Railroad Club members; photo by Charles Runner
A Railroad Club display; photo by Charles Runner
Charles Runner
The last train has pulled out of the Robson Ranch Railroaders Club station. President Charles Runner and Vice President Mike Rogers, who have served since the club’s founding in 2008, will be moving from Robson Ranch. Our only club secretary, Rob Denzinger, departed the Ranch about six months ago. There were no volunteers from the club membership to step forward to continue operations. So on February 22, 2016 the large window display at the library was removed and the club was formally dissolved.
The first club gathering was held in August 2008. On September 27 and 28 we set up our first display at the dedication of the Arts & Technology Building and a week later at a Robson Ranch Clubs on Display event in the Clubhouse. At our first formal meeting on October 24 we developed our charter and planned to provide displays whenever we could at Robson events.
Over the next seven plus years members brought their model trains, handmade buildings and accessories for outdoor Garden Scale display events on July 4, and for G-Scale, HO and N Gauge displays in the Clubhouse for many events including Breakfast with Santa (with Ira Weinstein’s Christmas and circus trains) and the Memorial Day military train layout. The six foot tall Club Railroad Crossing Sign handmade by Rob stood proudly at all of the events.
The club display window provided residents and guests a glimpse at some interesting railroad model trains, dioramas and vintage items. The two oldest trains to be displayed were a 1935 Lionel Standard Gauge freight from Bob McLaren and my 1936 German-made Marklin passenger train. The most popular dioramas were Bob Sutton’s O-Gauge Denton Square, Bill Taylor’s N-Scale Brewery, Tom Hoover’s magnificent N-Scale Maine scene and HO-Scale Lancaster PA station and my 1967 vintage HO Scale German village. Antique railroad nails, lanterns, telegraph equipment, glass telegraph pole insulators, model train transformers, photos and documents provided the viewers with a brief glimpse into the past.
We hope that the Railroaders brought some happiness to both the young and old “kids” who had the opportunity to play with us. I also hope that the club will again come together in the future.