Close Up: Jim Dodds
MMVMRC President Jim Dodds
The trains at the Mid Mon Valley Model Railroad Club are HO scale, meaning they follow a ratio of 3.5 mm to 1 foot, or 1:87.
Details are important in the Mid Mon Valley Railroad Club’s models.
Scenes of the Mon Valley are depicted in the Mid Mon Valley Railroad Club’s models.
Model trains are captivating any time of year, but especially at Christmas time.
The Mid Mon Valley Model Railroad Club, now in its 30th year, is hosting the annual Holiday Open House from Nov. 26-Jan. 8, 2017. MMVMRC President Jim Dodds, 81, has loved model trains since he was a young boy, and he recently took a break from working on the Mid Mon Valley model train display to talk about trains, the railroad club and the passionate men and women who keep the club steaming ahead.
How did you become interested in model trains?
I’m like all the other kids, I started with a Lionel train when I was a kid. The train only came out at Christmas time, of course, and that’s the only time we ever ran it. My dad would put the train up after we kids went to bed. There’d be nothing there, then you’d wake up in the morning and there would be the tree, the train, which was underneath it – everything.
When did you get involved with model trains and train clubs?
It wasn’t until about the 1960s, when I got married and I had a couple of kids. Then I started putting a train under my tree. I really got into trains in the 1990s, after I retired from the telephone company. I’m originally from McKeesport. When I moved to Titusville, I joined the Clarion Model Railroad Club. They got me interested, so I built a room in my barn, 12-feet-by-24-feet, and I put a layout in there. I’ve been into trains ever since. When I moved down here to the Mon Valley, I looked for a club and I found this place. I’ve been here almost 10 years.
Why do model trains appeal to you?
I guess I just love to watch them run and I like to operate them. We operate them like you would a real railroad, filling out train car cards and then delivering whatever they haul. The train display is an HO scale layout (the most popular scale of model railway), with about 500 feet of main track.
What is the goal of the MMVMRC?
Our goal is to entertain the public and to enjoy (model trains). We’re all train mutts and we like to get together to plan what we’re going to do with the display, and kibitz.
How large is the railroad club?
We have 13 members. Two of us are 81, and the youngest is 22. We need young people in the club; they’re going to be the ones to keep it going. Kids who are between 14 and 18 years old can join as junior members. Kids are so interested in technology today – and their video games – I think they should give this a chance.
What events does the MMVMRC host?
During the holiday season, we hold the Open House so the public can see the display. Then, we hold an annual Train Show and Sale fundraiser with the New Eagle Volunteer Fire Department at the New Eagle Social Hall. There are a lot of vendors who sell trains there, and there are modular displays up so that people who attend can see trains running. The train show will be held Jan. 29, 2017. And we have a modular layout that we show at the August Fun Fest in Cedar Creek Park every August. It’s another chance for people to come see what we do and to see the trains.
The Mid Mon Valley Model Railroad Club is located at 159 Main St. in New Eagle. For more information, visit www.mmvmrc.org.