Oldest Model Railroad

[Anonymous]

Does anybody know who has the oldest model railroad that still operates? At least known to the Public.

[Anonymous]

The O-scale layout located in the basement of Union Station in Denver has been running since the '30s.

The old layout in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry was about as old, but has since been replaced by the new HO layout.

---jps

[CNJ831]

I'd say the 0-scale layout of the Kingston Model Railroad Club at Kingston, NY. I believe that much of the layout dates to the early 1930's when the club first formed.

CNJ831

[Anonymous]

It's a little hazy to me right now, but I seem to recall that the oldest model rr club to continue in existence was one called something like the New York Society of Model railroad Engineers (?) which was first formed in NYC during the 1930's Depression Era by the likes of such luminaries in the MR pantheon as Kalmbach, Carstens, Wescott, Mallory, and others, some of whom became the first publishers of MR periodicals, loco kit and car kit manufacturers, and notable modlers who raised the standards of the hobby from children's toys toward sincere striving for genuine scale modeling of the prototype railroading both in appearance and operation.
I have in my possession a 5th edition of The Model Railroaders Encyclopedia, publ'd 1943 by A.C. Kalmbach, but first published by him in 1936. Obviously, the hobby, as it has come down to us, was generated and given birth to by people like these guys, as well as those associated with the preceding posts in this topic.
SteveO'

[mmathu]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pocoloco

It's a little hazy to me right now, but I seem to recall that the oldest model rr club to continue in existence was one called something like the New York Society of Model railroad Engineers (?) which was first formed in NYC during the 1930's Depression Era by the likes of such luminaries in the MR pantheon as Kalmbach, Carstens, Wescott, Mallory, and others, some of whom became the first publishers of MR periodicals,

Are you thinking of the Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee? It was incorporated in 1934 and has been at the same location since 1936. The founding members were pretty much the charter members of the NMRA - including Kalmbach & Walthers. I'm petty sure they were never NYSME members.

The New York Society of Model Engineers was incorporated earlier in 1926, but I don't know how long they have been at their pesent location.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Most major metropolitan areas are going to have an old O scale club, probably started back in the 30's. The ones mentioned so far are all good guesses.

The Twin Cities club was forced to move out of their old home at the St Paul depot back in the early 80's, and ended up relocating and building a new layout at Bandana Square. The club is from the 30's, but the layout is fairly new.

[CNJ831]

Point of information - while the NYSME is indeed one of the very oldest model railroad clubs in America, the group has moved many times over the years, tearing out its layout each time. Their current layout is HO-scale and relatively recent. To my knowledge there aren't any significant surviving portions of the club's orginal 0-scale layout from decades ago.

CNJ831