Originally Posted by scale rail:
Jeff the b/w picture is outside third rail. I would like to know more about it's history. Thanks don
Don: I think I goofed up on my comments/captions, so here it goes. The roundhouse and table in the B&W photo, is an old picture of the same. I have done very little to it, as I wish to keep it more as an artifact from a very old 2-rail O scale Club. The Club is located in Milwaukee Wisconsin, known as the Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee, and they officially opened up in 1937, and they are still an active Club and layout to this day. When the Club first operated, you are right, they ran as outside third rail. My roundhouse still has the "pegs" inside to carry the old third rail. At some point the Club was able to convert to 2-rail operation. Thus, the roundhouse and table were built before 1940, and I know this because of an early (1940) Kalmbach publication showing my structure on the Club layout, within it's pages. I purchased the house and table on March 2, 1970. I have now left Milwaukee, and after many more years, the house and table are finally installed, and operational on the layout I am building. I might also mention that it was this Club, that started to formulate "Standards" model railroading, and after a while, it became what we know as the NMRA. Thus, in 1935, the first NMRA Convention was held on Labor Day in Milwaukee Wiscosnin. All thanks to Club members such as A.C. Kalmbach, Wm. K. Walthers to name a couple. I hope this helps, but ask me more if you need anything at all, I'll try and answer as best as I can. I would really like to know more myself about the house and table, but that history seems to be lost within the current Club as I still visit about once a year!! Would like more photos of it as well. Jeff