Model railroading is a passion for many
Trains have always been a big part of John Jarboe’s life. Growing up, he could hear the trains go by his home in Annapolis Junction, Md., near where his father and grandfather both worked for the B&O Railroad. As a civil engineer, he also enjoyed working on projects that involved railroads.
So it’s no surprise that when he and his wife moved to the Charlestown retirement community 18 months ago, he gravitated toward the community’s Model Railroad Club.
“Model trains have been a lifelong hobby of mine,” said Jarboe. “I brought my own collection with me when I moved, and I have them on display in my den. I go down two or three days a week to the model railroad room here at Charlestown and work on the engines, tracks and scenery.”
The 14-member Model Railroad Club oversees an elaborate train display featuring a few hundred feet of track that wind model trains through a miniature 1950s-era town. Authentic-looking storefronts, farms, local landmarks, and sound effects like crickets and thunder add to the town’s realistic look and feel.
“When you are working with model trains, it’s important to keep things to scale in order to make the set up look as realistic as possible,” said Jarboe, whose civil engineering skills are put to good use by the club.
“When you design a layout, you really want to stick with one time period so it doesn’t detract from the layout,” said Roberta Poulton, co-chair of the Model Railroad Club. “All of our cars and trolleys are akin to the 1950s. The trolley is even a replica of one that used to run here in Baltimore.”
Like millions of Americans, Roberta’s love of trains started in childhood.
“My father, grandfather and great-grandfather all worked for the B&O Railroad,” said Poulton, a Catonsville native who recalls the Short Line Railroad that once ran from St. Agnes Station to Catonsville, and from which Charlestown’s Shortline restaurant gets its name.
“I’ve enjoyed model railroading for the last 30 years,” said Poulton. “In fact, I was about 10 when I got my first train — a [historic type of train called an] O-scale, which I still have today. Working with the trains now lets me be creative and hold onto a part of my childhood that I loved.”
With an eye for landscape and design, Poulton said that having smaller hands than most of her male counterparts comes in handy when working with the miniature items.
“I’m not electrically savvy, but I enjoy working on the scenery and landscaping,” she said. “I go down several times during the week and improve on the roads or add things.”
The club has a large inventory of nearly 250 rolling stock — engines and cars — that operate on two main tracks, as well as a separate streetcar line that runs independently. The trains are operated by handheld remote controls that run on Digital Command Control, which allows locomotives on the same electrical section of track to be independently controlled.
“We clean the tracks and engines, and oil the engines to keep them in good running order. We usually only run two trains at a time, otherwise they are difficult to control and you run the risk of derailing or crashing them,” said Poulton.
In the last few years, the display was lowered to be handicapped-accessible and kid-friendly. The room itself will also soon undergo a facelift, as the club has commissioned resident artist Bill Wilson to paint a 14-foot mural on the rear wall of the club’s room.
The model railroad room is open to all Charlestown residents as well as to the public year-round on Saturdays from noon until 2 p.m. For Poulton, being able to share her favorite hobby with others is just the icing on the cake.
“We have grandkids, great-grandkids and school groups come in,” she said. “We have a scavenger hunt where the kids can search for specific things, like our Ravens car or ladies hanging up the wash on the clothesline.
“We’ve had some kids who will just stand there and watch the trains go around for the entire two hours we are open. They really love it!”
Call (410) 737-8324 for more information about the model railroad display.
Model trains and the holidays go hand in hand, and Christmas train gardens are a longtime tradition in Baltimore. For a listing of holiday train gardens in the area, visit http://www.wvmgrs.org/TrainGardens.htm.