Page 9 - All Scale Rails Magazine Issue 13 March April 2017

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The History of

The Model Railroad

Club of Milwaukee

By Bonnie Domrois
Photos by Kevin Domrois

It was a time of deep hardship for the
United States. But trials such as the Great
Depression made for innovation and discov-
ery. Toy trains were around long before this
time, but virtually everything we have come
to know about our beloved hobby stems from
the time grown men embraced those minia-
ture trains and made them their own.
As most of these things begin, a small
group of men met to determine if there
would be enough of an interest in starting a
model train club. In 1933, this group of men,
which included Geert Beling, Robert Bjork-
lund, Forest Fottler, Wesley Graham, Al Ka-
lmbach, V.C. McKeel, Frank Zeidler and Bill
Walthers met in the home of Harry Bondu- ture train manufacturing company out of his
rant in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin to discuss the home in 1932. Others names that are easily
matter. Apparently the idea was agreed upon recognizable are Wesley Graham, Forest Fot-
and a series of rules and bylaws were drafted. tler and Harry Bondurant, all on the original
Early meetings were held at members’ Board of Editors for Model Railroader mag-
homes while the search for a more permanent azine.
location continued. You may recognize The Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee’s
some of the names of the founding members Milwaukee Union Terminal Railway was
like Al Kalmbach who would form The Mod- first born onto a 15’ X 20’ portable layout
el Railroader (later known as Model Rail- first displayed at a YMCA building in 1934.
roader magazine) in 1934 and Bill Walthers Over the next few years, the club would dis-
who had already established his own minia- play their non-operating static display in the

Issue # 13 2017 9