Estes Valley

Estes Valley Model Railroaders Division Celebrates

40 Years

Estes Valley Model Railroaders Division began in 1977 as an informal gathering of model railroaders and those interested in the hobby. 

Meetings were first held in the Rexall Drug store in downtown Estes Park. Both pharmacists at the store were model railroaders. Twenty or so

people stood around at the back of the store - there were only a few chairs. In the store’s back room was an N-scale layout that was being built among the pills.

It is now 40 years later and the club is an NMRA Division with a number of highlights marking its growth into a very active group of men and women enjoying the many facets of model railroading.

Several operating railroad modules and layouts have been built and displayed in Estes Park as well as at shows and museums all along the Colorado Front Range. Three modules were displayed at the Longmont Historical Museum’s transportation-themed exhibit during the

summer of 2015. Each module could be operated by push buttons on the glass enclosed case. 

The club’s 40th anniversary was celebrated at “Bells & Whistles”, a special event done in cooperation with the Estes Park Historical Museum and the Estes Valley Library that highlighted club and members’ home layouts and modules. 

A special part of the event was the club’s “Kids Layout” operated as part of the Estes Valley Library’s ‘Story Time.” For 3 days the children’s librarians read train stories to the kids and club members helped the kids operate the ‘O’ scale layout. Kids and members (parents, too) had a great time. 

Bells & Whistles is an example of one of the EVMR Division’s goals: to partner with other community organizations to make model railroading an important part of community life in Estes Park.

The club’s Flying Scotsman layout is a replica of the regions in Scotland where the prototype operated. The ‘Scotsman' was a regular operating exhibit at the Highland Festival held in Estes Park each fall. Hundreds of festival attendees viewed the layout set up in its own tent. This is

another example of the value of partnering with community groups and events. Remnants of the “Scotsman” are on display from time to time, but the full operating layout became “tired” from all the setups and take downs. However, it can still be seen operating at the festival: the

Highland Festival management made a video of the Scotsman at the Festival. A copy can be borrowed from the EVMR club.

‘Rails in the Rockies', the club’s annual train show, is 20 years old this year. Over 40,000 people have attended the show since its beginning in 1997. The first few shows were held at the Estes Park Fairgrounds horse stable building - a bit drafty in February. In February, 2017 Rails returned to the Fairgrounds. No horse stall this time. The show was in the 19,000 sq. ft Pavilion at the new Event Center. Operating model railroads from many clubs and modelers were up and running to the delight of large crowds on each day of the 2-day show. Excellent

modeling tools, books, framed train pictures, and model railroad equipment were available from vendors set up around the Event Center. 

In 2018, the 21st year of Rails in the Rockies, the show will again be at the Estes Park Fairgrounds Event Center. The club’s 41st year will be off and running.

Dick Putney

Secretary