About The Train Club
How We Conduct Ourselves
Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club is the only Train Club in Central Oregon with both an interactive indoor HO Layout and over a mile of outdoor 1.5” scale riding track. Located in SE Bend off Ward Road, the Train Club has weekly run and work nights on alternate Wednesdays, work events on many Saturdays, community outreach opportunities, and an annual Open House.
CLUB HISTORY
Railroad Ties, Past to Present
Our mission is to teach anyone who wants to learn about railroading, model building, and engineering. This is how we’ve done that from the beginning.
In 1984, three train enthusiasts – Larry Barker, Ernie George, and Bruce Blanford – put their dream of creating a place where hobbyists could learn more about railroading and model-building into action, and started the Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club.
Initially, they met and worked on each other’s HO Layouts, but as word of mouth spread, there were soon enough members that ECMRRC built a Club layout in a storage unit on 9th street. It wasn’t until one of the founding members bequeathed his 20-acre property in SE Bend to the Train Club, they moved to Modoc Lane.
Work began, and a Clubhouse was built to house a new, interactive HO Layout with more than 1,900 feet of track. It’s inspired by the landscape of upstate New York, and has been a labor of love since it was first installed in the 1990’s. Recently, it was upgraded to DCC, and has been fitted with cameras and new ways for guests to enjoy the miniature action.
The Train Club property also boasts a 1.5” layout, with more than a mile of outdoor track, perfect for members and guests to ride on. Many of the Train Club’s members are master craftsmen who’ve built their engines as faithful replicas of existing trains. There are many different fuel systems to be seen on the tracks – electric, gas, diesel, coal, and steam – and several of the trains are themed to celebrate not just existing railroad companies, but also the military or Americana.
With more than 40 members now, the Train Club is an established part of the Bend Community, working with veterans, underserved youth, and children who are battling life-changing illnesses.
HO Layout
Vintage Trains that Never Get Old
The Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club HO Layout was inspired by Upstate New York, and our members are inspired to keep improving it for the enjoyment of our guests, year after year.
With more than 1,900 feet of mainline and secondary track, the Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club’s indoor HO Layout is a double track folding loop of excitement. It has a single track mountain line with a reverse loop, a logging loop, passenger stations, freight depots, and even a diesel back shop.
The Club owns 68 locomotives, 455 freight cars, and 43 passenger cars, and members regularly bring their own trains, too, creating an ever-changing variety on the tracks. It has recently been upgraded to DCC, and Club members are always working to improve the landscape and vignettes. It takes 8 operators to run, and runs to a tight schedule, taking nearly 2 hours for a train to run the complete track system.
At the annual Open House event, guests get to be part of the action, with a bird’s eye view of the layout.
1.5" Track
Hear that Whistle Blow!
Bridges and loops, an arch and a forest – these are just some of the features visitors can enjoy while riding with the Central Oregon Area Live Steamers. You’ll see something new every time you ride.
The 1.5” outdoor railroad is a train enthusiast’s delight.
Spread out over the property’s 20 acres, there are several bridges and trestles, a turntable, pond, covered bridge, a stone arch, and even a tunnel still in the works. There’s over a mile in track and many of the members ride the rails during the Wednesday night run and work nights, or any time the mood strikes.
The engines have varying fuel systems like diesel, gas, steam, electric, or even coal, and most have been painstakingly fabricated by the members themselves to be faithful replicas of existing trains.
The scale of 1.5” = 1 foot makes for the perfect size for children to ride the trains and for adults to feel like big kids at heart. It creates a fun atmosphere to ride through, as well, as area attractions are built with the size of the train in mind.
If you’d like to ride the rails with us, you’re welcome to visit during our Annual Open House event. We give thousands of rides, and each ride is free!
ARCHIVES
Our Favorite Passengers
There’s always work to be done on the railroad. We are grateful to our community for their help and support, and pleased to share our enthusiasm for trains with everyone we meet.
Check out some of what we’ve accomplished since moving to Modoc Lane in 1989.