The Garden State Model Railway Club, Incorporated is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, expansion, and education of both model railroading and railroading. Our membership is given the opportunity to pursue, advance, and enjoy these hobbies. New Members are always welcome. We meet every Tuesday and Friday evening at 8PM. Our Annual Open House typically runs three weekends beginning Thanksgiving Weekend. Recently the Club has experimented with January, March, and April dates. Far more detail about the railroad can be obtained by taking our Virtual Layout Tour! Our Website also features a section on Railroad History! This section contains before and after photos as well as all kinds of information about real railroads that operated in our area! We have held several very successful Scout Nights during which various Scout groups have visited. Please contact us if you are interested in such an event. Contact us for more information!

It all began right after World War II when a few members of the Fair Lawn Model Railroad Club decided to start their own Club. A couple of locations were tried until a brand new building in North Haledon was found. In 1957, the Garden State Model Railroad Club was officially incorporated. For 58 years straight, our HO Club has held an Annual Open House during the Christmas Season for the enjoyment of the public, young and old alike. After 34 of those shows, a decision was made in December 1991 to demolish the old layout. Construction began on the new layout in April of 1992! Having lost its original incorporation during the late 1980s, the Club was reincorporated as the Garden State Model Railway Club in 1999. 1999 also marked this website's beginning. Our Club has always been made up of volunteers who enjoy all aspects of trains and model railroading, and we invite you to join us!

Click here for the Complete History of the Club

• Railroads - Garden State Northern (Mainline) and Otter Creek & Perry (Branchline)
• Space - Approximately 40'X30'
• Gauge - HO
• Style - Walkaround
• Electrical Systems - Both North Coast Engineering Digital Command Control (Radio Equipped) and conventional DC using MRC CM20 power packs
• Signaling and Detection System - Dr. Bruce Chubb's C/MRI (Computer/Model Railroad Interface)
• Prototype - None (several prototypical sections and structures from New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
• • Viaduct based on that found in Great Notch, NJ
  • Passenger Terminal based on CNJ Terminal in Jersey City, NJ
  • NJ Zinc Mine, based on the structure in Ogdensburg, NJ
  • Industrial Scene based on Norristown, PA
• Mainline
• • Double track with crossovers (can be used as single track with sidings at any time)
  • Code 100 nickel silver flex-track (used for durability, electrical conductivity, etc.)
  • 275 feet, approximately 4.5 HO scale miles
• Hand-Layed Trackage
• • Crossovers at BOB Tower
  • Gauntlet wye switch on the Concrete Arch Bridge
  • Curved diamonds in Otter Creek
  • Curved crossover at Soggy Bottom
  • Bridge deck on our steel Viaduct
• Yards
• • Albatross Yard (7 through tracks, 2 stub ended tracks)
  • Hidden Staging Yard (6 through tracks, 5 stub ended tracks, reverse loop)
  • Middletown Yard (4 through track division point yard)
  • Altoona Yard (10 stub ended tracks)
• Notable Scratchbuilt Structures
• • Passenger Terminal
  • Diesel Servicing Facility
  • NJ Zinc Mine
• Backdrops - All hand-painted by Pete Kieran and Paul Dlugos
• Equipment/Era - Any and all (whatever our members want!)

and
Our layout is Fully Equipped to Operate BOTH Systems! DCC Bob Savino designed a relay circuit, published in the December 2003 issue of RMC, which allowed us to install a state of the art DCC system without scrapping our old common rail DC system. Keeping the common rail made it much simpler to add a detection and signaling system.

Click HERE for general information about our Annual Open Houses.
Click HERE for specific details about this upcoming or currently ongoing Open House.

The GSMRRClub website has been presented with and honored to receive several awards in addition to the railroad related awards shown here. Click here for complete Award Details.

Friend of Operation Lifesaver

Click HERE to go to our Links page.

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