Scenes from a Lost Model Train Layout - The Winchester Model Railroad Club

As a citizen of Middletown, it will be great to have the club here in an historic location owning their own building.

Always sad to see this happen to a club layout. A club that I used to belong to met the same fate when a new owner decided they needed the space that we occupied. Thanks for sharing. They had a beautiful layout.

Great to hear about the relocation to Middletown after being evicted by the Laurel Center who used government grants generated by our own tax dollars to bugger CSX into selling the property for $205K. A community group like the Winchester Model Railroad Club benefits families through open houses and encourages younger people to participate in the club and take up the hobby of model railroading. I'd say your organization has done more through the years to benefit families than the Laurel Center, and at no cost to the tax payer! Found these great quotes from the news paper article. "I am delighted to be helping the town with this project," Dave Holliday said in a media release. "Reconstructing the train station is a great way to bring back a wonderful piece of history for the benefit of our community's future." "We were looking to move to a more appreciative community, and it is a great pleasure to be a part of Middletown," club President Jim Clevenger said.

I have been a member of many clubs in 70ish yrs. !. Motorcycle, cars, water pumping, light aircraft, modelling etc. etc. All good people , commonality ; creativity. This lovely charitable lady from undisclosed charity wrecked you guys for a while. We'll be back !!!. Thanks playmates. Dave

Fun. Remember when as kids all we had was a magazine article with a few photos, maybe one in color? Thank you for making this video.

A beautiful layout with a sad and needless end, it's sad to see people in the business of being charitable being so uncharitable. I hope construction begins soon and thankfully you had preserved this for all to see, thank you.

Gentleman, without a doubt this is one of the best train videos I have ever seen. May God Bless all owners and workers.

This is tragic to see and hear. I'm glad the club could get another place. Can't wait to see more about it in the future. Thanks for this video

Jimmy - Great video and magnificent layout! One of the best I've seen. Your club has some real talent in it for sure. Too bad the "philistines" that you had to deal with were blocked you in every way, and that for just a parking lot and a storage building. For those people history only goes back about a week and a half. The have no appreciation of neither history or art, for indeed creating a model like your club's is a work of art! As I kid I was into HO and was building a layout. I got busy with other things and put everything into a steamer trunk to save. Now, many years later, I've restored most of my equipment and built a small test track with a view toward eventually building a small layout. My late girlfriend was not interested in model trains at all until I dragged her to the Rensselaer Polytechnic MRRC. For years after she reminded me to visit the layout at least once a year. If she were here today we would have had a lot of fun building a new layout together. -dave

Great sound of a wonderful layout

I missed the last train show down there. Right up the road in Greencastle PA

Thank you..thank you very enjoyable and fantastic commentary..made my day for years ago with trains and their fun..the very best to you for sharing great memories!😊

I really enjoyed both the commentary and the layout itself. Ive built a couple layouts myself and know the pain of having to tear them down. Its never a fun feeling after so much work went into something you love to build, only to have to move it. Good success in your new endeavors, thanks for sharing such fond memeories.

Sounds about the same as our club layout. Started in Mishawaka Indiana in the early 50's we moved to South Bend and then to a great freight station back in Mishawaka. The family that had the station sold it and the new owner didn't want the train club in the faciity. The layout was broken down, the parts sold at swap mets and the club is now only a memory.

Thank you, for your video of this layout! what an inspiration, for model railroaders everywhere!!!!

I first met with the club in 2012. Made some amazing friends with these guys and have been visiting Winchester once or twice a year. Broke my heart when Jim C told me of the building's fate.

Seaboard Air Line citrus scheme...beautiful!👌

Great job on this video Jimmy!!! We hope you help us document the new layout coming to life. We as club members are super excited to get going once we get all the permitting, concept drawings, planning and etc out of the way. Things are moving along just never as fast as we all wish.

glad they will rebuild. I believe my dad was a club member for a time back in the 90s.

Thanks for sharing your layout story and best wishes for your exciting new venture!