Schuylkill Valley Model Railroad Club

Phoenixville, Pa

How many engines and cars do you have?

There really isn't an easy answer to this question, but the short answer would be several hundred. Most of our members have large home layouts too, and bring in their own cars and locomotives all of the time, so the number of cars at the club changes all of the time.

How do you keep the track clean?

We run mechanical track cleaning cars around the layout on a regular basis. But when we're doing a lot of work on the layout, the sawdust and other particulates in the air make the track pretty dirty. When it get really bad, we use a tool called a Bright Boy. It's something that looks a lot like a pencil eraser, but it is much more abrasive. We just have to rub that back and forth over the track to remove the dirt and grime.

How many people does it take to run the layout?

During our Open House sessions, the layout is operated by 7 - 10 members. including 2 members operating either the Philadelphia Train Yard or the Reading Train Yard and associated fiddle yards.

Where are the Philadelphia and Reading Yards?

The yards are the first area you see when entering the layout, on the left hand side. The yard closest to the windows is the Reading Coalfield Yard. On the far side is the Philadelphia 14th Street Yard.

What are Fiddle Yards?

The fiddle yards are hidden in "back stage" area of the layout, and are used to store trains when they're not running.

FAQ's

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Schuylkill Valley Model Railroad Club 400 South Main Street, Phoenixville, Pa 19460

610-935-1126