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Greg Oliver

Sandy Eustis, a Keowee Key resident who has been a member of the Central Railroad Model and Historical Association since moving to the area two years ago, said he enjoys designing and constructing scenery surrounding the tracks where model trains travel.

CENTRAL — The Central Railroad Model and Historical Association, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization formed in 1992, first opened its permanent museum last October and now conducts monthly meetings at the former Allen House.

But members say the museum, which was dedicated during the Heritage Festival in May, still isn’t ready to host visitors on a regular basis.

“The building has been totally revamped, all by members of the club and down to the studs,” said Bob Folsom, a member of the association since 1993. “Two rooms have been made into one and three rooms into one. A bunch of old geezers like us accomplished all this — structurally and in every respect, we literally rebuilt all of this.”

While Folsom, one of the association’s 51 members representing the Clemson, Central, Keowee Key, Anderson and Easley areas, said the interior of the building is complete, the railroads that will be among the main focal point of the facility remain under construction. Between 10-12 members, though not always the same ones, arrive every Thursday and Saturday to construct tracks, build and paint scenery and do any wiring that may be required.

“We’re not quite ready to operate trains for the public,” Folsom said. “If we had to really pinpoint a time for opening, I would say next year. I really don’t see how we can open any sooner.”

The fact that the association even has a place to call its own is remarkable. Shortly after the club’s formation, the town of Central handed over an old schoolhouse for them to hold meetings. Eventually, the club had to vacate the premises because the building was literally falling down.

For a number of years, the association fell into limbo before eventually meeting at the Central-Clemson Library once that facility opened in the late-90s. Though members experienced no problems with the library itself, they longed for a facility where they could display model railroad tracks rather than keeping them in storage.

The Central Town Council eventually leased the Allen House to the association. While the town installed a new roof, repainted and performed landscaping and climate control for the home, club members went to work by tearing out walls and laying track.

“It’s a two-way street,” Folsom said. “The town is giving us a tremendous opportunity, and we want to give them something to talk about — something that is well-known and an attraction for people to see.”

Not only do members say they want the museum to feature plenty of model trains and tracks, they also want to feature archives that tell the story of Central. They say the town was once a huge presence in the railroad industry — earning its name because it was centrally located 100 miles from both Charlotte and Atlanta.

A display case of railroad memorabilia, with plans for more display cabinets on the wall and old photographs, are in the works. Members are also hopeful of eventually providing a steam engine exhibit.

But Folsom said the highlight of the museum will be the model trains.

“What we’re trying to do is have a display of the types of trains that kids found under their Christmas trees in the 1940s and 1950s,” Folsom said, adding that the “S” Gauge, “O” Gauge and Standard Gauge tracks will all be represented in the display, and that the Standard Gauge track will be the only one operating in the Southeast.

Just constructing a track alone is a time consuming process. Model train experts say up to 24 man-hours can be spent constructing 20 feet of track. Then, consider that a track can total 1,000 to 2,000 feet in length.

But not all association members spend time at the museum constructing railroad tracks. Sandy Eustis, a Keowee Key resident since moving to the area two years ago, said he has always enjoyed designing and building scenery for the tracks. Such scenery can include buildings, which Eustis also paints, as well as landscaping and other materials to bring the railroad to life.

“I like building scenery buildings and tunnels but I don’t like wiring and electronics and, yet, I know many people who love these mechanical and electrical aspects,” Eustis said. “I’m learning about this type of stuff I’ve avoided but, at the same time, because I’ve been interested in scenery and building, I’ve been able to help some of the guys with aspects they may not have been good at.”

Eustis, who learned about the club via the Internet, said the scenery is put together from modular components prior to painting.

“By the time I joined the club, the basic layout had been decided,” Eustis said. “But what hadn’t been decided was the specific track layout of switches and signage in any particular area.

“What I like about track planning is that it’s a creative exchange to be able to visualize what a real scene looks like. You can let your imagination run wild.”

Eustis said he was six years old the first time he ever rode a passenger train. For Christmas that same year, he received a toy train for a present and, in his words, has “been hooked on model trains for 55 years since.”

“I think trains have an enduring interest for people, and it seems to me that each generation of kids likes and enjoys trains,” Eustis said. “I enjoy going to a train show and seeing moms and dads with four-year-olds on their shoulders peeking and then seeing 80-year-olds with canes who can remember riding on one.”

While Folsom said an outside track, called a Garden Railway, is part of the club’s future museum plans, Eustis said the club envisions itself as an important part of the town’s future — one that appreciates and celebrates its railroad heritage.

“It’s our hope that having a first class museum layout and having museum artifacts will bring more people — young and old alike — to Central and the opportunity to celebrate railroading in the Southeast,” he said.

Folsom calls the museum and the club’s partnership with the town “a dream come true, no doubt about it.”

“We are, in my estimation, one of the greatest examples of cooperation in our ability to work with the town and the town with us,” Folsom said. “It’s one of the most pleasant experiences I’ve ever been a part of ,and I am pleased to be associated with them.”