A little bit of Boston in South Station holiday train set

Many commuters passing through South Station this holiday season are stopping to admire an expansive model train landscape that includes many familiar elements of Boston, Cape Cod, and rural New England.

The large train display was a calm and cheerful spot amid the bustle of the station during rush hour on a recent weekday.

Commuters gathered around to admire the highly detailed waterfront and cityscape at the northern end of the display, where the model boats have rudders and anchor lines visible below the surface of the water. There’s even a shipwreck included, for those willing to bend down and take a look.

On the waterfront, a miniature container port was designed to resemble the Paul W. Conley Marine Terminal in South Boston.

One section of the display contains buildings in typical Boston architectural styles — including lots of red brick — and local landmarks such as the Harry the Greek discount store and the Boston Children’s Museum.

At the far edge of the display, a lighthouse was modeled after Cape Light in Boston Harbor.

A large colonial-style church sits across the railroad track from a set of cottages inspired by those that line the beach at Truro, on Cape Cod.

Designer Mark Damien Carroll displays a Boston Elevated Railway car that he removed from the set to clean its wheels. The Boston Elevated Railway was a precursor to the MBTA.

Part of a mountain landscape is dusted with snow. Designer Ted Fürst said he wanted the display to reference the holidays without using too much snow that would obscure the colors of the landscape and buildings.

On the far side of the mountains, a covered bridge spans a dry creek between a country church and a sprawling farmhouse.

Commuter Emily Bright of Natick, pictured left said she passes through South Station every day and has seen previous train displays come and go, but none were like this.

“I liked it last year, but it’s bigger and it’s got more components to it,’’ she said.

A miniature commuter rail zooms along the corridor between the mountain landscape and the model’s Boston-inspired urban section.