Model railroad enthusiasts create a world of their own Wednesday nights

Train depots are very busy places, even when the trains in questions can be measured in ounces and not in tons.

The Valley Model Railroaders create a downsized world every Wednesday night, filling a squat brick building with the sights and sound of busy trains, traveling the tracks, through miniature neighborhoods and businesses.

The club has been meeting since 1953 at the former Clintonville Station in South Elgin, which opened in 1903 as an electrical substation and passenger stop for the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad. The club had been in existence since 1949 when they settled permanently into the still operating depot in 1953.

The station closed in 1957, leaving the club with not only the space, but a collection of directional signs whose destinations and references have long since ceased to exist.

Now, on a sprawling platform, there are trains, tracks, miniature neighborhoods and their occupants. The clattering hum of the engines is continuous and punctuated by the sound of dispatcher Jim Pechous's voice on the intercom directing the traffic with such phrases as, "BM-5487, you are cleared out of switch 113 into Queen's Gate Yard."

Pechous, who drives in from Elmhurst, may be the only modern-era representative in the room and is responsible for moving the train operations into the 21st Century. "It's called Digital Command Control," he says of the computerized system he operates above the train displays. "Each engine has a chip that responds to a certain address." His computer tracks the trains and switches, keeping the railway safe from disaster and is similar to that of the Union Pacific's system.

It's a complicated version of the trains set many grew up with, but it's as much fun, if not more so to Club President Roger Taylor of Elgin and the 25-45 members who participate on a regular basis.

"I got my first train when I was about five years old, which I still have," said Taylor. "I'm the caretaker of our family trains."

Family memories take center stage when it comes to Taylor's love of trains.

"Every year on Christmas and our birthdays we'd get another car or another engine," he recalls. "You didn't go out and buy a whole set like you do now."

Although his teen and early adult years took a turn away from his hobby, Taylor returned to his roots when his wife bought him a road race toy with a train in it for Christmas.

"The cars got put away and the train stayed," he said. He joined the Valley Model Railroad club in 1986 and has participated since.

There's more to the hobby than just trains, according to Taylor. Members create miniature landscapes for the trains to race by on their journey's and members with a knack for wiring are challenged by the intricacy of the electrical setup.

"You need to be an electrical engineer," said Taylor.

The members work together as a kind of family to make it work, Taylor said.

"That's a nice thing about a club, is you've got a lot of background from a lot of different areas and you can all work together and help each other."

While many of the members are like family, some simply are. the Renard Family has seen four generations come through the doors, looking forward to an evening of railroading.

Another family, the Flones of South Elgin, have made the Valley Model Railroaders a family destination. Mom Cait, Dad Randy, and daughters Cassandra, 10 and Hannah, 7 of South Elgin come out together to run the trains.

"They've been members since I was pregnant with them both," said Cait, referring to her daughters, both decked out in martial arts uniforms.

"My husband has always been into trains and when I was growing up, my sister's boyfriend used to run trains in a club in Aurora," Cait said.

Although trains didn't have a place in Cait and Randy's courtship, they began collecting after they were married. Lacking room for a proper set up, they joined the club and spread out.

Hannah, who sat on her mother's lap and Cassandra, who stood wrapped in her dad's arms, have their own train sets including Tomas the Tank Engine and a Shrek train, according to their mom. They often accompany their dad when he works at the club, sanding and painting side-by-side and, of course, running trains.

"I just like trains," said Randy as he took a break from engineering. "My dad worked on the railroad, Milwaukee Road."

"One of the nice things is that it gives the young people and the older people a chance to work together," Taylor interjected. "There's something about trains that attracts all aspects. You can have doctors and lawyers, truck drivers, and factory workers."

The club meets on Wednesdays and opens the doors to visitors at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Fridays every month when visitors can run a train for a donation to the club.

<p class="factboxheadblack">The Valley Model Railroad Association</p> <p class="News"><b>What: </b>A club for model train enthusiasts that offers all ages a chance to operate the trains on a large layout</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> Club members meet 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays; the layout is open to the public 8-10 p.m. Fridays, but call or e-mail in advance for a reservation</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> 33W519 Kenyon Road, one-quarter mile west of Route 25, South Elgin</p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> A donation is requested to visit and required to run a train</p> <p class="News"><b>Details:</b> Call (847) 742-2028 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays or Fridays; e-mail <a href="mailto:vmr50@aol.com">vmr50@aol.com</a> or visit <a href="http://www.trainweb.org/vmrr" target="new">www.trainweb.org/vmrr</a></p>