Bay Ridge Model RR Club Brooklyn, NY

Garytrains

 

where are you located, more spc than Bay Ridge please

Hi Gary from Gary

     Very cool club layout

• Cheers from The Detroit and Mackinac Railway

The club is located at 28 Marine Avenue between 93rd & Oliver Streets.

Gary, 

 

  I'm not too sure but i think my father took me to see this layout in 1971/1972, is this layout located in an apartment building in the basement. If this is the place, this just brought back a lot of great memories. 

 

Alex

 

 

 

  

Probably the one. The entrance is on Oliver St and shows used to run after Thanksgiving.

Thanks

Gary, 

 

Do you have anymore photos you can post .

 

Thanks,

Alex

My first stop during the Holiday open house season. The layout is all hand laid outside third rail. See their website for more pictures.
http://knighttime.tripod.com/b...delrailroadclub.html

Larry

thanks Gary, I was there as a child also

my Pop took me there as a kid too.  Glad to see it's still around

They used to have public open houses every October, and used to post flyers in the neighborhood around Bay Ridge.  Are they doing that again this year (2015)?

Ed

 

Add me to the list of folks taken there as a kid!

 

I had family that lived in that part of Brooklyn.

 

That is so cool the layouts are still running.

 

Good luck to you guys.

Yes the memories abound. My Dad took me there in the 50s and I  took my children there in the 70s & maybe the 80s. Then in the late 80s early 90s, My friend Barry Sheinin prompted our Tuesday Night Train group to visit the Bay Ridge Model RR. Barry was good friends with Cono Bianco. I too am glad to hear that its still operational.

Thanks for all the replies. Yes, the club is still there. But, due to the age of the 

remaining members and recent deaths, not enough to run a show. We are

activly looking for new members! No experience necessary. The members

generally are there on Fridays and welcome guests and inquiries.

Love to see you!

As did I, my grandmother as well as my father lived on 76th st at Narrows Ave. We visited the layout in the 80's. I live in White Plains now, otherwise I would join...

I also visited as a child.  Worked right up the street on 3rd Ave when I was in high school.  It's great to hear you are still operating.  I'm on Staten Island and will definitely  be stopping  by.

Live on S.I. too- by the VZ- was easy trip for me - took less than 15 mins.

The layout is approx 60X30 ft. There is a subway line, trolley line & Narrow Gauge line.

Something for all interests.

 

I was there in the 70's too. First time I ever saw outside 3rd rail other than the subways. Wasn't there an HO club in the room next to the O gauge club?

Yes,

I remember the HO layout as well. I think that there was an N gauge group trying to get started in another room.

The HO Club was on 4th Ave between 68th & 69th - upstairs.

I remember going there with my father a few times in the 60's and the 70's.  He used their idea of the outside third rail on his home layout and converted his lionel F-3s to operate on the outside third rail.

Wow!  I didn't know anyone ran outside 3rd rail O gauge anymore.  This could be an

interesting OGR article if a club member wants to pull it together.

 

Just my opinion:  The club may have better luck recruiting new members if it converted to a modern control system.  The membership of my HO club increased after we converted to DCC.  I suspect that this topic has been debated by the membership.

 

I would try to visit if I wasn't on the West Coast.

 

NH Joe

Thanks- there is a video on VImeo if you Google it.

Not enough members to attempt that kind of change tho.

Right in our Backyard! Glad to see your club is in action!

Wow. I lived in Brooklyn on East First St. Between Ave. T and Ave. S in the 50's and 60's. Never knew this club existed.

This was the first large layout I visited when I was young  I still have the pamphlet with the trackplan  My wish was to someday create that trackplan in my house.  Right after visiting this club I remember buying a MR magazine to look for stuff I could add to the few sets I had already.  My first purchase was a #97 coal loader from Peter Bianco after getting his list in the mail.  He sent me a note to come visit him since we were nearly neighbors.  He was very surprised to see me, a 13 year old kid that had to have his father drive him to Pete's house.

I always wanted to join the Bay Ridge club when I got old enough but when I did get old enough I had too much 3 rail stuff to join a 2 rail club.  Maybe somebody from the club should detail what it takes to create an outside 3rd rail engine from what is available today

I looked at your video.  You have a very nice layout.  Good luck with your recruiting.

 

NH Joe

This layout has a large bit of model railroad history associated with it. Its an old school setup for sure but that's what makes it interesting.  OGR should do a story on it. You don't see layouts like this anymore and its HUGE!  This layout was there when I left Brooklyn in 1976 and remarkably its still there. This would have to be the oldest surviving large remaining O gauge layout in the five boroughs. It is probably one of the last outside three rail layouts in existence too. Fascinating!