Indoor HO (1/87) Scale Layout

The Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club had its beginning in August of 1989, when founding member Ernie George rented a storage unit in Bend, Oregon and started building an HO (1/87) scale railroad with the help of some friends. In four months, the layout was up and running, and over the next four years, the railroad was brought to a semi-complete state with scenery, signaling, and operating schedules.

In 1993, the existing operators agreed to form a club in the form of a nonprofit organization and charge monthly dues in order to help with the expenses of the storage unit, but near the end of the year it was clear that the rising costs of the storage unit’s rent would soon become too high. Larry Barker offered that the club could utilize a piece of property he owned on Modoc Lane to house the layout, and Ernie George offered to put up the money to construct a building for the layout. The layout was temporarily disassembled into 9 sections and stored in a warehouse in August of 1994. After considerable time and energy constructing the building, the layout had a new home and was moved into the new building in December 1994. During this time, Larry Barker passed away, leaving the club the Modoc Lane property to continue as the club’s home in perpetuity.

During the next two years, the layout was reassembled and not only put back into operating condition, but also expanded and given new scenery. In November of 1996, the Club held its first Open House for the public to view the member’s hard work, and enjoy all the layout had to offer.

From that point on, the layout has undergone tremendous changes. New towns, yards, and even lines have sprung up, and the scenery has been constantly redone to make it as realistic and beautiful as possible. Additionally, the layout has been equipped with DCC (Digital Command and Control) technology, allowing all the locomotives to be controlled independently, even if they are on the same track. In its current state, the layout is the best it has even been!

Outdoor 1.5” (1/8) Scale Layout

In 1998, several of the club’s members who were interested in the larger scale of 1.5” started to reactivate the large scale outdoor layout that Larry Barker had started on the property, including several bridges, a turntable, and a length of track.

This group of club members became a subset of the Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club called the Central Oregon Area Live Steamers (COALS). Between 1999 and 2001, COALS laid almost 900 feet of track in the main yard area and on the main line, rebuilt and installed new turnouts, and strengthened the two original trestles.

In 2002, a tremendous effort by club members resulted in even more track being laid, culminating on the 7th of September, when, at 7:30 in the evening, the main line was finally completed, and October’s Open House saw almost 2000 attending to enjoy both the indoor and outdoor layout.

Since that point, the outdoor layout has been extended to the point where it has miles of track, two loops of mainline track, a separate mountain line with a large trestle, and a station area for loading passengers during Open House. Without a doubt, our outdoor layout has become the star attraction at our annual Open House!