Model Railroad Committee

Mission Statement

Welcome to the Model Railroad Committee’s pages. The Model Railroad Committee was established in 2004 for the primary purpose of supporting the goals of the (FCVRHS) French Creek Valley Railroad Historical Society.
We support the FCVRHS, 

• Preservation of railroad artifacts and memorabilia.

• Historical data collection and cataloging.

• Public Service: Serving as educators sharing our rich railroad history of Crawford County region of North Western Pennsylvania.

• Model Railroading: Promote prototypical modeling of railroads and their operational correctness and overall functionality.  

Long term goals:
As FCVRHS becomes closer to our goal completing a museum facility, the model railroad committee is developing plans to construct a full size model railroad. This model will be for viewing by the public. The model planned is to be of the periods from 1940’s to early 1950’s. Our plan for the modeled locations is of the Meadville area. Meadville was a central support system of the Erie railroad during this time. Located here was a full maintenance facility for locomotives and rolling stock. Some of the items planned to be model are: 

• Meadville Depot

• Locomotive Turntable

• Roundhouse

• Car Repair facility

• Portion of the stock yard

• All track as it would have been found in between these points

• Fully detailed and landscaped

Many of our committee’s members have built their own personal model railroads or in the process of doings so. Many incorporated concepts of operations much like the original prototypical railroad they are modeling were observed. The rules of the road so to speak! This experience truly gives participants an opportunity to experience in a simple and pleasurable way the different jobs and functions performed in railway operations. Many functions range from: 

• Engineer: Operating a model locomotive performing basic rail operations picking up rolling stock of freight or materials while setting out loaded or unloaded rolling stock. At the same functioning under the guidance of a dispatcher.

• Conductor: Working as a crewmember accompany each engineer and serving as the eye for the dispatcher of the mainline and reporting to the dispatcher. Performing any manual switching not in the control of the dispatcher for the engineer to perform the work on station.

• Terminal Dispatcher: Working in the Yard and directing the movement within a stock yard or locomotive facility.

• Dispatcher: Directing the movement of all trains operating on the main line of the railroad.

 
We also show and maintain a portable HO scale model railroad which we have exhibited at different events thru out the year. We would like to encourage you to visit sometime. Thank you for visiting our committee’s pages of the FCVRHS. It is our hope you have enjoyed your visit and we look forward to meeting you at one of our local events. 

If you would be interested in more information of becoming a member of the model railroad committee please call or stop by the Crawford County Historical Societies main building for more details and contact information. We would be pleased to see you.

-The FCVRRHS Staff