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History of The Club
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The Early Years
The club was originally formed in 1952 by James Greener of Glenside. The club used his layout until a larger place was found in Oreland. Over time, they reached a consensus that their goals would be better met with a club owned layout. They located space in the basement of a garden center building in Oreland, PA. Design and construction kept the members very busy. The first layout was nearly completed by the mid 1960’s.
The garden center moved out to be replaced by a sporting goods store and eventually a pizza parlor. The club designed and started a second layout. The ever changing nature of the businesses above caused the club to start looking for new space.
Moving to Fort Washington
Space was located in the basement of the former Fort Washington Elementary School on Madison Av. The club’s members made major improvements to the space and began construction of the railroad in 1976. While walk around design was becoming more popular, the club stayed with the stationary cab design. It provided for the most space during the annual open houses. Over the years, the club’s members have designed and installed many special effects to surprise and entertain our guests. Sharing the railroad during the annual open house is a highlight for the GATSME membership.
In the early years, GATSME was a representation of central Pennsylvania with no effort to model specific locations. As prototype operations became more popular, the town names were changed and the railroad evolved to more closely match the Renovo and Middle Divisions of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Digital Command Control (DCC) was tested on the branch line in 1997. It was a great success and expanded to the entire layout. The DC capability continued for awhile, but it was eventually removed and GATSME is now 100% DCC.
The 21st Century
In 2001, the decision was made to scrap the engine terminal. The design had not worked out and the desire to add more switching areas sealed the decision. The new engine terminal and the town of Transfer are nearing completion in 2012. Building from scratch to a custom design is a slow but very satisfying journey.
When GATSME moved in, part of the basement was left incomplete. A big project was started in 2004 to dig out the rest of the space, pour a new floor and build a false station front to cover up the storage area. We now have a large meeting space to complement the work shop and utility room.
Monthly operations of the railroad simulating the prototype was becoming more important. All cars on the railroad have waybills and a complex schedule of over 70 trains has been written. Once a year, we invite fellow model railroaders to our invitational to share in the operations of GATSME. |
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GATSME Model RR Club Inc.
P. O. Box 82, Fort Washington, PA 19034
215-646-2033
A 501-C-3 Corporation
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Site Designed and Maintained by
V. E. Pistilli
GATSME Lines |
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Copyright ©1999-2011 GATSME Lines Inc.
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Mailto:vpistilli@verizon.net |
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