A HISTORY OF THE
TREASURE COAST MODEL RAILROAD CLUB
BY BRUCE ELFRETH, ACTIVE MEMBER SINCE 1978

    For almost four decades, the Treasure Coast Model Railroad Club and Historical Society, Inc. has been bringing the fun and historical perspective of model railroading to the Treasure Coast.  In 1975 three model railroaders in Vero Beach utilized radio advertising to determine if there was any interest in forming a Model Railroad Club.  The Club thus had its beginning with this nucleus of interested hobbyists.  The Treasure Coast Model Railroad Club declared itself as an actual organization on September 2, 1975.

ROUND ROBIN YEARS

    Throughout the remainder of the 1970s and into the 1980s, meetings were held in a “round robin” fashion at members’ homes.  Some of the members had home layouts, providing an opportunity for us to see and run model trains.  Other members didn’t have a home layout, presenting us with the opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of model railroaders and discuss the building and running of model trains.  During this period, the Club and some members had portable layout sections (modules).  These modules were assembled into a complete model railroad which was displayed and operated at various civic events.   Some of these events were organized by the Club for the purpose of exhibiting model railroads and fostering awareness of railroading’s significance in American history.  The Club also displayed and operated our modular layouts at many events for retail centers, hobby and home shows, and the Saint Lucie Historical Society.

VILLAGE GREEN CENTER

    The opportunity to have the first home of our own for the Club and our layouts was presented to us in 1985 by the Village Green Shopping Center in Port Saint Lucie.  Here was an opportunity for us to present our collective work to the public on a twice-weekly basis at a fixed location.  At this former store location, we operated and displayed our portable HO and N scale layouts for any members of the public that wished to come in and observe.  As we have done throughout the years, children were invited to run one of our trains on the layout, under supervision, of course.

 

STUART AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK

    The time came, a few years later, to find a new home which happened to be some miles farther south at the Airport Industrial Park in Stuart.  The industrial bays that we occupied were a place where we could not only meet but also craft a new portable HO layout which consisted of thirteen table-sized modules.  This layout was set up on special occasions at both malls in Stuart and viewed by thousands.  Either the N scale or HO modular layouts traveled to other locations such as the Vero Beach Mall, the Saint Lucie Historical Society, and the Greenberg Train Show at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

MARTIN SQUARE MALL

    Having some extra space available, the Martin Square Mall approached our organization with the offer of a store in which to meet and display our operating layouts to the public.  After we made the move to this mall, the Club reached its largest membership of over 70 men, and a few women too.  At that time, we had layouts of HO scale, N scale, and O gauge toy trains.  The store which housed our layouts had a roof which leaked badly, making it necessary to cover everything that was not weatherproof with plastic sheeting.  Trains were run here on a “weather permitting” basis.

SAINT LUCIE COUNTY FAIR

    A casual discussion by your author with an official of the Saint Lucie County Fair Association, lead to another opportunity to increase the number of people to whom we could showcase our hobby.  In exchange for building, displaying, and operating a large model railroad as fair attraction, the Saint Lucie County Fair Board offered a large space to us. We occupied about one-third of a large exhibit building at the old St. Lucie County Fairgrounds on Saint Lucie Boulevard (not PSL Blvd.). 

    Since the fair-goers would approach our display from inside the building, we constructed a partition, which was designed to appear as a station front, complete with doors, windows, and even a roof.  Visitors could then enter and pass through the gallery to see the large model railroads which we built in HO and N scale.  Greeters were stationed in the gallery to explain the layout and trains and to help with our “Junior Engineers” program.  Children were encouraged to operate one of the trains that was on the layout… but not too fast, of course.  Each child that participated was given a nicely printed “Junior Engineers Certificate” upon which we would write his or her name.  We still provide those certificates to children who run a train at one of our open houses

    The HO layout utilized almost the entire sectional layout that we constructed at the Stuart Airport Industrial Park.  However, upon moving in, we had much more space to fill than we had layout.  Thus, we expanded the HO layout to almost three times its previous size to fill the vacant space.  The expanded version of the layout had many new features, including a new large yard, coal mine, trolley line, and a large (but never finished) passenger station.

    It was here on this layout, that we operated our longest train ever, with a consist of 176 cars and eight locomotives!

SEABOARD COASTLINE CABOOSE 0996

    As prototype railroads reduced costs to become more efficient, most of them found other ways to do the work that had been done on a caboose.  Today, very few trains still require a caboose.  CSX Transportation gradually disposed of almost all of their cabooses by the early 1990’s, leaving just a few here and there.  Member Phil Tripician heard of a few that were just days from a date with the scrapper’s torch.  Acting quickly, he established a liaison with equipment officials at CSX and requested the donation of one whole caboose.  To our amazement, they agreed to donate one to our club and they would be willing to deliver it to the nearest interchange point of our choosing. 

    Phil continued to work to overcome the multiplicity of monumental challenges that we faced in moving and displaying such a large item.  The Florida East Coast Railway helped us by moving 0996 to one of their Fort Pierce sidings.

    The Railway also donated a piece of track on which to display our new car.  Kaufs Towing and Mullins Rigging actually moved the car from the FEC siding to its display place at the Fairgrounds. In conjunction with a benefactor, several members including, Tom Imlay, Mark Poormon, and Al Cerillo spent many many days restoring her to how she appeared when built by SCL.

    The Florida East Coast Railway also donated one item to us which gave our caboose display more context.  They provided a
“Flashing Rear End Device” (FRED).  These automated devices monitored the end of the train electronically, eliminating one of the primary functions of cabooses.  We could then show our caboose and explain its roll, as well as show a real piece of railroad equipment that lead to the demise of cabooses.

    After the new fairgrounds were built, and the Saint Lucie County Fair move, we were aware that we would soon have to move on too.  Thus, amid some controversy, we sold our restored caboose.

BECKER ROAD FIRE STATION

    With the Saint Lucie County Fair having vacated the original fairgrounds which was the home of our layout, we were aware that we would have to move, disband, or return to being a “round robin” club.

    Some of the members who were acquainted with some of our local public officials sent out “feelers” to find a new home.  We were told that a new fire station had been built on Becker Road in Port Saint Lucie and the Fire District and the City did not have any plans for the old building (see photo).

    Again, we were the beneficiaries of good fortune!  Phil Tripician and current member Neil Nappi proposed to City officials that we be allowed to lease the building.  They emphasized the community benefits of having an active club, such as ours, as an attraction, a historical resource, and as a teaching tool.

    We have now been at our current location for over five years.