Kid joins old-time model train club

Jake Pfeiffer and his grandfather, Ronald Pfeiffer

Ten-year-old Jake Pfeiffer said his grandfather "has been talking to me about trains since I was a little kid." So, two years ago, he got his grandfather to join the oldest continuous model train club in the metro area.

The Big Bend Railroad Club was started in 1938 by 10 kids from Webster Groves High School. Sixty-eight years later, the club is still operating and has an elaborate track layout in a former Webster Groves train station.

Kenneth Rimmel is secretary of the Big Bend club. He said, "One of the original founders of the club-Tim Miller-is still alive." Miller lives in California and still comes to see club members.

But, Rimmel also is excited about kids like Jake Pfeiffer, who is now a junior club member. "We've got four junior members and we hope kids like that will keep the club operating in the future," he said.

Daniel Kiefel on his observation ladder

Seven-year-old Daniel Kiefel of Webster Groves also might fit into that future.

On almost every first Tuesday of the month, Daniel and his mother, Paula, come to the club's open house. He's even got a three-step ladder that lets him get a higher perspective on the scenic track layout and its moving trains.

The railroad club got permission in the early days to house its track layout in part of the Frisco Railroad's passenger depot. In 1994, the railroad club ended up buying the vacated passenger depot and now it owns the whole building.

The first Tuesday of the month it is open to the public. The depot building is at 8833 Big Bend Blvd. in Webster Groves. To get there, you take I-44 to the Elm St. exit, go north just a couple blocks to Big Bend. Then, turn west for a few blocks.

On other Tuesdays, club members make upgrades to the track and scenery layout.

The club now has over 30 members who are trying to keep alive the idea of model train fun that was part of their lives as kids.

The tracks and equipment at the old passenger depot is on an O-scale. That means everything is built on a ¼-inch per foot scale.

Jake Pfeiffer will be a 5th grader at Oak Brook Elementary and he lives in Ballwin. He has a model train set at home but hasn't unpacked it yet. He and his family recently moved from Kirkwood to Ballwin.

But, Jake has a triple-engine and a "fred" car (that's a substitute for a caboose) as a part of the equipment at the club's depot. His grandfather, Ronald Pfeiffer of Manchester, also has engine equipment at the depot.

Jake and Mr. Pfeiffer share a number of railroad cars when they make up their trains to run on the club's elaborate track system.

Jake had an unusual "real train" experience last month. His step-brother's father is an official of the Alton&Southern railroad. Jake was given a 15-minute ride from Fairmont City to East St. Louis.

He's also been a visitor to the big Museum of Transportation in west St. Louis County. That museum has the largest collection of old-time railroad engines in the country. (For more on the museum, visit www.thetrainmuseum.org.)

"I like it when you can go inside the engines and cars," Jake said.

He doesn't think in terms of making railroading a career. "I want to be an architect," he said. "But, I'd come here every Tuesday if it's around," he added.

Daniel Kiefel also has a model train set at home. He said he's got an engine, a caboose and some cars along with track.

He said he sets up his train track in his room. "I take it up and put it down. It's packed away right now," he said.

Daniel said he had a real train ride earlier this spring when his family was in Chattanooga, Tenn. They went to a transportation museum there. While smaller than the museum in St. Louis, it does provide rides on the Tennessee Valley Railroad.

That's a 6-mile trip. Daniel came back with a T-shirt from the railroad trip.

Daniel and his family also like to go to Kirkwood, where Amtrak has a station.

"We go to an ice cream shop there. We eat ice cream and watch the trains go by," he said.

He's also been to the Transportation Museum. Asked what he likes best, he said, "I like to ring the bell in the engine."

The Big Bend Railroad Club's track layout includes a control room perched over the tracks. From there, club members control movement of more than one model train.

For more information, the club has two websites: www.geocities.com/bbrrclub/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bigbendrrclub/.