About Us

Our Objectives

The purpose of the club is to enjoy model railroading and share our hobby with the general public. We are a dynamic group of modelers trying to raise the standard of modular railroading. Our goal is to become regionally and nationally recognized for our work.

  • 1997

     

    Club Started

    Club started with four people building four simple NMRA modular corners

  • 1997

    First Train Show

    The Great American Train Show at the National Western Complex with the first show for the club.  We also did the Regional NMRA show later that year.

     

    1997

  • 1999

     

    Club Formally Organizes

    After a rocky couple first couple of years the club grows to 10 people and formally calls itself the Colorado & Great Western Modular Railroad Club.

  • 2002

    Founding Member Bob Drake Passes

     

    2002

  • 2005

    Club Takes 1st. Place Honors

    Club won it first of several awards at the Great American Train Show in Denver, Colorado

  • 2006

    Club Purchases Trailer

    by 2006 the layout was large enough that club decided to purchase its own club trailer to haul the club modules and equipment.  The 16 foot trailer selected came in the Club color green.

     

    2006

  • 2006

     

    Club Wins Best Of Show honors

    Club wins Best Of Show Honors at the NMRA Nebraska-Western Annual Train Show

  • 2006 - 2012

    Westminster Mall

     

    2006 - 2012

  • 2012

     

    Club Wins Best Of Show honors

    Club wins Best Of Show Honors at the NMRA Nebraska-Western Annual Train Show for the second time

  • 2013

    "All Aboard Colorado"

    at the History Colorado Center

     

    2013

  • 2015

     

    Work Sessions

Our History

The Colorado & Great Western Modular Railroad Club was started in 1997 by four model railroaders (Bob Drake, Rex Bevan, Jim Archer and Ashley Warren) all members of Colorado Rail Link club at the time. The four were frustrated with the state of modular railroading. They felt that visual experience of modular railroading was missing continuity and a high level detail. They decided to start their own club and began planning the construction of modules that could be interconnected to form large operating layouts showcasing the visual continuity of modular display and operation they desired.

The group started work in spring of 1997 in Rex’s garage building four corner modules as common club property in order to accommodate the various modules planned by the individual club members. The four next built their individual modules adhering to the tenant of visual continuity for the club’s first show  the Great American Train Show in 1997 held at the National Western Stock Show complex in Denver, Colorado. Other members joined the club and additional modules quickly followed like the canyon, farm and city and the layout began to grow as the four founding members had hoped. Over the years we continued to add modules until we are able to display a layout in various configurations in excess of 20′ X 80′.

Club Growth Leads to Formalizing the Club

With the group growing larger we started to formally organize monthly club meeting and work sessions. Club Officer were elected and board of directors established.  Monthly club meeting were held in various locations to handle the business items of the club while work sessions focused on building and maintaining the high standards for our modules.  By 1999 Rex and Ashley had left the club over the direction and the rapid growth of the club, but with Bob and Jim remaining the club continued on seeing steady growth in its membership bolstering almost a 20 members. We saw more individual modules being built and well and new club modules like the city and expansion of canyon.

The End of the Golden Era

In the spring of 2002 Bob Drake died from complication after suffering a heart-attack. Bob was the driving force and guidance for all of us in the club. His fatherly wisdom, mastery of model railroading was an inspiration to all. Bob was the face of the club and his impact cannot be overstated in getting the club going, even today. Working at Mizell’s Trains Bob personally recruited everyone into the club in those early days from his stool in the back of the store. With out Bob’s influence early on, it is safe to say that the club would had not made it without him.  He brought a lot of his modeling experience to the club establishing the ideals and modeling standards of the Colorado & Great Western still follows today.  His vision of showmanship in the smooth continuity of scenery complimented by smooth train operation were critical to what he believed would make a great model railroad to run and watch.  Those who knew Bob know he orchestrated the whole thing from his stool in the back of Mizell trains.  Speaking for most of the club members who knew Bob would say they miss his leadership, wise counsel and friendship.

For many of us this Bob’s passing signed the end of the those early days of the club.  At the time of Bob’s passing the club had grown for those 4 founding members to almost 20 members.  His passing marked the end of the golden era of the club.  To honor Bob Drake passing, Warren Mizell retired the beloved stole from the back of the store and the club honoring his impact and dedicated service commissioned the first club business car using the HO scale Kato business car. Painted in club livery and name it Robert Drake. You can see the car in service on the layout at shows with a representation Bob in his pilot’s uniform on the back platform.

2006 Best of Show – Nebraska West-Central Division

2012 Best of Show – Nebraska West-Central Division

Best of Show

We have only done the Nebraska West-Central Division show twice over the years (2006, 2012) and both times we’ve taken home best of show honors.

Westminster Mall

2006 was a major growth year for the club, transportation needs led the club purchased a utility trailer with monies raised by all the members to transport the ever growing layout to train shows. We also were able to secure a permanent club space in the old the Champ Sports space in Westminster Mall with the assistance of club member Mark Kramer whose landscaping company took care of the grounds surrounding the mall.  With the permanent space at the mall the club saw a large influx of new members and a space in which to finally work on several large projects including final re-wiring all of the modules from dual DC/DCC wiring to just DCC.  We were able construct inside yard modules allowing the club stage trains inside the layout floor plan.

In 2008 the club saw Jim Archer leave for Virginia and a new job.  His departure signal the last of the founding members leave the club.  Up to that point Jim was the only Club Treasurer the club had ever had and was a stabilizing element as the club continued to grow. The club would use the space to work on modules and maintained a small display in the front half of the store with we would open to the public on the weekends.  We would still do train shows in the area.

Almost immediately the rumor swirled that the City of Westminster had intentions to re-develop the mall into a mixed use city center for south Westminster.  Over the next couple of years we’d see witness the decline of the mall as retailers either being lured away and vacating the mall as their leases expired.  At one point we were the only storefront occupied in the north wing of the mall.  In March of 2012 we were told by mall management we needed to vacate our store front as the city had finally purchased the mall property.  In early April of 2012 the club moved out of Westminster Mall.  A couple of months later the entire mall was demolished in the fall of that year.

All Aboard Colorado at the History Colorado Center

All Aboard Colorado, was an exhibit as a tribute to train travel and will showcase that featured the two Denver area model trains clubs that ran from June 2013 through Labor day weekend that summer at the History Colorado Center museum.  The exhibit featured our 1,200-square-foot modular train display that is evocative of Colorado landscapes and scenery. Motorized trains will operate at specific times.

How It Happened

In the spring of 2013 the History Colorado Center approached the Platte Valley & Western Model Railroad Club (PV&W) who had just lost their permanent layout space in the basement of Union Station about the exhibit the museum was planning for the summer of 2013. The PV&W was in the middle packing up its thirty-year-old model-train layout in the basement of Union Station and was unable to use its layout for the exhibit.  Chris Rand from the PV&W suggested reaching out to the Colorado & Great Western since we are a modular layout, one that can be taken down and set up elsewhere; Chris was also aware that we had just lost our space at the Westminster Mall.  The opportunity for the clubs to jointly work together turned out to be a great partnership with the PV&W members helping with manpower on our layout at the History Colorado Center.

Work Sessions