JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Military Society of Model Railroad Engineers will celebrate its 35th anniversary on Oct. 21, 2017. For more than three decades, the MSMRRE has operated it the basement of Matanuska Hall and are open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
The original members met in a private garage and built a modular for HO [1:87 ratio] layout. As the society acquired new members, the garage could no longer accommodate the expanding layout so in April 1983, the Elmendorf Air Force Base commander and a member of the society granted the MSMRRE permission to use a small room in the basement of Matanuska Hall.
As one of the original charter members, and current President of the MSMRRE, Randy Bjorgan said that it had been an adventure to have the club running for so long.
His fondest memories are when service members would come out and bring either their family members or colleagues and bond over the miniature world of the North Star Railroad.
"One of our club member's parents came to visit him for two weeks, and he and his dad were here every night," Bjorgan said. "When he gets off work, he and his dad were down here running trains and [reliving childhood memories]."
When the club originally started in 1982, members brought in their train collections’, now they have 37 members, more than 400 engines, and 1,000 cars. The club is open to anyone, of any age, who is interested in model railroading.
The MSMRRE offers various scale layouts such as the HO, N [1:148 to 1:160 ratio], portable Z [1:220 ratio], Hon3 [1:87 ratio], and O [1:48 ratio] because model railroads can come in any size.
"That's why we continue to be here — because it's all about camaraderie and adventure," Bjorgan said. "We have previous members who long ago permanently changed station, but continue to come back. We also saw children grow to become adults and bring their own families to show them how the club has grown over time."
Anyone interested in joining the MSMRRE or would like to bring families to see the miniature railroad should call 552-5234 or visit the Matanuska Hall’s Room 35.