The
sHOw Modular Model Railroad Club
Bowling Green, Kentucky
The
sHOw MODULAR MODEL RAILROAD CLUB
formed in 1993. Membership is composed of persons from Southern
Kentucky and Northern Tennessee. Meetings normally occur on the first Saturday at the Historic Railpark and Museum
in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Beginning in 2000, the
club has won three Best of Show and one Second Prize in the Great
American Train Show at Nashville, Tennessee. The show sponsors model
train expos at many locations and has a Train Show and Sale each
year in February. A permanent 20 x 30 foot layout was begun in 2008 at the Museum. New members are welcome.
Mike Dowell talks
to John Warren Oakes about shared interests in model railroading.
They decide to form a club. Oakes places a call for members in the
1993 Model Railroader magazine. Charles Hogan of Park City,
KY and Jay Jones of Bowling Green answer the call. Both are veteran
model railroaders. After many phone conversations, plans for a club
are developed and a location is selected. A new hobby shop in Bowling
Green - Hobby Crossing - offers space for the first meeting which
is convened November 6, 1993. Owners are Aaron and Shauna Boggess
Persons attending the first meeting: Joe Bailey, Mike Dowell, Charles
Hogan, Jay Jones, John Warren Oakes, Hans F. Schell, and Edie Stine.
Oakes builds a model of the Louisville and Nashville Passenger Depot
in one month.
Likewise, Jay Jones builds the first module by the next meeting.
Club standards, by-laws and constitution planned.
Constitution approved.
Rumsie Butler donates funds to get the club started.
Officers elected:
President: Michael K. Dowell
Vice-President: Brent Arritt
Secretary-Treasurer: Tracy reynolds
Events Coordinator: Charles Hogan
Oakes begins publishing the sHOw NEWSLETTER
Charter members:
Brent Arritt, Bruce Baggett, Joe Bailey, David Boyd, Rumsie Butler,
Frank Chelf, Michael Dowell, Charles Hogan, Jay Jones, Boyd F. Jordan,
Jr., John Warren Oakes, Chuck O'Conner, Tracy Reynolds, Paul Schnoes,
Sonny Spillman, Eddie Stine, Neal Toms, Bruce Wilson, John Welther.
Oakes
designs club logo.
John Welther, professional engine painter and author of numerous articles
in Model Railroading and Railroad Model Craftsman magazines, moves
to area from California and joins club.
First EXPO at Plaza Shopping Center in empty store in April. Space
donated by Michael Buchanon.
Jack Brown joins.
Hans Schell joins.
EXPO at Rolling Fork Iron Horse Festival at New Haven, KY in September.
Members ride L & N steam engine #152 at New Haven at the annual
club picnic and train ride.
Club meets first Saturdays for business and module building. Third
Thursdays are devoted to running trains at members' home layouts.
Paul Schnoes hosts club in August for the first of these meetings.
Master machinist Sonny Spillman leads construction of modules at his
son's barn in Barren County.
In October, Rumsie Butler hosted a slide show and videos of the L
& N at this home.
David Boyd, Frank Chelf, John Warren Oakes and John Welther named
as Trustees of the club for a two year term.
EXPO at L & N Passenger Depot at lighting of the tree ceremony
after the Christmas parade. Club helps clean depot interior prior
to the EXPO.
EXPO at Western Kentucky University's Center for Economic Development
with bussing of school children from area schools.
Hobby Crossing store moves to larger store on Campbell Lane. Donates
an IHC building as a door prize at November meeting.
By-laws and standards approved.
Letters of Incorporation filed.
Construction of a club trailer started.
Dowell publishes article on Bowling Green Railraod History in the
Newsletter.
T-shirts printed
with club logo.
Butler offers space at Butler Motors to set up modules, run trains
and work on modules.
Watching slide shows and videos of model railroading voted top activity
in a club survey; next was workshops, L & N historical reports
- third choice, followed by railfanning , photographing trains. making
modules and way down the list was running trains. (Strange but true.)
Officers elected:
John Welther, President
David Boyd, Vice-President
Rumsie Butler, Secretary-Treasurer
Paul Schnoes, Events Coordinator
Dowell replaces Welther on the Board of Directors.
EXPO at Bardstown
Doll, Toy and Train exhibit in February.
March home layout visit hosted by Schnoes.
April home layout visit hosted by Welther. Welther begins home layout.
Members help.
May home layout visit hosted by Oakes. Oakes begins home layout. Members
help.
Plans for scratchbuilding a water tank located at Horse Cave, KY published
by Charles Hogan in Newsletter.
Ricky Huff joins.
Jay Jones and
Oakes revise standards for club.
Schnoes elected
President of the L & N Depot Development Authority.
Prospects for
a permanent layout discussed.
Welther and Hogan
ran trains with the Cumberland Division, Southeastern Region of the
NMRA at the Tennessee State Fair.
EXPO in Park City, KY Labor Day Weekend Festivities.
President Welther
attended the NMRA convention in California. He gave a clinic on General
Electric modern locomotive production. Welther's models of diesels
won 1st and 3rd prizes in the Railroad Prototype Modelers contest.
EXPO at Rolling Fork Train Festival in New Haven, KY
Layout featured
in the Fall 1995 Cumberland Division Meet at the Exhibitors Building
of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville. 1700 visit the display.
Welther won 1st prizes in Model Train and Model Engine.
Members help clean and paint interior of the L & N Depot.
Beauty of the Southland video produced by Peridot Productions.
1996
Officers
include:
President: David Boyd
Vice-President: Paul Jones
Secretary: John Warren Oakes
Treasurer: Rumsie Butler
Events Coordinator: Charles Hogan
Club
prints and distributes a tri-fold brochure describing the club and
membership application.
EXPO
presented in May at the Western Kentucky University Institute for
Economic Development and Public Service in May. 1500 attend.
Hogan
leads a railfanning trip from Glendale up 31-W to Louisville and
back.
Plans
discussed for a HO layout for the Hobby Crossing store.
Workshop
on weathering buildings and rolling stock given by Boyd at Hobby
Crossing.
Workshop
on scenery using Sculptmold and ceiling tile to model limestone
outcroppings given by Oakes at his home layout.
EXPO at Park City Labor Day Festival.
Bruce
Simmons joins Hobby Crossing staff.
Hobby
Crossing closes August 10th.
Club
begins meetings at Butler Moters in Bowling Green in August.
Rebel Rails donates T-shirts with club logos.
Schnoes
announces that bids are out for external renovation of the depot
in Bowling Green.
Dale
Gray joins.
Club buys Aristocraft throttles.
John
Allen's Gorre & Daphetid Model Railroad and George Selio's Franklin
& South Manchester Model Railroad videos shown at meeting at Western
Kentucky University's Fine Arts Center.
Two
pieces of 3/16" Luann board topped by 1/8" Vinylbed substituted
for Homosote roadbed in new module standards. 6" spacers causing
problems connecting modules.
Baggett and Spillman begin construction of club yard.
Baggett,
Butler and Spillman contribute funds to keep the club going.
Michael Swift joins.
EXPO
at the Barren River Imaginative Museum of Science in Bowling Green
in December.
1997
Officers
elected in April:
President:
Paul Jones
Vice-President: Mike Dowell
Secretary: John Waren Oakes
Treasaurer: Rumsie Butler
Events Coordinator: Neal Toms
Revised module standards approved.
Welther and Oakes write articles for Model Railroad News. Both
join Editorial Board.
Permanent
interactive layout planned for the Barren River Imaginative Museum
of Science in Bowling Green.
Spillman
makes his new shop available for construction of modules.
Begins
his new home layout.
Module
kits made available for the first time.
Willard Thomas ( "Mr. Model Railroader") joins.
Matthew
Muckler of Glasgow joins.
Hogan
deposits club's historical report with Welther.
BRIMS
layout designed and contract let.
Members
attend the Great American Train Show at Louisville.
EXPO presented in May at the Western Kentucky University Institute
for Economic Development in Bowling Green. 1700 attend. Club featured
in Daily News article.
HOBBYTOWN
USA opens local franchise at NEXUS in Bowling Green.
Rumsie Butler
dies in August.
BRIMS layout approved and constructed by December.
Work
sessions every Thursday night at Spillman's shop.
Vernon
Hadden of Auburn joins.
EXPO
presented at the Kentucky Museum on the campus of Western Kentucky
University in July. Kentucky Governor Paul Patton attends.The
EXPO was part of the Warren County Bicentennial.
Oakes
buils a 1:12 scale model caboose which brings donations to the club
for the event.
Club
promotional video shown on TKR cable.
Operation
Lifesaver presents program at the May EXPO.
Group
purchasing plan places orders for discounts and shipping reductions
twice a year.
Baggett prints revised standards.
Outside
restoration of the L & N Depot completed. Interior work begun.
Kenneth
Crowe of Allen County joins.
Welther
moves to St. Louis area.
EXPO
presented at the Auburn, Kentucky Library and Museum in September.
Baggett and Spillman begin construction of a 4 module club yard.
1998
Officers
elected:
President: Paul Jones
Vice-President: Michael Dowell
Secretary: Bruce Baggett
Treasurer: Willard Thomas
Vernon Hadden dies in
January.
Baggett
becomes new publisher of the club Newsletter.
BRIMS museum layout opens officially during Warren County Bicentennial
event in March. A list of all who worked on the display along with photographs
and our club brochure were included in the time capsule buried March
7th, 1998.
EXPO presented at the Kentucky Museum in April.
EXPO presented at the Cumberland Open House in October.
TOP
Club
creates new corners.
Officers
elected:
President: Paul Jones
Vice-President:
Secretary: Bruce Baggett
Treasurer: Willard Thomas
EXPO presented at the Auburn, Kentucky in September.
EXPO presented at the Tennessee Central Train Museum's Trains of
Christmas Show in December.
TOP
2000
EXPO
presented at the Auburn, Kentucky in September.
2001
Officers
elected:
President:
Paul Jones
Vice-President:
Secretary: Bruce Baggett
Treasurer: Willard Thomas
New
club corners built.
Code
100 nickel siver track becomes new standard.
EXPO
at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Bowling Green Memorial Day
Weekend.
EXPO
at the Great American Train Show in Nashville wins Best of Show.
Hans
Schell dies in May.
EXPO
at Auburn.
EXPO
at the L & N Depot in Bowling Green during the holidays.
2002
Officers
elected:
President:
Paul Jones
Vice-President:
Secretary: Bruce Baggett
Treasurer: Willard Thomas
First
Annual Train Show & Sale at K of C Hall.
EXPO
at the Great American Train Show in Nashville wins 2nd Prize.
EXPO
at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Bowling Green Memorial Day
Weekend.
EXPO
at Auburn.
EXPO
at the L & N Depot in Bowling Green at Festival of Trains
during the holidays.
2003
Officers
Elected:
President:
David Boyd
Vice-President: Joe Crain
Secretary: Richard Knapp
Treasurer: Paul Schnoes
Events Coordinator: Rex Easterly / John Warren Oakes
2nd
Annual Train Show & Sale at K of C Hall.
Purchased
club trailer.
EXPO
at the Great American Train Show in Nashville wins Best of Show.
EXPO
at L & N Depot Rail Fest in May.
EXPO
at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Bowling Green Memorial Day
Weekend.
EXPO
at Auburn.
EXPO
at the L & N Depot in Bowling Green during the holidays.
2004
Officers
Elected:
President:
David Boyd
Vice-President: Joe Crain
Secretary: Richard Knapp
Treasurer: Paul Schnoes
Events Coordinator: Bruce Baggett / John Warren Oakes
3nd
Annual Train Show & Sale at Bowling Green Sloan Convention
Center. 1000 persons attend.
EXPO
at the Great American Train Show in Nashville wins Best of Show.
Dowell and Spillman conduct workshops.
