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RIFLE — Model railroad enthusiasts from Parachute/Battlement Mesa to Basalt have been displaying their art at shows and open houses for years, including the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs and as far away as the eastern slope and Salt Lake City, Utah.
But the Roaring Fork Valley Model Railroad Club is now looking for a place to call home where they can meet, practice and display their art.
“We've been around for about 14 years and there's about ten of us who met at 7 a.m. on the third Thursday of every month at the Village Inn,” said Jay Buchanan of Rifle. “We're usually building a layout and everyone contributes on one project.”
Over the years, the club has been in the basement of Grand Avenue Mall, downtown, at the Glenwood Springs Mall and then in the old Glenwood Springs City Hall, Buchanan said.
“We've been bouncing around all over,” Buchanan said.
In 2006, the group had an opportunity to occupy a space above the Kum & Go on Sixth Street in Glenwood Springs. The club responded by disposing of its portable display and began building a 1,500 square foot permanent layout that was to be among the largest of its type in western Colorado. By 2008, the train operations had commenced on the scale track and plans for detailed scenery were well under way. But that's when the economy caught up with the club and, without a long-term lease with the property owners, the club found themselves dismantling and storing their railroad empire.
The Roaring Fork Model Railroad Club is now seeking a secure, long term home somewhere in the valley.
“Even in today's economy, renting most commercial space of sufficient size is probably beyond reach, but within the community there may be those with knowledge of public or private spaces, such as basements and attic floors that are under-utilized because of lack of windows, etc.,” Buchanan said. “Such space, if made available at low to no cost on a long-term basis, could provide a valuable community asset serving young and old in the valley with learning and entertainment for years to come.
According to the club, model railroading is second only to fishing as the most popular hobby among males in the United States and many women are girls are drawn to the artistic aspects as well.
“Unfortunately, not everyone with the creative interest in modeling is blessed with the space to indulge it at home,” Buchanan said. “This is where a club can fulfill a broad community need if there can be space to meet, learn, build and have fun with model railroads. Our biggest trouble is finding a place that is big enough.”
To see an example of what the modeling hobby has to offer, you can visit the Marolt Mining Museum in Aspen to see a 50 square foot diorama showing silver processing and the Colorado Midland Railroad at Castle Creek in the late 1800s. This scene is a centerpiece at the museum and was constructed by the Roaring Fork Model Railroad Club at the request of the Aspen Historical Society.
For more information, contact Buchanan at 625-3045 or buchanan218@msn.com or club president, Dick Maddock of Silt at 876-2659.
But the Roaring Fork Valley Model Railroad Club is now looking for a place to call home where they can meet, practice and display their art.
“We've been around for about 14 years and there's about ten of us who met at 7 a.m. on the third Thursday of every month at the Village Inn,” said Jay Buchanan of Rifle. “We're usually building a layout and everyone contributes on one project.”
Over the years, the club has been in the basement of Grand Avenue Mall, downtown, at the Glenwood Springs Mall and then in the old Glenwood Springs City Hall, Buchanan said.
“We've been bouncing around all over,” Buchanan said.
In 2006, the group had an opportunity to occupy a space above the Kum & Go on Sixth Street in Glenwood Springs. The club responded by disposing of its portable display and began building a 1,500 square foot permanent layout that was to be among the largest of its type in western Colorado. By 2008, the train operations had commenced on the scale track and plans for detailed scenery were well under way. But that's when the economy caught up with the club and, without a long-term lease with the property owners, the club found themselves dismantling and storing their railroad empire.
The Roaring Fork Model Railroad Club is now seeking a secure, long term home somewhere in the valley.
“Even in today's economy, renting most commercial space of sufficient size is probably beyond reach, but within the community there may be those with knowledge of public or private spaces, such as basements and attic floors that are under-utilized because of lack of windows, etc.,” Buchanan said. “Such space, if made available at low to no cost on a long-term basis, could provide a valuable community asset serving young and old in the valley with learning and entertainment for years to come.
According to the club, model railroading is second only to fishing as the most popular hobby among males in the United States and many women are girls are drawn to the artistic aspects as well.
“Unfortunately, not everyone with the creative interest in modeling is blessed with the space to indulge it at home,” Buchanan said. “This is where a club can fulfill a broad community need if there can be space to meet, learn, build and have fun with model railroads. Our biggest trouble is finding a place that is big enough.”
To see an example of what the modeling hobby has to offer, you can visit the Marolt Mining Museum in Aspen to see a 50 square foot diorama showing silver processing and the Colorado Midland Railroad at Castle Creek in the late 1800s. This scene is a centerpiece at the museum and was constructed by the Roaring Fork Model Railroad Club at the request of the Aspen Historical Society.
For more information, contact Buchanan at 625-3045 or buchanan218@msn.com or club president, Dick Maddock of Silt at 876-2659.
