SMRC History
CLUB HISTORY
[Much of this history of SMRC has been contributed by Betty Smiley and Bob Watson; photos contributed by Betty Smiley and others.]
The Formative Years
CLUB HISTORY
[Much of this history of SMRC has been contributed by Betty Smiley and Bob Watson; photos contributed by Betty Smiley and others.]
The Formative Years
On January 5th, 2005, four men sat down together to form the Shannondell Model Railroad Club. This group included Dick Joyce and Bruce Smiley, whose fathers had worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad sparking their early interest in trains. Bob Port and Marty Umanoff both had a long-time love of model train layouts.
Marty Umanoff, Bob Port, Dick Joyce and Bruce Smiley, the SMRC founders, laid out the original concept of depicting the 1950’s as the setting for the layout so that they could showcase both steam locomotives and the more modern diesel locomotives in order to provide residents of Shannondell a place to teach their grandchildren the history of railroading.
Marty Umanoff, Bob Port, Dick Joyce and Bruce Smiley, the SMRC founders, laid out the original concept of depicting the 1950’s as the setting for the layout so that they could showcase both steam locomotives and the more modern diesel locomotives in order to provide residents of Shannondell a place to teach their grandchildren the history of railroading.
Founders of the Shannondell Model Railroad Club (SMRC), left to right, were Marty Umanoff, Bob Port, Dick Joyce and Bruce Smiley.
The founders approached Jim Sorom, CEO of Shannondell at Valley Forge, about a suitable location for a layout and found that they were dealing with another train enthusiast.
A 25’ x 30’ space in the unfinished lower level of the Ashcroft Clubhouse was paced off, and it had access to two small existing rooms which were to be used as an office and workspace. This entire space was walled in during July of 2005. The location on the lower level of Ashcroft Clubhouse is shown below.
A 25’ x 30’ space in the unfinished lower level of the Ashcroft Clubhouse was paced off, and it had access to two small existing rooms which were to be used as an office and workspace. This entire space was walled in during July of 2005. The location on the lower level of Ashcroft Clubhouse is shown below.
Shannondell Model Railroad location on the lower level of Ashcroft Clubhouse.
The SMRC Facility consists of three rooms, the main Train Room at 25’ x 30’ (7.6 x 9.1 meters), a second room of 10’ x 16’ (3 x 4.9 meters) for office space and a Staging Yard and a third room of 6’ x 16’ (1.83 x 4.9 meters) for a workshop (added in 2010). This is the basic floor plan:
Basic floor plan of the SMRC Facility as of 2024.
Photos of the space, during framing and after drywall was installed, are shown below.
Railroad Club space takes shape in 2005 July.
Upon completion of these spaces, construction of the train platform began in early August 2005. The design of the train platform was formally laid out by Bob Port with suggestions from Dick Joyce and many other club members. The group of carpenters was led by Carmen Molinaro, assisted by Bob Port, Stan Leitsch, Pat Hughes, and John Bubser. The platform was completed in September 2005 as seen in the following photograph.
View of much of the SMR completed platform with Club workers (clockwise) Glen Landis, Dick Joyce, Bob Sprau, Harry Cyphers, Tom Thiermann, Bob Epping, John Fledderjohn, John Bubser, Bruce Smiley, Bob Port, Stan Leitsch and Pat Hughes.
Most of the cork roadbed and track were laid by Bruce Smiley, Bob Port, and Tom Thiermann. The first sections of the track were ceremonially nailed together by Jim Sorom (CEO of Shannondell at Valley Forge), using a real railroad spike painted gold, on September 28, 2005. Additional sections of track were laid at a later date by this group with the help of Joe Fulton and John Bubser.
Installation of the Golden Spike: from left to right – Bruce Smiley, Jim Sorom, Bob Port, Stan Leitsch, Marty
Umanoff, Dick Joyce, Carmen Molinaro, Pat Hughes, John Bubser
Many donations of rolling stock [see also Rolling Stock] have been made to the SMRC and the items have been inventoried by Pat Hughes and others. Working to repair or modify these items were Jim Mullin, Harry Cyphers, Colin Tant, and John Bubser. Donations of structures have been inventoried by Stan Leitsch and others. All of these donations have been gratefully accepted by the Club.
Organization of the Club
As development of the railroad progressed, news of a model train layout spread throughout Shannondell and several more residents volunteered to help with building the train platform under the guidance of our master carpenter, Carmen Molinaro. Among other things, this increase in interested workers suggested a more formal organization of the group.
In the beginning, the Shannondell Model Railroad Club was organized informally. The four founders had assumed responsibilities as follows:
President – Dick Joyce
Vice President - Operations – Bob Port
Vice President – Scenery – Marty Umanoff
Treasurer – Bruce Smiley
Informal meetings were being held, and review notes were kept by Bob Port until a secretary could be found. In 2005 October, Isabelle Guernsey assumed the title of Secretary and official minutes were recorded beginning at that time. When did bylaws first develop???
A special mention should be made of all of the work and dedication put into starting the SMRC by Dick Joyce, our first club president, who passed away in March of 2006. He played an active part in every phase of the start-up of this project.
By the end of 2005 October, Club membership had grown to 39 and everyone looked forward to showing off their “work in progress” to the rest of Shannondell. Thus the first "Open House" programs were held over the holidays in late November and December of 2005.
As development of the railroad progressed, news of a model train layout spread throughout Shannondell and several more residents volunteered to help with building the train platform under the guidance of our master carpenter, Carmen Molinaro. Among other things, this increase in interested workers suggested a more formal organization of the group.
In the beginning, the Shannondell Model Railroad Club was organized informally. The four founders had assumed responsibilities as follows:
President – Dick Joyce
Vice President - Operations – Bob Port
Vice President – Scenery – Marty Umanoff
Treasurer – Bruce Smiley
Informal meetings were being held, and review notes were kept by Bob Port until a secretary could be found. In 2005 October, Isabelle Guernsey assumed the title of Secretary and official minutes were recorded beginning at that time. When did bylaws first develop???
A special mention should be made of all of the work and dedication put into starting the SMRC by Dick Joyce, our first club president, who passed away in March of 2006. He played an active part in every phase of the start-up of this project.
By the end of 2005 October, Club membership had grown to 39 and everyone looked forward to showing off their “work in progress” to the rest of Shannondell. Thus the first "Open House" programs were held over the holidays in late November and December of 2005.
First completed section of Shannondell Model Railroad around 2005 November.
The Period 2006-2015
With the sudden death of President Dick Joyce in March 2006, the office of president was briefly filled by Vice President Bob Port. Since Bob was more interested in being involved with planning and work on the layout than club administration, member John Bubser volunteered and became the new president.
In our first year, Shannondell had generously given us $1,000.00 for start-up costs. Subsequently, the club was limited financially to membership dues, so we gratefully accepted many items that were donated by new residents who no longer had room for model layouts in their apartments. Luckily, many donated items were compatible with our HO scale (1:87), although some small items like model automobiles were not, which led to some odd effects in
our early town layouts.
In 2006 we continued the work of assembling much of the scenery under the direction of Marty Umanoff, using the donated items from Shannondell residents. Marty designed the scenery for the platform and was assisted by Skip Fredericks, Pat Hughes and Colin Tant in laying out mountains and rivers. He instructed several other club members in making trees and other scenery elements. This group included Isabelle Guernsey, Pat Barthmaier, Sara Rao, Bob Sprau, Doris Karpinski, and Skip and Phyllis Fredericks.
Assembly of model kits of houses and buildings was done by John Fledderjohn, Jim Mullin, Tom Thiermann, and Skip Fredericks.
The electrical work, consisting of power to the track and the lighting of the buildings, street lamps, and amusements, was handled by Bob Port, Paul Tartar and Bob Epping.
Many donations of rolling stock were made to the Club and the items were carefully inventoried by Pat Hughes and others. Working to repair or modify these trains were Jim Mullin, Harry Cyphers, Colin Tant, and John Bubser.
An election was held in 2006 October, and the following officers were elected for the 2007 year:
President: John Bubser
Vice President: Marty Umanoff
Secretary: Harry Cyphers
Treasurer: Bruce Smiley
With the sudden death of President Dick Joyce in March 2006, the office of president was briefly filled by Vice President Bob Port. Since Bob was more interested in being involved with planning and work on the layout than club administration, member John Bubser volunteered and became the new president.
In our first year, Shannondell had generously given us $1,000.00 for start-up costs. Subsequently, the club was limited financially to membership dues, so we gratefully accepted many items that were donated by new residents who no longer had room for model layouts in their apartments. Luckily, many donated items were compatible with our HO scale (1:87), although some small items like model automobiles were not, which led to some odd effects in
our early town layouts.
In 2006 we continued the work of assembling much of the scenery under the direction of Marty Umanoff, using the donated items from Shannondell residents. Marty designed the scenery for the platform and was assisted by Skip Fredericks, Pat Hughes and Colin Tant in laying out mountains and rivers. He instructed several other club members in making trees and other scenery elements. This group included Isabelle Guernsey, Pat Barthmaier, Sara Rao, Bob Sprau, Doris Karpinski, and Skip and Phyllis Fredericks.
Assembly of model kits of houses and buildings was done by John Fledderjohn, Jim Mullin, Tom Thiermann, and Skip Fredericks.
The electrical work, consisting of power to the track and the lighting of the buildings, street lamps, and amusements, was handled by Bob Port, Paul Tartar and Bob Epping.
Many donations of rolling stock were made to the Club and the items were carefully inventoried by Pat Hughes and others. Working to repair or modify these trains were Jim Mullin, Harry Cyphers, Colin Tant, and John Bubser.
An election was held in 2006 October, and the following officers were elected for the 2007 year:
President: John Bubser
Vice President: Marty Umanoff
Secretary: Harry Cyphers
Treasurer: Bruce Smiley
The initial SMR Layout was wired with a block system using standard HO Direct Current (DC). Because only one locomotive could operate within a block, voltage and polarity, along with electrical switches housed in drawers, were used to control trains.
The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) held their convention in Philadelphia 2006 July 7-9. A contingent from SMRC went to the convention where they saw Digital Command & Control (DCC) in operation. Members decided that was the system we needed on the Shannondell layout.
The club voted in the fall of 2006 to change the entire layout to DCC. This was to be a tremendous effort. It meant that all locomotives would have to be modified with decoders and all drawers would be rewired to accommodate DCC. For more detail regarding DCC, please see ???
The club purchased a Digitrax DCC system and worked in 2007 to modify the layout for DCC. It was completed and used for the 2007 Open House.
At this time, the club had twelve working locomotives, all of which had been donated and were converted to DCC.
In 2007 it became apparent that our plans outstripped our treasury, so the club supplemented membership dues ($50 to join and $50 dues per year) with the rental of HO-scale billboard advertisements, made from business cards of local businesses, that were placed in various locations on the layout.
Various books, magazines, and DVDs about trains were also donated by Shannondell residents, so Sarah Boardman set up a SMRC library in the work room.
At the end of the year, the following officers were elected to serve in 2008:
President: John Bubser
Vice-President: Bob Port
Treasurer: Betty Smiley
Secretary: Harry Cyphers
Executive Committee Members at Large:
Pat Hughes
Paul Tartar
Colin Tant
The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) held their convention in Philadelphia 2006 July 7-9. A contingent from SMRC went to the convention where they saw Digital Command & Control (DCC) in operation. Members decided that was the system we needed on the Shannondell layout.
The club voted in the fall of 2006 to change the entire layout to DCC. This was to be a tremendous effort. It meant that all locomotives would have to be modified with decoders and all drawers would be rewired to accommodate DCC. For more detail regarding DCC, please see ???
The club purchased a Digitrax DCC system and worked in 2007 to modify the layout for DCC. It was completed and used for the 2007 Open House.
At this time, the club had twelve working locomotives, all of which had been donated and were converted to DCC.
In 2007 it became apparent that our plans outstripped our treasury, so the club supplemented membership dues ($50 to join and $50 dues per year) with the rental of HO-scale billboard advertisements, made from business cards of local businesses, that were placed in various locations on the layout.
Various books, magazines, and DVDs about trains were also donated by Shannondell residents, so Sarah Boardman set up a SMRC library in the work room.
At the end of the year, the following officers were elected to serve in 2008:
President: John Bubser
Vice-President: Bob Port
Treasurer: Betty Smiley
Secretary: Harry Cyphers
Executive Committee Members at Large:
Pat Hughes
Paul Tartar
Colin Tant
2008 opened with Bob Port presenting an encouraging list of projects the club hoped to accomplish throughout the year. In order to achieve these goals despite our limited finances, Betty Smiley began selling duplicate items and other donations that did not fit into our vision for the layout on eBay to help boost the club treasury. The focus was on standardizing the HO scale of all items in the layout.
Another focus throughout the year was on upgrading the control system. In 2008 there were 18 working locomotives.
In December, officers were elected for 2009:
President: Betty Smiley
Vice-President: Harry Cyphers
Secretary: Littleton Roberts
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Bob Port
Pat Hughes
Recognizing the continued need for additional income, President Betty Smiley expanded the sale of unusable donated items on eBay and at two model train shows held at the Gilbertsville, PA Fire and Rescue Company. Over $7,000 was raised, giving the club’s financial picture a real boost.
The other real need for the club was more work space. Betty approached Jim Sorom with this problem, and he agreed to construction of an additional adjoining room measuring 6’ by 16’. Four workstations and a movable worktable were designed by Bob Port and built by Carmen Molinaro. Painting was done by Bruce Smiley and Pat Hughes to complete the project.
During this year, the Willow Grove Amusement Park took shape, with Doris Karpinski hand-painting the horses on the carousel and one by one gluing tiny pebbles to create the stone wall under the railroad track. Finished accessories in HO scale were not readily available on the market at that time.
Officers were elected for 2010, as follows:
President: Betty Smiley
Vice-President: Harry Cyphers
Secretary: Littleton Roberts
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Bob Port
Glenn Landis
The other real need for the club was more work space. Betty approached Jim Sorom with this problem, and he agreed to construction of an additional adjoining room measuring 6’ by 16’. Four workstations and a movable worktable were designed by Bob Port and built by Carmen Molinaro. Painting was done by Bruce Smiley and Pat Hughes to complete the project.
During this year, the Willow Grove Amusement Park took shape, with Doris Karpinski hand-painting the horses on the carousel and one by one gluing tiny pebbles to create the stone wall under the railroad track. Finished accessories in HO scale were not readily available on the market at that time.
Officers were elected for 2010, as follows:
President: Betty Smiley
Vice-President: Harry Cyphers
Secretary: Littleton Roberts
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Bob Port
Glenn Landis
With finances in better shape at the close of 2009, dues were reduced from $50 to $35, and the initiation fee was eliminated. The Club was able to begin a new major project in 2010, the Roundhouse Project (a repair facility for steam locomotives). This initiative was led by Bob Port, assisted by Bruce Smiley, Glenn Landis, Paul Tartar, Bob Cadmus, and Doris Karpinski. The project replaced a mountain originally designed by Marty Umanoff for his personal layout at his previous home.
The Roundhouse gave the club the ability to teach children about steam locomotives and to bring back memories for our residents.
Officers were elected for 2011 (By-Laws were changed to allow for a third term):
President: Betty Smiley
Vice-President: Bob Cadmus
Secretary: Jim Sykes
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Doris Karpinski
Bob Port
Another major project began in 2011, with the replacement of Mountainview Village which had been the first area completed in 2005. It contained buildings of various scales – all that was available in the first year of the club.
The area’s replacement was the Mountainview Industrial Complex Project, led once again by Bob Port. At this time, everything on the platform was inspected to make sure that it was in the HO scale of 1:87.
During this same year, the club’s first computer was purchased.
The prize acquisition of 2011 was the donation by Shannondell of a limited-edition replica of the famous Broadway Limited which operated between New York and Chicago by way of Philadelphia.
In 2011 October, the Club said goodbye to Bob Port, one of the founders, who moved with his wife to be close to their daughter’s family in Virginia. In his six years with the club, he was the chief designer and planner for most of the projects.
Officers elected for 2012 were:
President: Bob Cadmus
Vice-President: Bob Watson
Secretary: Jim Sykes
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Skip Fredericks
Betty Smiley
The area’s replacement was the Mountainview Industrial Complex Project, led once again by Bob Port. At this time, everything on the platform was inspected to make sure that it was in the HO scale of 1:87.
During this same year, the club’s first computer was purchased.
The prize acquisition of 2011 was the donation by Shannondell of a limited-edition replica of the famous Broadway Limited which operated between New York and Chicago by way of Philadelphia.
In 2011 October, the Club said goodbye to Bob Port, one of the founders, who moved with his wife to be close to their daughter’s family in Virginia. In his six years with the club, he was the chief designer and planner for most of the projects.
Officers elected for 2012 were:
President: Bob Cadmus
Vice-President: Bob Watson
Secretary: Jim Sykes
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Skip Fredericks
Betty Smiley
A continuing problem with the layout was the warping of the platform caused by humidity changes in the room. It was decided to bring in a consultant. We hired Bob Rule, who was an employee of Lin’s Junction, which was a model railroad hobbyist store in Lansdale, PA, and our source of supply for many of our needs. His
assignment was to locate and fix the problem spots on the platform.
In May of 2012, it was decided to show a train video prior to the regular meeting to inspire more interest in our Club. An invitation was sent out to all Shannondell residents. The video was National Geographic’s “Love Those Trains”. Twenty-one members and friends attended along with sixty-nine resident guests making this
idea a huge success.
In July, a second video was shown, “The Rockies by Rail” with a total of 115 in attendance, marking a second huge success.
Subsequently, videos were shown every other month prior to the regular Train Club meetings. While not
many residents stayed for the regular meeting, interest in the activities of the Train Club surged.
Plastic Lexan panels were installed around the edges of the platform to deter children’s fingers from reaching out to touch the scenery and to stop the disappearance of our HO gauge autos which are slightly smaller than Matchbox cars, but considerably more expensive.
A total attendance of 1,082 was reported for the seven Open House sessions held in November and December.
In 2012 November, the annual election of officers for 2013 was held, and the current Executive Committee remained unchanged:
President: Bob Cadmus
Vice-President: Bob Watson
Secretary: Jim Sykes
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Skip Fredericks
Betty Smiley
assignment was to locate and fix the problem spots on the platform.
In May of 2012, it was decided to show a train video prior to the regular meeting to inspire more interest in our Club. An invitation was sent out to all Shannondell residents. The video was National Geographic’s “Love Those Trains”. Twenty-one members and friends attended along with sixty-nine resident guests making this
idea a huge success.
In July, a second video was shown, “The Rockies by Rail” with a total of 115 in attendance, marking a second huge success.
Subsequently, videos were shown every other month prior to the regular Train Club meetings. While not
many residents stayed for the regular meeting, interest in the activities of the Train Club surged.
Plastic Lexan panels were installed around the edges of the platform to deter children’s fingers from reaching out to touch the scenery and to stop the disappearance of our HO gauge autos which are slightly smaller than Matchbox cars, but considerably more expensive.
A total attendance of 1,082 was reported for the seven Open House sessions held in November and December.
In 2012 November, the annual election of officers for 2013 was held, and the current Executive Committee remained unchanged:
President: Bob Cadmus
Vice-President: Bob Watson
Secretary: Jim Sykes
Treasurer: Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Skip Fredericks
Betty Smiley
January of 2013 brought the continuation of the bi-monthly video programs to the delight of many residents. The movie theater was always full, and a second showing was scheduled when necessary.
Work on the layout continued, with humidifiers in place and Bob Rule working on the track problems.
Scenery changes were made as more items came in as donations.
The total attendance for the scheduled Open Houses was 1,036, down slightly from the previous year because of bad weather on our scheduled six-hour Santa Day.
In November, election of Executive Committee members for 2014 was held as follows:
President – Bob Watson
Vice President – Bob Cadmus
Secretary – Ed England
Treasurer – Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Sue Sykes
Betty Smiley
Work on the layout continued, with humidifiers in place and Bob Rule working on the track problems.
Scenery changes were made as more items came in as donations.
The total attendance for the scheduled Open Houses was 1,036, down slightly from the previous year because of bad weather on our scheduled six-hour Santa Day.
In November, election of Executive Committee members for 2014 was held as follows:
President – Bob Watson
Vice President – Bob Cadmus
Secretary – Ed England
Treasurer – Paul Tartar
Executive Committee Members at Large:
John Bubser
Sue Sykes
Betty Smiley
Bob Watson became President in 2014 and held the position until 2017. During these years Rich Keckley was Vice President, Paul Tartar was Treasurer, and the Secretary was Ed England until 2016 when Anne Froelich took on that job. Club membership remained steady between 59 and 63 Members and Friends.
Funding continued to be an issue, but dues, donations and eBay sales kept Treasurer Paul Tartar from reporting negative figures. New residents frequently brought model railroad equipment and other related artifacts to the Club. All such gifts were accepted, but if they were of a nature not compatible with the Club’s needs, they were sold at train meets or on eBay with the proceeds added to the Club account.
The By-laws of the Club, as originally written, with legal advice, were rather restrictive in that all expenditures over $50 required approval of the Membership. This resulted in confusion and abuse so that the By-laws were amended to raise that limit to $100. More recently the Club has adopted an annual budget which estimates the funding required for the work planned for each year. That budget is then put forth for Membership approval and no further action is required unless that budget’s limit is exceeded.
Another addition to the by-laws was adopted to provide for the operation of privately owned rolling stock on the layout with its owners responsible for its maintenance.
The 10th anniversary of the Club’s founding was celebrated in 2015 with a special meeting honoring the Founding Members and recognizing their early efforts and accomplishments. The control of the layout had been changed from DC to DCC prior to 2014, but some matters of wiring and programming continued to be problematic. Paul Tartar’s knowledge, interest, and electrical and electronic capabilities were invaluable in these times, as he worked to resolve most of these issues as they arose.
Club-owned rolling stock was originally DC, but the transformation of the layout to DCC made many of the DC locomotives unusable. Some effort was made to install decoders in the DC locomotives, but this was not an especially successful effort. Several new DCC locomotives, purchased prior to 2014 including the following, were the Club’s principle operative DCC motive power:
• Bachmann Steam DM&IR 2-10-2 #506
• Trix Steam PRR Class L2 2-8-2 #9630
• Bachmann PRR Doodlebug 4644
• Bachmann Reading EMD GP30s 5516 and 5518
• Mechano Lehigh Valley Alco C-628s 638 and 639
• Pemco PRR GG1 4935
• Walthers PRR EMD E-8s 5712 and 5713 (Broadway Limited)
Bob Watson’s personal roster of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) locomotives (one each GG1, H10, I1, J1, K4, L1, M1b, T1, and RSD15) and an Amtrak Acela High Speed Train, as well as a number of additional freight and passenger cars supplemented the rolling stock roster.
By this time the DVD presentations had settled into a routine and had been scheduled for a time and date apart from the Club business meetings. However, the subject matter of the programs was also a bit of a problem. Prototype railroad and modeling topics were not well received by the general audiences, but travelogues based on railways became popular and it was possible to find a number of such DVD programs – principally the Great Railway Journeys series hosted by Michael Portillo.
Lin’s Junction, a hobby shop in Lansdale owned by Lin and Paul Maynard, which has since closed, was used almost exclusively for purchases of material, repair and modification of locomotives, and general expert advice on model railroading. Bob Rule, one of their employees, became the Club’s paid advisor for assistance in track-related issues as well as general advice about the hobby. He came to Shannondell about once per week to troubleshoot and assist Members with their work.
Major projects undertaken during this period (2014-2016) were as follows:
Funding continued to be an issue, but dues, donations and eBay sales kept Treasurer Paul Tartar from reporting negative figures. New residents frequently brought model railroad equipment and other related artifacts to the Club. All such gifts were accepted, but if they were of a nature not compatible with the Club’s needs, they were sold at train meets or on eBay with the proceeds added to the Club account.
The By-laws of the Club, as originally written, with legal advice, were rather restrictive in that all expenditures over $50 required approval of the Membership. This resulted in confusion and abuse so that the By-laws were amended to raise that limit to $100. More recently the Club has adopted an annual budget which estimates the funding required for the work planned for each year. That budget is then put forth for Membership approval and no further action is required unless that budget’s limit is exceeded.
Another addition to the by-laws was adopted to provide for the operation of privately owned rolling stock on the layout with its owners responsible for its maintenance.
The 10th anniversary of the Club’s founding was celebrated in 2015 with a special meeting honoring the Founding Members and recognizing their early efforts and accomplishments. The control of the layout had been changed from DC to DCC prior to 2014, but some matters of wiring and programming continued to be problematic. Paul Tartar’s knowledge, interest, and electrical and electronic capabilities were invaluable in these times, as he worked to resolve most of these issues as they arose.
Club-owned rolling stock was originally DC, but the transformation of the layout to DCC made many of the DC locomotives unusable. Some effort was made to install decoders in the DC locomotives, but this was not an especially successful effort. Several new DCC locomotives, purchased prior to 2014 including the following, were the Club’s principle operative DCC motive power:
• Bachmann Steam DM&IR 2-10-2 #506
• Trix Steam PRR Class L2 2-8-2 #9630
• Bachmann PRR Doodlebug 4644
• Bachmann Reading EMD GP30s 5516 and 5518
• Mechano Lehigh Valley Alco C-628s 638 and 639
• Pemco PRR GG1 4935
• Walthers PRR EMD E-8s 5712 and 5713 (Broadway Limited)
Bob Watson’s personal roster of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) locomotives (one each GG1, H10, I1, J1, K4, L1, M1b, T1, and RSD15) and an Amtrak Acela High Speed Train, as well as a number of additional freight and passenger cars supplemented the rolling stock roster.
By this time the DVD presentations had settled into a routine and had been scheduled for a time and date apart from the Club business meetings. However, the subject matter of the programs was also a bit of a problem. Prototype railroad and modeling topics were not well received by the general audiences, but travelogues based on railways became popular and it was possible to find a number of such DVD programs – principally the Great Railway Journeys series hosted by Michael Portillo.
Lin’s Junction, a hobby shop in Lansdale owned by Lin and Paul Maynard, which has since closed, was used almost exclusively for purchases of material, repair and modification of locomotives, and general expert advice on model railroading. Bob Rule, one of their employees, became the Club’s paid advisor for assistance in track-related issues as well as general advice about the hobby. He came to Shannondell about once per week to troubleshoot and assist Members with their work.
Major projects undertaken during this period (2014-2016) were as follows:
- Construction of the elevated portion of the High Line over the Mountainview Industrial Park. This new trackage created a second route around the layout thus allowing at least two trains to be operated simultaneously.
- Configuring curves and clearances to accommodate the newly acquired Broadway Limited train and learning to operate it.
- Restoration and repair of the five rides in the Amusement Park to operational status.
- Beginning of the installation of animated figures and features around the layout.
- Installation of a transfer table in the Staging Area, a feature which proved to occupy more space and be of little benefit. It was removed when the Staging Area was expanded.
- Installation of remotely controlled servos to ten turnouts at the north end of Shannondell Station.
- Removal of the long highway bridge that spanned the layout from near Centerville to near its southwest corner.
- Removal of the very short and tight wye connections between the High Line and Low Grade near the center of the layout. This route was prepared for later use of the “Shuttle” between Northville and Harbortown Stations.
Some photographs of the SMR during the formative period are presented in the following slide show (about 4 minutes).
2017 to Present
For more recent history of the Shannondell Model Railroad and Club, see below and also Layout.
More Recent Years
The first five or so years of the Club’s history were marked with the enthusiasm of its founding members and the willingness of Shannondell Management to support it with space and early funding. During the following years the Club expanded and honed its efforts to improve the layout and its footprint at Shannondell – a never ending process.
OFFICERS
Following Dick Joyce, John Bubser served as President from 2006 through 2008. Betty Smiley was President from 2009 through 2011 when Bob Cadmus took over. Bob Watson took the reins in 2014 and was followed by Rich Keckley in 2017 and Bruce Wintersteen in 2019. As was the custom, each of these served as Vice President before being elected as President. Paul Tartar was the Treasurer from 2009 to his passing late December 2022. Prior to Paul, Bruce Smiley served as Treasurer, with a lot of help from Betty. The office of Secretary has been held by a number of people beginning with Rob Roberts, followed by Jim Sykes, Ed England, Anne Froehlich, and Bob Watson.
The Club was organized with two levels of supporters; Members and Friends. Friends can participate in all Club activities, but cannot run trains or vote at Club meetings. Through most of our history, Club membership has remained steady between 59 and 63 Members and Friends. In 2019, Shannondell CEO Jim Sorom encouraged residents to support the Model Railroad Club. This resulted in a significant increase, particularly in the number of Friends. Currently the Club has ~100 Members and Friends (see Membership, above).
CRAFTS PERSONS
It is important that the most active Club Members be mentioned along with their principal contributions to the Club. The following are in addition to those mentioned above who were key in initial establishment of the Club and layout.
Betty Smiley was always a major force as she took over the organization and management to see that good records were kept and that the work remained focused.
Paul Tartar came with the expertise in electronics which stood him in good stead for installing and working with the DCC control system.
Bob Cadmus worked well with Paul Tartar in electrical matters and converting all lighting to LEDs.
Rich Keckley brought a wealth of hands-on talent to the Club as well as the ability to work beneath the platform on wiring and structural concerns.
Gerry Williams, a long time modeler, had a personal layout from which he brought his talents in detailed buildings and scenery with meticulous attention to detail.
Bob Watson came from a career in the railroad industry and brought his collection of cars and locomotives to the layout.
Virginia Trosino, a big-time gardener before moving to Shannondell, became the Club’s manager of foliage and weeds.
Bruce Wintersteen revived his interest in the hobby and brought expertise in computers and digital technology.
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
The Holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is “Show Time” for the layout when all work is stopped and train operation becomes the order of the day. This is the time when residents and their guests are invited to view the handiwork of the Club (see Upcoming Events).
For these times the layout is cleaned and made as trouble free as possible for operation. Special railroad displays are placed in the Ashcroft and Bradford lobbies and posters with the Open House schedule are distributed throughout the Shannondell campus. The lobby outside the Train Room is decked out with Club literature and a special small exhibit of various gauge trains is operated. For several years Janet Watson operated her Z Gage layout in the lobby. Members who host and operate the trains for the Open House wear Club T-shirts bearing the Club logo.
Under normal circumstances two-hour operating sessions are conducted on the Saturdays and Sundays before and after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, or as near those days as possible. In addition, a special, six hour “Santa Day” is conducted on a mid-December Saturday when Shannondell conducts a number of special events for children.
The first Holiday Open Houses were conducted in 2005 and have continued every year, except 2020 when we were closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the years these Open House events have averaged about 900 visitors per year.
MEMBERSHIP PARTICIPATION
As the Club matured and the work became less intensive and more routine, attendance at the monthly meetings was found to be lagging. It was suggested that more should be done to attract the general population of Shannondell residents. For a year or two a monthly Open House was conducted on a Saturday afternoon to try to maintain interest after the holiday Open Houses of the Thanksgiving and Christmas periods. This was mildly successful but it was felt by some that more could be done.
Videos
After considerable discussion, debate, and a trial run or two, railway-related videos began to be shown immediately before the regular business meetings of the Club on alternate months. This became a successful practice, but in that many of the viewers left at the end of the show and before the meeting, it was deemed a mixed blessing as the business meeting attendance remained low.
However, it became clear that the video showings were popular; in several cases there was standing room only and presentations had to be repeated. As a result, the video presentations were then scheduled for a time and date apart from the Club business meetings. The subject matter of the videos was also a bit of a problem. Prototype railroad and modeling topics were not well received by the general audiences, but travelogues based on railways became popular and it was possible to find a number of such video programs – principally the Great Railway Journeys series hosted by Michael Portillo. Such videos continue to be presented (see Upcoming Events).
BY-LAWS EVOLUOTION
The By-Laws of the Club as originally written, with legal counsel advice, became rather restrictive in that all expenditures over $50 required approval of the Membership. This was cumbersome and resulted in confusion and abuse so that the By-Laws were amended to increase that threshold to $100. More recently the Club has moved to an annual budget which predicts expenditures for the year ahead requiring approval only once unless unexpected requirements come into play.
Early on, officers of the Club (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the three Members at Large of the Executive Committee) were elected annually but restricted to one year terms. Another By-law change became necessary when it was found to be impossible to recruit more than a few Members to hold office. The change continued annual elections, but allowed an unrestricted number of terms to be held.
When new Members joined the Club and brought with them their personal locomotives and cars and wished to retain ownership, the By-Laws were amended to allow its operation on the layout by other members with appropriate care but required all maintenance and repair and its cost to remain the responsibility of the owner.
FINANCES
From its founding in 2005, SMRC funding has not been a problem as dues, donations, and E-Bay sales kept Treasurer, Paul Tartar (now Bruce Wintersteen) from reporting negative figures. The Club has never experienced financial hardship. Dues of Members and Friends have been the foundation of its annual budget.
However, donations from visitors and other Shannondell residents throughout the years but especially during the Holiday Open House events have also been valuable. Additional income has been attracted by selling advertising space on the billboards set in the scenery on the layout.
Shannondell management provided the space and occasional significant, one-time contributions for major acquisitions such as the Broadway Limited train and the platform skirts. The Club often receives unneeded model railroad equipment from new residents and other sources. It is accepted with the proviso that if it can be put to use on or for the layout it will be kept, but if not, it will be sold for the benefit of the Club.
E-BAY and TRAIN SHOW SALES
Betty Smiley was particularly adept at working the E-Bay site over the years from 2007 to 2016 and netted more than $5,800 for the benefit of the Club. Her sales efforts in other venues brought another $2,000 to the Club’s treasury. After the close of the Fort Washington Expo Center, the relatively small annual show at the Gilbertsville, PA fire hall became a convenient venue for train shows. The Club sold excess material there with good results for three years until that venue was closed in 2015.
When the Expo Center at Oaks, PA became active for the Great American Train Show and the Greenberg Train Show in the early 2000s the Club began to schedule at least one event per year there for both sales of unneeded material and the purchase of necessary supplies. This even more convenient site has been used annually for sales so as to provide for better use of the unneeded material, as well as purchases.
OTHER CLUB INTERACTION
On two occasions the Club was visited by residents of other retirement communities in the general area who wanted to begin to build a layout in their communities and sought the advice of the Shannondell Club.
They were told of the issues and difficulties experienced in the early days and given suggestions as to how to begin to plan their layouts. The most important advice given was to get the support and long-term commitment of the management of the community early on. They were also advised to tell their management of the potential marketing value of their layout in recruiting new residents to the community, as is the case with “Lunch and Learn” events for those with interest in moving to Shannondell. It is not known if these communities continued in their interest in building model railroad layouts.
OFF CAMPUS ACTIVITY
The Club has sponsored off-campus activities on several occasions. The Club’s Members visited the American Treasure Museum in Oaks and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. The Club has twice visited the extensive model railroad of a friend nearby as well as those of other clubs and that of Bob Rule as mentioned below (Expert Assistance). Of course, many of the Club’s Members and Friends partake in the numerous other rail-related features in the area, such as excursions on the Colebrookdale and the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroads (see Upcoming Events and External Links).
MATERIAL RESOURCES
From 2005 until it closed in early 2017, Lin’s Junction hobby shop in Lansdale, PA was the source of choice for models, material, and other supplies. It was one of the best and closest model railroad shops to Shannondell, and its owners and staff were most helpful in providing material and advice in the beginning years of the Club. Prices were nicely reduced for all organized Clubs that dealt there and our members often took problems to Lin and Paul and the others who always took the time to help. After its closure, online purchases became the norm for equipment and supplies. See also External Links.
EXPERT ASSISTANCE
When it was realized that the Club lacked some of the talent and expertise needed to make the layout function more consistently, Lin’s was solicited for on-site help, particularly with track issues. Bob Rule, who worked at Lin’s, agreed to come to Shannondell at the rate of $15 per hour once per week for two hours to teach interested Members the finer points of track construction and maintenance. One of the primary concerns from the start of the Club was its early decision to build the layout to a minimum curve radius of only 24 inches. In actual practice, it was found that in many cases the radius of curvature had been installed to even less. This was the cause of many derailments and other operating troubles. Bob helped the Club realign such curves and bring the layout into a much better state of repair and operation. He became a good friend and mentor to the Club. For about two years he came on Monday mornings and worked with members to correct track problems of alignment, cross level, warp, and other conditions. He often stayed just to talk and offer suggestions from his experience with his personal layout. The Club once visited his home to see his combined HO and HOn2 layouts.
ROLLING STOCK
The history of the rolling stock (see Rolling Stock) put to use on the layout is cloudy for the early years. Members brought their personal locomotives and cars and they were assimilated into the roster. In addition, a few locomotives and cars were purchased by the Club as funds were available. Most locomotives became misfits when the control system was changed from DC to DCC. There were attempts to convert them for DCC, but most became unusable and were later sold or used for parts. Nevertheless, several of them were successfully converted and a few others were bought with DCC installed. The active Club-owned locomotives on the layout in 2014 were as follows:
- DM&IR (2-10-2) 506 by Bachmann
- PRR L2s (2-8-2) 9630 by Bachmann
- Two PRR GG1 (4-6-6-4) probably by Pemco converted to DCC
- PRR Doodlebug 4644 by Bachann
- LVRR 638 & 639 Alco 628c by unknown manufacturer, converted to DCC
- Dewitt Clinton by Bachmann, DC for Amusement Park
Bob Watson’s arrival at Shannondell brought his considerable personal collection of cars and locomotives onto the layout, although he retained ownership. The steam locomotives in his roster include one each of the following Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives: I1, J1, K4, M1, and T1. He also brought a PRR GG1 electric, an ALCO RS 15 diesel, a Norfolk and Western Class A, a USDOT TurboTrain, and an Amtrak Acela 8-car trainset which he had converted to DCC. Later he bought and installed a PRR H10, an L1, and a 4-car Metroliner train set. He gave the Club a PRR Baldwin S-12 switcher and a Western Maryland 2-8-0 which the Club converted to DCC. His large collection of foreign prototype DC trains was displayed on the racks in the Office until he sold them.
In recent years several other new residents have moved to Shannondell with their own collections of locomotives and rolling stock. These have been incorporated into the layout or sold to gain additional funds for the continued development and maintenance of the layout. Funds given in memory of John Bubser were used to purchase a pair of Athearn Genesis GP-9 locomotives. A pair of Bowser Lehigh Valley ALCO C628c locomotives were recently purchased to replace the well worn LVR 638 & 639.
For a current roster of locomotives, see SMR Rolling Stock.
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT OF THE LAYOUT
It is well known to model railroaders that the layout is never finished – there is always more that can and should be done to “make it better”. Use the buttons below to learn more about developments and refinements in the layout during the last six years.