Model railroad group rolls out new exhibits
Trending
AUSTINTOWN — Members of the Youngstown Model Railroad Association are ready to head down the main line for the 2026 public open house. The event allows guests to tour the club's three highly-detailed layouts and experience the best of local model train buffs.
Since last year's open house, club members had been hard at work adding new scenery, structures and technology to the layouts. YMRA Vice President Bill Schnierle said the O-scale layout has seen a lot of new scenery.
"This year our roundhouse will be functioning as engines are switched out during the open house," Schnierle said. "We will be running up to six trains at a time on our 1,400 feet of track."
Schnierle is one of the talented members who help add to the realism of the O scale layout. He served as the light and sound man for Perry School District, and is used to making scenery work.
The O gauge layout is set to run long trains through cities and countryside as visitors enjoy the sights and sounds of model railroading at its best.
One of the great features for the upstairs is the caboose that was built on the former church's stage. The caboose was designed from actual New York Central blueprints, but uses real caboose iron such as the railings and ladders. The Caboose was set up to allow for visitors to climb on board and get their photo taken.
Schnierle said the newest feature this year will be the functioning round house and turntable.
"Our roundhouse was built from resin castings that were handpainted and weathered," he said.
One operator will run the roundhouse and turntable and will switch out engines during the open house session. It will be a busy section for visitors to view.
Both the O-scale and the HO scale layouts will feature the Union Pacific 4014 models of the Big Boy that went through Struthers a few months ago. The HO display will include a local tv crew interviewing the Struthers mayor and police chief in front of the Big Boy.
Another interesting feature for the HO layout is the New York Central (Youngstown) station. It is a scale replica of the real one, and for the YMRA, represents an important part of the club's history.
Club Officer Bruce Silvernail said the YMRA was formed on April 1, 1957 with eight HO train buffs meeting at on enthusiasts home on Tippecanoe Road in Youngstown. The small group built a 5'x10' layout that appeared at Idora Park and the Canfield Fair. In Dec. 1957, the layout was moved to New York Central Station in Youngstown where it remained until around 1964 when the club had to move out and went to the Eagles Building at the corner of Fifth and Rayen avenues in Youngstown. That building closed in 1977 and the YMRA had to find a new location. The YMRA finally found a permanent home in the former Four Mile Run Christian Church where it is thriving today, 68 years later.
Silvernail said the original NYC building model includes a lit third floor with a model train layout in miniature that can be seen through the windows.
While there are some new scenery changes on the HO layout, technology is among the big changes as well as getting yards fully functioning.
"We have a new bumper car ride in our amusement park that works a lot better than the old one," he said. Also, a new roller coaster ride set up functions much better and will be running for the open houses.
Silvernail said the amusement park has been referred to by many as Idora Park. He said it wasn't modeled after Idora, but with so many making that comment, one member decided to build the famous rocket ride.
"It took two years to build, and today it is fully functioning," Silvernail said.
The big technology for the layout is the addition of new tv monitors that have a split screen to allow operators to better track train movement. The HO layout has over 100 scale miles of track showing local scenes from downtown Youngstown to the steel mills that the Valley is known for.
The HO layout drew national acclaim in January of this year when it appeared in Model Railroader magazine.
The one other new venue for the club is the HO portable layout. An addition was put on the church to house the new portable layout. The layout breaks down into sections that can be transported and set up in libraries and different events around the area. Kurt Sanders is one of the YMRA members who operates the layout.
"We've added a lot of scenery this year," he said. "We also have it set up for DC and DCC operations."
DCC operations allow for the new digital command control engines that have sound and are operated through a hand-held throttle system.
He added the layout can be enlarged by making more modules, or can be reduced in size by removing modules.
"We can fit it to wherever we are setting up," Sanders said. "For next year we are planning to make it an L-shape to fill more of the new building addition."
The modular, HO permanent, and the O-scale layouts will be operating in full glory for the open houses and club members will be on hand to answer any questions.
The open house will continue its run from noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 14, 15 and Dec. 5, 6, 12, and 13. A courtesy donation of $5 per person is requested and children under 11 with an adult are free. All proceeds go toward maintaining and improving the layouts and the historic building. The club is located at the corner of Raccoon Road and Four Mile Run Road in Austintown.