Lake County Model Railroad Club celebrates 50 years

A shared passion for railroad history brings members of the Lake County Model Railroad Club together weekly.

Young and old gather in a basement in downtown Wauconda to enjoy the magic of model trains.

It's a tradition that began more than five decades ago. Both the track, originally designed by the club's founders, and the club itself have withstood the test of time.

"We're one of the oldest clubs in the area, and one of the few that has the same existing layout," said Norm Kocol of Johnsburg, who first joined the club in 1974.

"There's been some changes, but the basic layout is the same. ... A lot of other clubs never get to the point we are as far as the scenery detail and realism."

The club, Lcmrr.org, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Members regularly participate in community events and host free open houses from 6 to 8 p.m. every Friday at the club's headquarters in the basement of Honey Hill coffee shop, 107 S. Main St., Wauconda.

One of 24 members, Kocol was involved from 1974 until he moved out of the area in 1981. He joined again upon returning in 1995 and has remained a member ever since.

"In the club's 50 years, 203 people have come through," he said. "Some stick around for a couple years, others for a couple decades."

It all began when six guys wanted to have more space to operate and display their model trains than what their homes offered, he said. They also wanted space to socialize with fellow enthusiasts.

The club occupies about 1,300 square feet of space. If the track were to be straightened out, it would stretch for 365 feet.

Members will say the layout of the track is never finished. It's always under some sort of construction or maintenance repair.

"That's the fun of this hobby," they say.

The mainline loosely reflects railroad lines that ran between Palatine and Madison, Wisconsin, with much of the scenery reflecting the late 1940s and 1950s, Kocol said.

"We even have a drive-in movie theater in the layout," he said.

The layout could run six trains on the mainline with as many as 10 people operating at one time without getting in one another's way, said Kocol, who got his first train from his father at the age of 2.

Kocol is now 74 years old and said he simply has enjoyed the hobby his entire life.

"There's also the fascination of how the railways were originally built, what it took to build them, the advancement of engineering design and the movement of steam to modern diesel," he said.

Each member contributes their own unique skills, he said, with some able to maintain the track work and keep everything rolling. Others meticulously design the scenery and weather the freight cars to make them look more realistic.

All are drawn to various elements of railroad history.

For Charlie Burdic of Round Lake, it's the Old Milwaukee Road, a railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest from 1847 until 1986.

He said he has a smaller railroad collection at home and enjoys taking part in club activities.

"In my case, it's always been a hobby," he said.

The same goes for Trent Blasco of Wauconda, a fan of the steam diesel transition era in the 1940s and 1950s.

"It's being part of a group where like-minded people get together and either share and sell or help build things," said Blasco, who joined the club about 15 years ago.

"The other thing is just replicating stuff you've seen in your childhood, the enjoyment of re-creating things you've seen before."