By Cindy Gladden, Record Staff Writer
Since the mid-1800s, people have stood along railroad tracks, watching the locomotives come thundering into the railroad stations cropping up in towns like Marthasville or Truesdale.Trains have made a huge imprint on industry, freight delivery and personal travel.“When I was a boy in Ireland, we had a suburban line that went right by our house,” said Father Ed Doyle. “By the sound, I could tell which engine it was.”Doyle and nearly 25 other members make up the Central Missouri Railroad Association (CMRRA), located at Store 20, in what was known as the Warrenton Preferred Outlet Mall. Part of its mission is to keep the history of the railroad and the hobby of model railroading alive for future generations.Every Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and the second and third Tuesdays at 7 p.m. members of the CMRRA gather to run operations on the intricate and creative model train lines at their facility.More than 20 members, their wives and extended family help to recreate an actual train scenario, complete with houses, vehicles, farm animals and a few surprises along the way.Mike Daly, president of the club, explained that there are different layouts, created on three different scales.“There is an N scale, which is 1/160th of a real train’s size,” he said. “There is also a HO scale, which is the most popular at 1/87th scale, and the O scale, the Lionel train, which is 1/48th scale.”Each scaled train has its own track, with detailed cities, farms and industry meticulously recreated alongside the track. Some members of CMRRA donate a 4-foot section of the track for $50, which they own, design and maintain.“It’s a crafter’s delight,” said member Gary McCullough. “Modeling itself is very interesting. You create the scenery, structures, trains and all the aspects. It requires a lot of different skills to run the trains.”Scott Morrell, the club’s dispatcher, said there is a lot more to it than just running the trains in a circle.“We have to make everything flow,” he said. “We are mimicking what a real railroad does.”Daly said that Morrell is an integral member in his role as dispatcher. Morrell creates scenarios that are carried out on Tuesday evenings that might include picking up cargo at a certain industry or changing cars out for a particular reason.“We do it just for fun,” said Daly. “We have a great time.”Morrell said that model training is more fun than video games, since it is a hands-on 3D experience. He is happy to have a place to come and hone his skills and learn from the other members.“You get to use a lot of imagination with a lot of detail,” he said.“A model railroad is never finished,” added Daly.McCullough said he was one of those kids who loved to be stopped at the railroad tracks and has had a lifelong attraction to trains. He, along with many other members, have taken real life trips on trains around the U.S.Many of the members contribute images of trains they have photographed around the country.Sonny Lykins said he was fascinated with trains in his area that unloaded pig iron, unprocessed cast iron.“My uncle had a Lionel train and we would run it around an hour or two every week, he said.“Model people are seasonal,” admits McCullough. “When the fish quit bitin’ it’s time to work on the trains.”The group encourages families to come by their facility to view the train lines. They also hope to build the membership of their youth program, which includes students from age 8 to 18.For the kids, a Thomas the Train line has been included by one of the youth members.A scavenger list is available when visiting the facility that helps you find interesting props hidden in the model towns and countryside. For instance, find the Gotham hero (Batman) or Clement Moore’s man in red (Santa Claus).For the holiday season, the train running on the N line celebrates the “Twelve Days of Christmas.”General membership dues are $10 a month; family memberships are $15 per month. For more information visit cmrraclub.com or email cmrraclub@gmail.com.The members of the Central Missouri Railroad Association meet to run the trains at their facility located at Store 20 at the Warrenton Preferred Outlet Maill. Pictured from left are Scott Sorrell, Mike Daly, Chad Angel, Gary McCullough and Father Ed Doyle. Cindy Gladden Photo.
Sonny Lykins carefully sets a rail car on the tracks. The club members are constantly creating, building and updating the three main train tracks housed at their facility. Cindy Gladden photo.
