, are longtime advocates of improving educational access for students in underserved communities. In 2007, they helped found the Making Waves Academy in northern California, a charter school that has graduated thousands of economically disadvantaged students and guided them through college and into new careers.

The Scullys were also among the earliest trustees of Success Academy in New York. The donation of the model railroad is closely aligned with their dedication to supporting education everywhere.

“We are truly grateful to John and Regina for making Liberty Science Center the final stop for his iconic model train set,” said LSC President and CEO Paul Hoffman. “The exhibit artfully balances the old and the new, bringing modernized LED technology and interactive elements to Scully’s breathtaking tribute to the 1950s Lackawanna Railroad. Moreover, the train set is a marvel of science, technology, engineering and math – the very same disciplines at the heart of our Center’s mission.”

In donating his set to the Center, Scully shared his vision, “You’re never too old to play with trains.

This is a tribute to my childhood, and it’s quite meaningful for us to pass this project to today’s young learners and train-lovers of New Jersey.

In fact, Liberty Science Center is the perfect permanent new home for The Great Train Set. We are thrilled that the public will soon be able to experience the model that has brought us so much joy.”

Growing up, Scully was fascinated by trains, and a special train ride on his eighth birthday at Cranberry Lake was a memory he carried with him over the years as his passion for trains grew. It would lead him to build one of the world’s largest model railroads.

??A team of highly-skilled architects, artists, archivists, engineers, and electricians, spent nearly 15 years hand-crafting the model, transforming the basement of the Scully’s Hamptons estate into a replica of the Lackawanna Railroad with New Jersey’s Cranberry Lake at its core.

Clips from the award-winning documentary about the display—aptly titled Still Plays with Trains—will also be part of the permanent exhibition at the Center. Other elements include animations, a model tugboat, expertly-crafted miniature chandeliers, populated dining cars, and interactive elements beyond the model such as train point-of-view cameras with real-time video projected onto the walls of the museum.

Additionally, the ceiling will be illuminated with a star map of the July 1952 sky in Cranberry Lake—the very sky young Scully dreamed under.

LSC members will enjoy an exclusive preview of The Great Train Set from July 29 through August 5.

The exhibition will open to the public on August 6 and is included with general admission.

To learn more and to reserve tickets, please visit LSC.org.

About Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty.

Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs.

Before COVID-19, more than 250,000 students visited the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participated in the Center’s off-site and online programs.

Welcoming more than 750,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.

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Like many children in the 1950s, John Scully was fascinated by trains, in his case the Lackawanna Railroad that ran the length of New Jersey, where he grew up, and through Cranberry Lake in Byram Township, where his family had a summer home.

Unlike many children, his fascination never wavered, even throughout his adult life. Indeed, the business executive originally from Metuchen, NJ, spent many years building one of the world’s largest and most meticulously detailed model train sets, a 3,000-square-foot re-creation of that railroad line. Beyond its more than 425 feet of train track, the set is complete with models of New Jersey railway stations, the local coal mine industry, suburban homes, realistic bodies of water, 5,000 miniature native trees and shrubs, 400 little people, a drive-in movie theater, and multiple shops and stores including a grocery store fully stocked right down to individual sausage links.

After researching a new home for his treasure, Regina and John Scully decided to donate his model railroad to Liberty Science Center to share this slice of history with its thousands of daily visitors. LSC has designed and constructed a new exhibition centered around the railroad: The Great Train Set. Opening to LSC to the public on Saturday, August 6, the The Great Train Set will transport visitors back to the 1950s, the final decade of the Lackawanna Railroad. That line began in 1851 as a way to haul anthracite coal from mines near Scranton, Pennsylvania, and later expanded into a commuter rail. LSC guests will notice the historical accuracy and scrupulous attention to the smallest details, beginning at the Lackawanna Terminal in Hoboken—one of five major rail-ferry terminals on the Jersey side of the Hudson, and the only one still in use today. The set reconstructs six of the Lackawanna’s stations.

Scully and his wife, Regina Scully, are longtime advocates of improving educational access for students in underserved communities. In 2007, they helped found the Making Waves Academy in northern California, a charter school that has graduated thousands of economically disadvantaged students and guided them through college and into new careers. The Scullys were also among the earliest trustees of Success Academy in New York. The donation of the model railroad is closely aligned with their dedication to supporting education everywhere.

“We are truly grateful to John and Regina for making Liberty Science Center the final stop for his iconic model train set,” said LSC President and CEO Paul Hoffman. “The exhibit artfully balances the old and the new, bringing modernized LED technology and interactive elements to Scully’s breathtaking tribute to the 1950s Lackawanna Railroad. Moreover, the train set is a marvel of science, technology, engineering and math – the very same disciplines at the heart of our Center’s mission.”

In donating his set to the Center, Scully shared his vision, “You’re never too old to play with trains. This is a tribute to my childhood, and it’s quite meaningful for us to pass this project to today’s young learners and train-lovers of New Jersey. In fact, Liberty Science Center is the perfect permanent new home for The Great Train Set. We are thrilled that the public will soon be able to experience the model that has brought us so much joy.”

Growing up, Scully was fascinated by trains, and a special train ride on his eighth birthday at Cranberry Lake was a memory he carried with him over the years as his passion for trains grew. It would lead him to build one of the world’s largest model railroads.

??A team of architects, artists, archivists, engineers, and electricians, spent nearly 15 years hand-crafting the model, transforming the basement of the Scully’s Hamptons estate into a replica of the Lackawanna Railroad with New Jersey’s Cranberry Lake at its core. Clips from the award-winning documentary about the display—aptly titled Still Plays with Trains—will also be part of the permanent exhibition at the Center. Other elements include animations, a model tugboat, expertly-crafted miniature chandeliers, populated dining cars, and interactive elements beyond the model such as train point-of-view cameras with real-time video projected onto the walls of the museum. Additionally, the ceiling will be illuminated with a star map of the July 1952 sky in Cranberry Lake—the very sky young Scully dreamed under.

LSC members will get an exclusive preview of The Great Train Set from July 29 through August 5. The exhibition will open to the public August 6 and is included with general admission. To learn more and to reserve tickets, visit LSC.org.

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ - The Sussex County officials reported July 12, there were 47 additional COVID-19 cases and no deaths.

As of July 12 there were a total of 40,056 cases of COVID-19 in the county, 504 deaths and 38,185 recovered coronavirus patients.

On June 30, 2022 Sussex County Health Department reports:

COVID-19 Cases – shows 15% of all cases ages zero to 14 and 69% of all cases ages 25 and older.

The county reports 97% of all COVID-19 cases have been reported as “recovered” with 2% “under investigation” and 1% “deceased.”

COVID-19 Deaths- show no deaths under age 20 and 78% of deaths over the age of 65.

Sussex County is holding free Free Pop-Up Clinics Walk-ins welcome, no appointment needed. J&J and Moderna vaccines available for those 18-years-old or older. Call 973-579-0570x1211 with questions: Office of Public Nursing, 201 Wheatsworth Rd. Hamburg, Walk-ins welcome

New Jersey the Rt rate was 1.05 as of July 12, 2022. Any number over 1 indicates the virus is spreading. The mortality rate in the state continues to decline as the rate of positive tests is increasing.

In New Jersey had an additional 2,738 coronavirus cases and 7 COVID-19 deaths according to the state department of health.

New Jersey Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard reported there have been 31,036 deaths and 2,158,562 confirmed positive coronavirus cases Monday. The mortality rate is 1.43%.

The NJDOH COVID-19 dashboard reported 12 confirmed cases in Sussex County via PCR testing and no deaths.

State officials announced 972 were hospitalized and 98 people have been discharged on Tuesday. Of those in the hospital 727 are in for medical/surgical reasons, 111 are in intensive care and 29 are on ventilators, “deaths excluded.” Data is from 71 of 71 New Jersey hospitals.

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, as of July 12, 2022 there have been 14,606,633 total vaccine doses have been administered to New Jersey residents: 7,861,929 first doses and 6,758,381 doses/fully vaccinated.

In Sussex County 191,151 doses have been administered as of July 12, 2022 with 104,806 first doses and 94,166 second doses/fully vaccinated.

According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus resource center, the United States currently has 88,946,276 and 1,021,838 coronavirus deaths. The mortality rate is 1.14%.

Sussex County COVID-19 total number of positive cases and deaths since the county began reporting data through July 12, 2022:

COVID-19 testing in Sussex County is available through local health care facilities and pharmacies. Check their websites for details. https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing#test-sites

Testing is available:

Vaccination Locations

COVID-19 Test At-Home kits are available

The Sussex County Board of Commissioners has partnered with LabCorp and Vault Health to offer free COVID-19 at-home testing for all of our residents. Please select either saliva or nasal test. You will be asked to provide information about your private health insurance, Medicaid and Medicare coverage, but will not be billed for the tests. Anyone who is not insured must indicate so on the on-line application, but the test still will be completed at no cost.

New Jersey Department of Human Services has launched a hotline for residents who need help coping with stress and anxiety during the health crisis. The hotline is open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week- 866-202-4357.

St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson is also providing a free helpline for hearing impaired Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 973-870-0677.

The state COVID-19 hotline can be reached by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-962-1253 or text NJCOVID to 898-211.

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