Founded in 1947, the West Bay Model Railroad Association brings together model train enthusiasts and curious community members. The club consists of 37 members, and while membership is not free, the club holds public open houses on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 1–4 p.m. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on donations, membership fees help keep the club open to the community.
In 1951, the club moved to its current location, a building right next to the Menlo Park train station. This building was used by the Railway Express Agency (REA), from 1917 to 1975 as a freight depot, handling packages shipped by railroad across the country. The REA was the main delivery service at the time and relied on railroad infrastructure to deliver packages. The agency also delivered for Camp Fremont, a former military base located in Menlo Park. Deliveries included shipments of mail and supplies during World War I.
Camp Fremont.
In 2012, members of the club decided to redesign and restore the aging track layout. This process took around 11 years from start to finish, with the new layout becoming fully operational in 2023. The new layout cost $25,000 and spans about 1,000 feet across three levels: upper, lower, and mainline, with a total of eight scale miles of track. Each track can accommodate up to three trains at a time. The layout also features miniature replicas of cities, complete with hand-built models of buildings, people, and landscapes that bring the scenes to life.
The club features several historical elements. The original stove and heater, dating back more than a century, still sit inside the building. The red reception chairs near the entrance came from an original Southern Pacific Railroad lounge car.
Jim Rohrbach, a member of the club, mentioned the rising costs of model trains. “ It’s hard to get really good equipment anymore. It’s starting to skyrocket from cost.” Because of that, he jokes, “Kids used to say, ‘Make a crash.’ I’d say, ‘Let me see your wallet,’” he said. “My grandfather was a railroad conductor. Some people say it’s in their blood, and in mine it really is.”
“[The club] brings people together, because it’s something you can come and enjoy with your kids, with your grandkids, or just come by yourself,” he said.
Tom Prussing, another member of the club, noted the importance of passing down knowledge. “Some of us older gentlemen need to be able to pass it on to your generation,” he said.
Don Burch, the president of the club, shared that although the club is about trains, he also finds great social value in it. “I enjoy the trains, but I also enjoy the social aspect of it,” he said. Burch acknowledged the age of the club, “The club just had its 75th anniversary last spring,” he said. Being president, he joked, is like “herding cats.”
Ethan Leyva, a San Francisco resident and high school student at Lincoln High School, has been a member of the club for 6 months. He conveniently rides Caltrain to the club.“It’s a really good environment here,” he said.
To learn more about the West Bay Model Railroad Association and their upcoming open houses visit their website.
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