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{{Short description|American model railroading club}} |
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'''Cherry Valley O Scale''' is a [[not for profit|not-for-profit]] club dedicated to the promotion of 2-rail [[O scale|O-scale]] ([[1:48_scale|1:48]]) [[Rail transport modelling|model railroading]], located in [[Merchantville]] NJ, in the basement/[[undercroft]] of the Grace Episcopal Church.<ref>[http://n.b5z.net/i/u/6142730/i/GRACE__EPISCOPAL__CHURCH_PROFILE_BOOK.pdf Grace Church Profile and History]</ref> |
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[[Image:Cvmrr-newlayout1.jpg|thumb|right|Part of the passenger station throat on the new layout]] |
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'''Cherry Valley O Scale''' is a [[not for profit|not-for-profit]] club dedicated to the promotion of 2-rail [[O scale|O-scale]] ([[1:48 scale|1:48]]) [[Rail transport modelling|model railroading]],<ref name="aap1">"Choo Choo", ''All Around Pennsauken'', December 2012</ref> located in [[Merchantville, New Jersey|Merchantville]], [[New Jersey]], United States, in the basement/[[undercroft]] of the Grace Episcopal Church.<ref name="Courpo1">"Holiday Open House: Cherry Valley Train Club", ''Camden NJ Courier-Post'', December 30, 2012</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.merchantville.com/merchantville/groups/374-model-railroad-club-open-house- |title=Merchantville Online: Model Railroad Club Open House |access-date=2011-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927033252/http://www.merchantville.com/merchantville/groups/374-model-railroad-club-open-house- |archive-date=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Obsrv1">"Model Railroad Open House", ''Merchantville Observer'', November 12, 2012</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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[[Image:Cvmrr-oldlayout.jpg|thumb|Control panel from the old layout]] |
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The club first started in 1963,<ref name="retrospective">[http://theretrospect.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1629&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1155&hn=theretrospect&he=.com Sam Steinruck, "Model Train Layout A Little Bit of Christmas", ''The Retrospective'', Dec 5th, 2008]</ref> and has occupied the same space since inception. Meetings were originally held on Thursday evenings, but have since been moved to Tuesday evenings for better attendance. [[Rolling stock]] has typically been owned by the individual members, with the club jointly owning the [[Model_railroad_layout|layout]] and [[Rail_transport_modelling#Control|control system]]. Much of the current rolling stock has been [[Rail_transport_modelling#Weathering|weathered]] to better replicate real-world conditions. |
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The club was started in March 1962,<ref name="Courpo2">Arthur M McGuire, "Model Railroad Runs Like Real", ''Camden NJ Courier-Post'', November 12, 1964</ref><ref name="Inky1">[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB5CDACEFF8CB9D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Jennifer Farrell, "A Different Track \ Model Train Club Aboard New Line", ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', January 11, 1999]</ref><ref name="Courpo3">[http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BZ&Dato=20101205&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=12050801&Ref=PH Scott Anderson, "Model Railroad Open House", ''Camden NJ Courier-Post'', December 6, 2010]</ref> by members of the former Philadelphia Model Railroad Club, which had been located in the [[24th Street Station (Philadelphia)|B&O passenger station]] on Chestnut St. in [[Philadelphia]],<ref name="Obsrv1" /><ref name="retro1">{{Cite web |url=http://theretrospect.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1629&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1155&hn=theretrospect&he=.com |title=Sam Steinruck, "Model Train Layout A Little Bit of Christmas", ''The Retrospective'', December 5, 2008 |access-date=August 31, 2009 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216031311/http://www.theretrospect.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1629&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1155&hn=theretrospect&he=.com |url-status=dead }}</ref> after the B&O station was demolished. (Some members of the PMRC also went on to start the [[East Penn Traction Club]] several years later.)<ref name="eptc1">[http://www.eastpenn.org/origin.html The East Penn Traction Club: The Origin of Modular Trolley Layout]</ref> |
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When first started, the space was an 80' x 35' unfinished crawl space directly under the original 1890s chapel. Finishing the space took weeks, with the removal of 4' of dirt<ref name="Inky1" /> before 20 cubic yards of concrete was used for the new floor.<ref name="hadgaz">"Cherry Valley RR: Ready to Roll", ''The Haddon Gazette'', November 8, 1962</ref> |
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The first [[Model railroad layout|layout]] in the space was started in July 1962,<ref name="hadgaz4">"Modern Gullivers", ''The Haddon Gazette'', November 7, 1963</ref> with the framing and scenery built before the track was laid, and the first spike driven on August 30, 1962.<ref name="hadgaz" /> This layout was 27 by 55 feet in size,<ref name="Courpo4">"15 Model Railroaders Plan Exhibit at Church Festival", ''Camden NJ Courier-Post'', November 10, 1967</ref> and was of a [[Model railroad layout#Track layout|double-track folded dogbone design]], built with traditional square tabletop framing, [[Rail transport modelling#Landscaping|plaster scenery]], and [[Control relay|relay control]].<ref name="Obsrv1" /> Eventually it grew to have over 4000 linear feet of track,<ref name="Inky1" /> in both [[Standard gauge|standard]] and [[Narrow gauge railroads in the United States|3-foot]] gauges, with some [[dual gauge]] mixed in.<ref name="Courpo4" /> |
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It existed through to January 1999,<ref name="Inky1" /> when it was torn down due to growing problems with accessibility and electrical characteristics.<ref name="Obsrv1" /><ref name="Inky1" /> Many of the original [[Building model|structures]] and [[Railroad switch|switches]] have been saved, for eventual inclusion on the new layout. Most notable of these is a 1940s train station model which had previously been salvaged from the layout at the PMRC location on Chestnut Street.<ref name="Obsrv1" /><ref name="hadgaz2">"Model Railroad Invites Inspection", ''The Haddon Gazette'', November 2, 1967</ref> |
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==Old Layout== |
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The first [[Model_railroad_layout|layout]] in the space was of a [[Model_railroad_layout#Track_layout|double-track looped-8 design]], built with traditional square tabletop framing, [[Rail_transport_modelling#Landscaping|plaster scenery]], and [[Control relay|relay control]]. It existed from the mid-1960's through to 1999{{Fact|date=August 2009}}, when it was torn down due to poor running and electrical characteristics. Many of the original [[Building_model|structures]] and [[Railroad_switch|switches]] have been saved, for eventual inclusion on the new layout. |
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In 2012, the club's 50th anniversary was celebrated with a proclamation of the [[Merchantville, New Jersey|Merchantville]] Town Council, at their October public session.<ref name="Obsrv1" /><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20161227095605/http://merchantvillenj.gov/attachments/category/61/10.15.12.pdf Merchantville Town Council Agenda for October 15, 2012]</ref> |
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==New |
==New layout== |
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The new [[ |
The new [[Model railroad layout|layout]] was started in 2001,<ref name="retro2">Bethany Mitros, "World's A Stage: Cherry Valley Trains Are Actors", ''The Retrospective'', January 4, 2013</ref> is of a [[Model railroad layout#Track layout|double-track looped-8 design]]; but has been built around the walls, with several [[Balloon loop|reversing loops]], curved laminate benchwork, more than 2000 linear feet of track,<ref name="Courpo5">[http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012301080027 Joe Cooney, "Train Club's Open House Features All the Bells and Whistles", ''Camden NJ Courier-Post'', January 8, 2012]</ref> and a scale model of [[Philadelphia|Philadelphia's]] [[30th Street Station]].<ref name="retro2" /> Scenery has been built with a mix of [[hydrocal]] and [[Extruded polystyrene|extruded styrofoam]] board, and [[NCE Corporation|North Coast Engineering (NCE)]] [[Digital Command Control]] has been installed to allow running of multiple trains without the need for complex [[Control relay|relay systems]].<ref name="retro1" /><ref name="Courpo5" /> The layout also features working signals that display proper occupancy, as well as scale-sized lighting fixtures for night scenes. |
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A new On30 narrow gauge branchline is being constructed at one end of the layout, with plans to expand it as time and resources allow.<ref name="retro1" /> [[Rolling stock]] is owned by the individual members,<ref name="retro1" /><ref name="hadgaz2" /> with the club jointly owning the [[Model railroad layout|layout]] and [[Rail transport modelling#Control|control system]]. This rolling stock represents all periods of history,<ref name="retro2" /> and is a mixture of [[Brass model|brass]], bronze, tin, [[white metal]], [[Plastic model|plastic]], [[Resin casting|resin]], wood, [[Paper model|paper]], cardboard, and [[Diecast toy|die-cast]] models; most of which has been extensively [[kitbashing|kitbashed]]/modified, features custom paint and [[Water slide decal|water-slide decals]]; and has been [[Rail transport modelling#Weathering|weathered]] to better replicate real-world conditions.<ref name="retro1" /> |
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==Catenary== |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Image:Cvmrr-catenary.jpg|thumb|PRR-style compound catenary being installed on new layout]] |
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Every year, the club traditionally has several "Open House" weekends between [[Thanksgiving]] and [[New Year's]] holidays. The 41st Annual Open House weekends were held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-7 and 12-14, 2008.<ref name="retrospective"></ref> |
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Although the original layout did have a short section of [[Overhead lines#Overhead catenary|catenary]], most of it was destroyed when the layout was torn down.<ref name="Inky1" /> However, the new layout is being constructed with a full [[Pennsylvania Railroad#Electrification|PRR-Style compound catenary system]] over the entire layout. This catenary system is being integrated into the power distribution,<ref name="retro2" /> so that the [[electric locomotive]]s and [[Electric Multiple Unit|MU cars]] will receive power via their [[Pantograph (rail)|operating pantographs]].<ref name="Courpo6">"Hobbyists On The Right Track", ''Camden NJ Courier-Post'', January 7, 2013</ref> |
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Dates for the 42nd (2009) Open House weekends are as follows: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4-6, 11-13; and Saturday-Sunday Jan 2-3. Hours to be announced. Attendance is free (donations requested). |
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==Board of directors== |
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The club is governed by president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. All officers serve, on a voluntary basis, as the organization's Board of Directors. |
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==Meetings== |
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| ⚫ | |||
Meetings are held each Tuesday evening. Business meetings are typically held on the second Tuesday of the month. |
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| ⚫ | The Club hosts two O-scale-only "[[Swap Meets]]" a year, usually on a single Saturday in both |
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| ⚫ | |||
Every year, the club traditionally has several "Open House" weekends near the end of the year, in conjunction with the [[Merchantville, New Jersey|Merchantville]] annual Christmas parade and Tree Lighting ceremony.<ref name="Obsrv1" /><ref name="bee1">"Calling All Model Train Enthusiasts", ''Beverly Bee'', December 2009</ref> The first such Open House weekends were held Friday and Saturday, November 9–10 and 16-17, 1962. Admission is free (donations requested).<ref name="aap1" /><ref name="Courpo1" /><ref name="Courpo6"/> |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | The Club hosts two O-scale-only "[[Flea market|Swap Meets]]" a year, usually on a single first Saturday in both March and October.<ref name="hadgaz3">"Here She Comes", ''The Haddon Gazette'', November 3, 1966</ref> Admission to the Dealer's Hall is set at $5, and includes a tour of the layout. No meet has been scheduled for 2017. |
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==Membership== |
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Club membership is open to everyone over the age of 18. Annual dues is $150.00 and new members have a six-month probation period. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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<references/> |
<references/> |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry Valley O-Scale}} |
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[[Category:Rail transport modelling]] |
[[Category:Rail transport modelling associations]] |
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[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in New Jersey]] |
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{{stub}} |
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[[Category:Clubs and societies in the United States]] |
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[[Category:Organizations established in 1962]] |
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[[Category:Merchantville, New Jersey]] |
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Latest revision as of 19:52, 20 October 2024
Cherry Valley O Scale is a not-for-profit club dedicated to the promotion of 2-rail O-scale (1:48) model railroading,[1] located in Merchantville, New Jersey, United States, in the basement/undercroft of the Grace Episcopal Church.[2][3][4]
History
[edit]
The club was started in March 1962,[5][6][7] by members of the former Philadelphia Model Railroad Club, which had been located in the B&O passenger station on Chestnut St. in Philadelphia,[4][8] after the B&O station was demolished. (Some members of the PMRC also went on to start the East Penn Traction Club several years later.)[9]
When first started, the space was an 80' x 35' unfinished crawl space directly under the original 1890s chapel. Finishing the space took weeks, with the removal of 4' of dirt[6] before 20 cubic yards of concrete was used for the new floor.[10] The first layout in the space was started in July 1962,[11] with the framing and scenery built before the track was laid, and the first spike driven on August 30, 1962.[10] This layout was 27 by 55 feet in size,[12] and was of a double-track folded dogbone design, built with traditional square tabletop framing, plaster scenery, and relay control.[4] Eventually it grew to have over 4000 linear feet of track,[6] in both standard and 3-foot gauges, with some dual gauge mixed in.[12]
It existed through to January 1999,[6] when it was torn down due to growing problems with accessibility and electrical characteristics.[4][6] Many of the original structures and switches have been saved, for eventual inclusion on the new layout. Most notable of these is a 1940s train station model which had previously been salvaged from the layout at the PMRC location on Chestnut Street.[4][13]
In 2012, the club's 50th anniversary was celebrated with a proclamation of the Merchantville Town Council, at their October public session.[4][14]
New layout
[edit]The new layout was started in 2001,[15] is of a double-track looped-8 design; but has been built around the walls, with several reversing loops, curved laminate benchwork, more than 2000 linear feet of track,[16] and a scale model of Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.[15] Scenery has been built with a mix of hydrocal and extruded styrofoam board, and North Coast Engineering (NCE) Digital Command Control has been installed to allow running of multiple trains without the need for complex relay systems.[8][16] The layout also features working signals that display proper occupancy, as well as scale-sized lighting fixtures for night scenes.
A new On30 narrow gauge branchline is being constructed at one end of the layout, with plans to expand it as time and resources allow.[8] Rolling stock is owned by the individual members,[8][13] with the club jointly owning the layout and control system. This rolling stock represents all periods of history,[15] and is a mixture of brass, bronze, tin, white metal, plastic, resin, wood, paper, cardboard, and die-cast models; most of which has been extensively kitbashed/modified, features custom paint and water-slide decals; and has been weathered to better replicate real-world conditions.[8]
Catenary
[edit]
Although the original layout did have a short section of catenary, most of it was destroyed when the layout was torn down.[6] However, the new layout is being constructed with a full PRR-Style compound catenary system over the entire layout. This catenary system is being integrated into the power distribution,[15] so that the electric locomotives and MU cars will receive power via their operating pantographs.[17]
Board of directors
[edit]The club is governed by president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. All officers serve, on a voluntary basis, as the organization's Board of Directors.
Meetings
[edit]Meetings are held each Tuesday evening. Business meetings are typically held on the second Tuesday of the month.
Open House events
[edit]Every year, the club traditionally has several "Open House" weekends near the end of the year, in conjunction with the Merchantville annual Christmas parade and Tree Lighting ceremony.[4][18] The first such Open House weekends were held Friday and Saturday, November 9–10 and 16-17, 1962. Admission is free (donations requested).[1][2][17]
O-scale Swap Meet events
[edit]The Club hosts two O-scale-only "Swap Meets" a year, usually on a single first Saturday in both March and October.[19] Admission to the Dealer's Hall is set at $5, and includes a tour of the layout. No meet has been scheduled for 2017.
Membership
[edit]Club membership is open to everyone over the age of 18. Annual dues is $150.00 and new members have a six-month probation period.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Choo Choo", All Around Pennsauken, December 2012
- ^ a b "Holiday Open House: Cherry Valley Train Club", Camden NJ Courier-Post, December 30, 2012
- ^ "Merchantville Online: Model Railroad Club Open House". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Model Railroad Open House", Merchantville Observer, November 12, 2012
- ^ Arthur M McGuire, "Model Railroad Runs Like Real", Camden NJ Courier-Post, November 12, 1964
- ^ a b c d e f Jennifer Farrell, "A Different Track \ Model Train Club Aboard New Line", Philadelphia Inquirer, January 11, 1999
- ^ Scott Anderson, "Model Railroad Open House", Camden NJ Courier-Post, December 6, 2010
- ^ a b c d e "Sam Steinruck, "Model Train Layout A Little Bit of Christmas", The Retrospective, December 5, 2008". Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
- ^ The East Penn Traction Club: The Origin of Modular Trolley Layout
- ^ a b "Cherry Valley RR: Ready to Roll", The Haddon Gazette, November 8, 1962
- ^ "Modern Gullivers", The Haddon Gazette, November 7, 1963
- ^ a b "15 Model Railroaders Plan Exhibit at Church Festival", Camden NJ Courier-Post, November 10, 1967
- ^ a b "Model Railroad Invites Inspection", The Haddon Gazette, November 2, 1967
- ^ Merchantville Town Council Agenda for October 15, 2012
- ^ a b c d Bethany Mitros, "World's A Stage: Cherry Valley Trains Are Actors", The Retrospective, January 4, 2013
- ^ a b Joe Cooney, "Train Club's Open House Features All the Bells and Whistles", Camden NJ Courier-Post, January 8, 2012
- ^ a b "Hobbyists On The Right Track", Camden NJ Courier-Post, January 7, 2013
- ^ "Calling All Model Train Enthusiasts", Beverly Bee, December 2009
- ^ "Here She Comes", The Haddon Gazette, November 3, 1966