The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By: Shirley Linder, Quill Editor
The trains that were on display in Bluffdale during Heritage Trail over the weekend got no complaints of loud whistles or disturbing the peace.
The Burlington Model Railroad Engineers Society, 18 members strong, decided four years ago, they needed a permanent place to display their trains. They were displayed in hobby shops in Burlington, IA, for years.
The club members were able to purchase a piece of ground in the Bluffdale Subdivision, 5.2 miles east of Burlington, IA and set to work clearing the necessary trees in preparation for the concrete to be poured on June 7, 2001.
The members, who meet every Saturday, built the building themselves and then began setting up their displays of model trains and what a display it is!
As you enter you wonder why the men have head sets on and are talking into mikes, with a remote control in their hands. What they are doing is keeping in contact with the controller who is running the trains. The remotes only control the speed of the train, not the direction or switching of tracks, etc. Five trains can be going at the same time on the operating layout which is 48' x 30' with a 10 level Helix and four levels of operating track.
The display includes tunnels, water fall, bridges (one which is 19' 8.5" in length), houses, trees, rocks, businesses, etc. The concept is a replica of the railroad line from Danville, IA, to Galesburg with all the realistic scenery along the way.
Mike Klein, president of club, stated they had purchased 25-five hundred foot spools of wire and there has been 1500 ft of track laid so far.
Eventually they hope to have a bridge that will swing open just like the one across the Mississippi between Burlington and Illinois.
Be sure and put this stop on next year's Heritage Trail outing.