Model Railroad Benefits Museum

by Kevin Anderson

Modelers from Utah Free-moN, Mojave Free-moN (Las Vegas, NV), and N-Land Pacific Free-moN (Los Angeles, CA) got together for a weekend of running trains (Free-moN stands for N scale Free Modular).

The meet took place in an out of the ordinary venue, upon invitation from the historic Wendover Airfield Museum in Wendover, UT, approximately two hours west of Salt Lake City, on the border with the state of Nevada. The plans were made and dates were set.

The Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the training base during World War 2 for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bomber crews, as well as P-47 Thunderbolt pilots and the 509th Composite Group, whose B-29 Superfortresses 'Enola Gay' and 'Bosckscar' dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thus bringing an end to World War 2.

Top and middle photos - The Wendover module being put on display. Bottom photo- Curator Landon Wilkey and Kevin Anderson pose next to the Wendover Module.

Up until October of 2021 the people running the museum had never heard of Free-moN. But the story starts earlier than that.

In 2019 I decided upon building a module based on a location that I pass twice a week. I had barely started my venture into N scale modular model railroading after spending many years building an HO layout in my home. The change was necessary and chosen wisely.

I began my research by visiting the museum and contacting the curator. With his help, I was able to obtain photos and history of the base structures needed to complete the models.

Two years after starting I placed the last structure on the module, took some photos and sent them to the museum with a note attached thanking them for their help and showing the completed 2’ x 4 ½’ module. They responded quickly asking me to bring the module to them to be put on display. That’s where October 2021 comes in.

After signing the agreement placing the module on display for a period of six months, they asked about what Free-moN is and why I chose the base to model. They quickly offered their museum as a venue to setup our group's modules. Utah Free-moN graciously accepted the offer for set up space and began planning. The layout grew over time with the addition of new modules and when others from amongst the Free-moN community found out about the event and asked to join, the finished layout was approximately 37’ x 63’, essentially filling the room provided at the museum. Not a bad undertaking by four people!

The layout as built

We found this a great opportunity to promote the hobby of model railroading and Free-moN, as well as help the museum out. This was to be a public showing with all monies collected benefitting the museum, and they were grateful for the attendance boost they gained from the visitors wanting to see the model railroad display.

Set up began March 23, 2022 and the event continued through to Saturday, March 26. The museum was so pleased to have us that they invited us back next year. They even stated they wanted it bigger, offering to open up the second half of the museum's John T. Brinkman Service Club (restored officers club) for use as well. We were set up in the northern half of the club.

They even mentioned that they wanted to see what we could do with the Enola Gay hangar, with dimensions of 220’ x 180’ (big enough to hold a B-29 Superfortress bomber) , when they complete the restoration work.

Aerial views of the layout

Plans have already begun for next year's event with other Free-moN groups from Nebraska wanting to join in on the fun, as well as new modules already being designed and built, with the additional space being offered to other modeling groups and clubs to set up.

Overall it was a fun weekend - bring on next year's event!

The members of Utah Free-moN, Mojave Free-moN, and Nland

Pacific Free-moN and their families.