Hey Everyone;
It is my sad duty to confirm any rumours out there in the Southern Ontario Model Railroad community, fellow N Scalers, and with the various Model Railroad On-line forums.
The Steel City Model Railroad Club which operated in Hamilton Ontario had lost its expansive layout location it has held for many years, and is formally ceasing its John Street Club operations. The club began with a group of guys twenty odd years ago as a N Scale round robin group. It became more permanent and the layout/club formally resided in the basement of an office building (on John Street ) beside the Hamilton GO Transit station. The layout occupied (filled) a 30 by 50 foot space, DC running, RTC dispatch and tons of trackage and scenery.
Last spring the building was purchased and the new owners literally gave everyone two weeks notice to vacate – not only was the Canadian Association of Railway Modellers (CARM) convention being hosted in Hamilton at that time. But we were on the layout tour as well as the O Gauge layout across the hall.
Over the course of the summer new ‘right of way’ locations were scoped out but were on both scales of suitability. Either too expensive, or not adequate.
Therefore, two weeks ago the club decided to begin to liquidate all rolling stock, buildings etc. from the layout. The SC Club was dissolved as it was, but those members hope we can continue on - as previous members had started –perhaps doing the round robin circuit. A new location may be found someday but we are not as actively pursuing this avenue due to real estate prices. On behalf of the members, I wish to thank those who did have the opportunity to visit us in Hamilton over the years and who we hope were inspired by what they saw.
On a personal note – I was a member for 6 or 7 years and I certainly enjoyed the times and the friends I made. Perhaps this may actually get me off my butt and start my own layout or actively look for a new base of operations.
It is my sad duty to confirm any rumours out there in the Southern Ontario Model Railroad community, fellow N Scalers, and with the various Model Railroad On-line forums.
The Steel City Model Railroad Club which operated in Hamilton Ontario had lost its expansive layout location it has held for many years, and is formally ceasing its John Street Club operations. The club began with a group of guys twenty odd years ago as a N Scale round robin group. It became more permanent and the layout/club formally resided in the basement of an office building (on John Street ) beside the Hamilton GO Transit station. The layout occupied (filled) a 30 by 50 foot space, DC running, RTC dispatch and tons of trackage and scenery.
Last spring the building was purchased and the new owners literally gave everyone two weeks notice to vacate – not only was the Canadian Association of Railway Modellers (CARM) convention being hosted in Hamilton at that time. But we were on the layout tour as well as the O Gauge layout across the hall.
Over the course of the summer new ‘right of way’ locations were scoped out but were on both scales of suitability. Either too expensive, or not adequate.
Therefore, two weeks ago the club decided to begin to liquidate all rolling stock, buildings etc. from the layout. The SC Club was dissolved as it was, but those members hope we can continue on - as previous members had started –perhaps doing the round robin circuit. A new location may be found someday but we are not as actively pursuing this avenue due to real estate prices. On behalf of the members, I wish to thank those who did have the opportunity to visit us in Hamilton over the years and who we hope were inspired by what they saw.
On a personal note – I was a member for 6 or 7 years and I certainly enjoyed the times and the friends I made. Perhaps this may actually get me off my butt and start my own layout or actively look for a new base of operations.