Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club: more than 30 years and still running
Susan Warner of the Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club arranges some of the buildings on the lower level of the two level track that displays the group’s many model trains. She has been a train enthusiast since childhood.
Model train enthusiast Susan Warner sets an HO Scale Model train engine on the track in the tiered room that takes the model trains from one level to another in this Observer-Reporter file photo.
Susan Werner, in this Observer-Reporter file photo, enjoys seeing an HO scale model train circle the four tiers in the room that takes the trains from one level to the other. The Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club hosts their holiday train display each year.
Courtesy of Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club
The Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club has been around for 34 years.
Courtesy of Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club
This portion of the installation depicts a tunnel and barges being loaded.
Courtesy of Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club
The Mid-Mon Valley Railroad Club maintains this installation that shows the region in the 1950s.
Courtesy of Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club
This portion of the installation depicts a train trestle.
Courtesy of Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club
The Installation maintained by the Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club
By Trista Thurston
The wonder and glee that fills visitors’ eyes, from 8-years-old to 80, keeps the Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club chugging along. And despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, that’s just what the group intends to do this fall.
“So many people are so excited to see the trains at the holiday season,” said Susan Werner, secretary, treasurer and founding member. “The virus came. We stayed. We’re still here.”
The club has been around for 34 years, and they fluctuate around a dozen members that create and maintain the model train feature that celebrates the industries that drove the Mon Valley in the 50s. As of now, they’re still planning to hold their open house the weekend after Thanksgiving at their New Eagle location, as long as they’re able to do so safely.
The club’s model trains are on a permanent layout, which means they’re always improving and maintaining the installation.
Werner said the members took about three months off near the start of stay at home orders, but have since resumed their Friday evening meetings and work on the layout. Since there is only a handful of them at a time working on the trains and scenery, they have plenty of space to spread out and remain safe.
Of course, if November rolls around and it isn’t possible to host the open house, the club will post on their Facebook page and website. But, it’s easier to cancel something at the last moment then to scramble and try to put something together without preparation.
So, onward.
“Why do we do it? Because it’s fun. Because we all love trains,” Werner said.
The display helps preserve the region’s history, with a strip mine, coke oven and other relevant industrial pieces.
“We just thoroughly enjoy having people in there, especially the older folks when the little kids say, ‘what’s that?’ and the older folks say ‘I remember that,'” Werner said.
Those exclamations of excitement spark conversations of an era gone by, a chance to teach history and the importance of railways on the region’s economy. But the hobby doesn’t just foster a love of history, but also carpentry, civil engineering, electronics, electricity, geology, geography and mechanics.
And there’s the artistry that goes into painting backdrops and set pieces.
“I am not talented, that’s the neat part. I flunked elementary stick figures, but with a sponge, I’m killer,” Werner said of painting clouds.
Of course, with a core group of members, they’ve grown close over the years. She compares their relationship to that of siblings, working well together, but also teasing and picking on one another.
“It’s a giggle,” Werner said.
They’re also still hoping to hold their train show in January with the New Eagle Fire Department. The event serves as a fundraiser for both organizations: more than 100 vendor tables fill the social hall, selling model railroad items, and the department opens up the kitchen to serve food. Werner said it’s always a large draw, but this year is especially crucial.
“It’s more important this year than ever, because the fire department is really hurting,” she said.
Werner said she’s hoping it’ll be a stellar show because several other area train shows were canceled over the last few months. She added the department’s social hall is quite large, so remaining a safe distance from others should be no issue.
The Mid-Mon Valley Model Railroad Club is located at 159 Main St. in New Eagle. For more information, visit mmvmrc.org. New members welcome.