In March of 1957, an ad was placed in Model Railroad
Craftsman magazine inviting anyone interested in forming a model railroad club in
the Youngstown area to contact Robert Folsom at a Struthers, Ohio phone number.
Sunday, April 1, 1957, eight strangers with a common interest in "HO" model.
railroading met at the home of George Sankey off Tippecanoe Road in Youngstown.
This meeting initiated the forming of the Youngstown Model Railroad Association.
During the first year, while searching for a location to construct a layout, the
members built a 5'x10' portable layout for the Railroad Community Committee of
the Mahoning and Shenango Valley. They operated it for them at the Canfield Fair
and an industrial show at Idora Park. This committee was comprised of
representatives ofthe local railroads at that time. These included the Pennsylvania,
New York Central, B&O, Erie, and the Youngstown and Southern railroads.
Contacts through the committee finally resulted in the club obtaining layout space in
the New York Central passenger station on Wilson Avenue in December of 1957.
Shortly thereafter, the club's first layout was constructed. The club's first Open
House was held December 2nd and 3rd of 1961.
In June of 1964, as the Mahoning valley's economic decline escalated we were
forced to leave our first home. For the next two and a half years, we held meetings
at members' homes until obtaining the old gymnasium on the fourth floor of the
Eagles building at the corner of 5th Avenue and Rayen in Youngstown. January of
1967 found us eagerly contemplating a king size layout in the gym as compared to
the cramped quarters in the old NYC station. The group lost no time planning and
building a large layout that filled most ofthe gym. Unfortunately, economic hard
times forced us to leave this location because the Eagles organization had to sell the
building and move to smaller quarters. Therefore, in August of 1977 the
Youngstown Model Railroad Association was again searching for a new home.
Thanks to the help of club member Butch Phillips (1940-1998) the club acquired
its present location in the old structure that was formally the Four Mile Run Christian .
Church and we moved, in April of 1978. The club expanded its membership and interests with
the addition of our "O" scale group in February of 1980. They have
built a large layout in the old sanctuary portion of the church. The area is primarily
industrial and rural. An impressive eleven-stall roundhouse and coaling tower
dominate the northern end of the classification yard. Of special note is the scenery
filled river area crossed by a large, curved concrete viaduct. Behind the layout is a
specially constructed caboose end utilizing hardware from a genuine New York
Central caboose. The platform is a favorite viewing area for the youngsters. The
controls for the "O" scale layout are located in a balcony overlooking the entire
railroad.
The "HO" layout, located on the lower level, occupies an area of approximately
thirty by sixty feet. It is almost fully detailed and provides a variety of industries,
urban areas, mountains and wooded rural settings. A large city area, representative
of Youngstown, Ohio in the late 1950's dominates the layout's south end. To the
west of the city, a replica of the Pennsylvania Railroad's coaling tower from Girard stands
over the Mackey Freight Yard, and in early 2014 a scratch built replica of our
first home, the NYC Passenger Station, was incorporated into the city area of the
layout. In the center island a completed steel mill complex the mirrors some of the
mills that dominated the Mahoning Valley for many years. It is a continuing project as
more elements are added. It is a reminder of the golden age of steel making in the
Mahoning Valley. The northern leg of the layout presents an operating amusement
park and industrial complex.
Both layouts represent the interests and dedication of the Youngstown Model
Railroad Association members. They truly reveal the labors of the club since 1957.
In 2009, a new chapter was opened in our history as we began the process to
purchase our building from our property owners, of the last 40 years, The Four Mile
Run Christian Church. The sale was completed in the Spring of 2021 and we are
now proud owners of our home!
In 2023, the club embarked on a new project of adding a meeting room /
display area onto our building, and completing a facelift to the building's exterior.
Memberships are open and any member can direct you to the Club President, who will be glad to discuss our club with you.
email: YMRA