The Mon Valley Railroad Club of West Virginia

Mountaineer Week 2004

We began moving the modular layout at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 18th. by 9:00 p.m., trains were running and the layout was ready for another Mountaineer Week appearance on the campus of West Virginia University. The HO scale layout was set up in the Shenandoah Room of the Mountainlair. The room had ample space for the 12' x 24' layout, the 2' x 8' switching layout, and many visitors.

During our time at Mountaineer Week, club members demonstrated how to clean and lubricate locomotives; how to build freight car kits; how to build and detail structures; how to operate a freight yard; and how to switch freight cars to specific industries in a small town. Hundreds of visitors stopped by to see the display and many participated in the demonstrations and asked many questions.

We look forward to appearing at future Mountaineer Week events. See you there!

Eric Johnson assists a junior engineer on the finer points of rerailing freight cars.

A popular attraction among young and old alike is a 2' x 8' HO scale switching layout. This railroad was constantly busy with junior engineers spotting freight cars at various locations and picking up cars to take back to the small yard.

Gas here is less than a dollar a gallon!

The trains are the main attraction, but visitors enjoyed the many details and scenery on the layout. This gas station brought back many memories for visitors, especially when gasoline cost less than thirty cents a gallon. Gary Deavers completed this scene on his coal mine corner module.

Just inches away from the gas station and perched up on the hill is Dave's Hideaway. Many such businesses located near mining operations to sell refreshing beverages and meals to hard working miners. Of course, it could also get a little rowdy late at night....

Mike Hohn adjusts the speed on a mainline train.

What is a railroad without a good sized yard? Our display layout features this sixteen-foot yard with several freight classification tracks and an engine terminal. The yard can be a busy location on a railroad as trains are sorted and created as the freight rolls along to a destination. Mike Hohn is adjusting the speed of a mainline train in this image.

Special thanks to Jim Ackerman, Frank Benders, Ken Colvin, Gary Deavers, Keith DeVault, Dave Hines, Mike Hohn, Bill Hudak, Jr., Bill Hudak, Sr., Eric Johnson, Steve Kite, Ward Paine, and Steve Raque for their efforts in making the 2004 Mountaineer Week festivities a success for our group.