Page 47 - All Scale Rails Magazine Issue 27_ 2021
P. 47
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After graduating was now being expected to transfer to wher-
from Notre Dame ever the government needed him. So, just be-
High School, Jerry fore Thanksgiving, Jerry received orders that
turned his sights to- he would be moving to St. Louis. His wife
wards the Spenceri- and children were not keen on living in St.
an Business College Louis, so Jerry would rack up many Amtrak
where in 1963 he miles visiting his family in Milwaukee.
earned his degree in Once in St. Louis, it didn’t take Jerry long
Sales and Marketing. to get the itch for model railroading. Now
But Jerry’s ideas separated from his friends and his club, he
about his future were sought out a local Lionel club to join. He was
going to take an un- astonished to learn that there was no Lionel
Jerry in 1947 at age 6 expected turn. Right club in the area. Surely there must be other
Unknown after graduation, he Lionel enthusiasts around! So Jerry took the
Photographer received a letter next logical course of action: he asked if he
could put up some flyers in local hobby
from the draft board and attended the manda- shops. People that were interested in getting
tory meeting where he was given options for together to perhaps form a club began contact-
his future. He was informed that they were ing him.
would be coming for him that fall, so if Jerry The first meetings took place in a cafeteria.
had other options he wanted to explore, now They would all sit down to eat and when they
was the time to do it. were finished, the members would push the
After researching his options and taking tables together and lay some tracks down and
into account his administrative background, run trains. Now the St. Louis Lionel Railroad
Jerry chose to enlist in the U.S. Army Re- Club boasts multiple permanent and mobile
serve. While serving part time in the U.S. layouts and caters to those interested in Lio-
Army Reserve, he was also employed at other nel, Hi-Rail and Standard Gauges.
companies such as Sears and Texaco. For 17 After three years in St. Louis, new orders
years, Jerry did a variety of jobs at Texaco came in that he was being reassigned to San
including in-plant safety and bookkeeping. Francisco. This time his family would be
When the company closed their Milwaukee joining him on the sunny west coast. Again
terminal, Jerry, a Master Sargent, took a full Jerry searched for a Lionel club and again he
time position with the U.S. Army Reserve. would be disappointed to discover there was
His duties included administration and re- none. But some things in life are just too im-
cruiting. portant to give up on. So, just like in St. Lou-
Through all of the curves that life took is, he would put out flyers and gather contact
him around, Jerry took them all in stride. The information for those who were interested in
Lionel club that he and his friends founded starting a club in the San Francisco area.
those many years previously continued to Just as it had in St. Louis, there was a huge
grow and flourish. Again, another letter from interest by the locals in starting a train club.
the government came. This time it was to This time, instead of a cafeteria, they would
inform him that because he was receiving the meet in a bank meeting room and the Golden
same benefits as active duty regular Army, he Gate Lionel Railroad Club was formed. By
Issue # 27 2021 47
