By LOIS KINDLE
lekindle@aol.com
The Sun City Center Model Railroad Club will host an open house during Fun Fest from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 14, in its clubroom at 915 North Course Lane.
It’s an opportunity for train enthusiasts of all ages to view the club’s remarkable HO- and N-scale layouts and learn about running trains. Kids are encouraged to give it a try, and those who do will be awarded a junior engineer certificate signed by club president Mike Hovatter, plus a paper Amtrak conductor’s hat and goody bag.
Dave Scudder, treasurer of the SCC Model Railroad Club and former high school art teacher, builds and refreshes many of the structures, scenic elements and props seen in the club’s huge diorama.
Visitors are genuinely delighted to see the meticulously detailed dioramas club members create, including all kinds of special effects, such as lighting, thunder and a saw mill that includes the sound of a buzzing saw.
“We often change out items to keep things fresh,” said John Stephens, club secretary. “For example, we recently added a new meat packing plant where we formerly had a junk yard.
“We have novice to seasoned modelers who have run trains all their lives,” he added. “We enjoy sharing our ideas and brainstorming with each other on projects like the N-scale, Old West diorama we’re raffling off at Fun Fest. It has so many interesting details, including gallows, a Boot Hill funeral, a church wedding and an Indian village. All of the buildings, except the church, were built from scratch.”
Tickets are one for $1, seven for $5 or 15 for $10. All proceeds go to the club’s treasury to help cover operational expenses.
Membership in the SCC Model Railroad Club is open to all Community Association members. Hours of operation are Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and folks are invited to stop by during those times to view trains and chat. Members can come by any time to work on projects and run trains. Membership is $35 per year plus a one-time initiation fee of $50.
The club hosts special open houses during the Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, when grandchildren are visiting the area, and its clubroom is open to the public during community events like the annual Christmas Golf Cart Parade and Fun Fest.
It also has an N-scale demonstration layout of a coal mine scene that can be pulled out during open houses or taken anywhere.
A bit of history
Sun City Center and Kings Point model train enthusiasts formed a
This N-scale, Old West diorama will be raffled off at Fun Fest on March 14. The 1800s scene features many delightful details, including gallows, a Boot Hill funeral, a church wedding, an Indian village and buildings built from scratch.
partnership in 1989, but the two groups split not long after to form separate clubs.
The SCC Model Railroad Club’s original diorama was made of individually constructed modules bolted together, so it could be moved to wherever space was available. After sharing quarters for a while with the Stained Glass Club, it relocated to a dedicated clubroom provided by the Community Association in 2003. The diorama was placed there permanently, and members have been refining and enhancing it ever since.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Sun City Center Model Railroad Club Fun Fest Open House
WHERE: 915 North Course Lane, next door to the Sawdust Engineers clubroom
WHEN: March 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
COST: Free
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Kids who run a train are awarded a junior engineer certificate signed by club president Mike Hovatter, plus a paper Amtrak conductor’s hat and goody bag. It’s a great way to introduce a child to what could become a lifelong hobby.
SCC Model Railroad club members also maintain the trains and tracks. Mike Clapp is seen here cleaning tracks running throughout the diorama to keep the trains running smoothly.
SCC Model Railroad Club members Larry Byrne, seated left, and John Stephens troubleshoot an N-scale locomotive to learn whether it can be repaired or needs replacement.
Sun City Center resident Dorothy Kretler, right, is seen here visiting the Sun City Center Model Railroad Club with her nephew Todd Keller and his wife, Marcia, who are from the Washington, D.C. are
Members of the SCC Model Railroad Club are always looking for ways to keep things fresh. This stockyard and meat packing company recently replaced an old junk yard in the club’s huge diorama.