Farmers Weekly Review

By Stephanie Irvine

Tucked away inside an ordinary light-industrial condo in New Lenox is a model train enthusiast’s dream; for non-enthusiasts, it is a trip to another world where imagination, model trains and camaraderie are evident.

Stepping through the door of the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club offers a portal to a fascinatingly magical miniature world, where model trains emit puffs of steam, lights flash, and horns honk as the engines chug through the room.

Herb Koch, president of the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club, said it has had over 100 members since its inception in 1994, including some out-of-state. The Club purchased the building in 2004, which is now home to the largest 3-rail O Gauge layout in the Midwest.

The Club arose from the enthusiasm of its founding members, who loved Lionel trains as kids as it was a popular toy in the 1950s and 1960s.

Since then, the trains have become more sophisticated and operate digitally. For the adult members, it’s not just playing with toys; it’s a serious hobby.

“As an example, with inflation, some trains were a week’s salary. Now, we have trains that go from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. There’s a significant investment to playing with trains,” Koch said.

Derailments Happen

Every inch of the building’s interior has been transformed into something train-themed. From members’ lockers decked out with boxcar facades to railroad-themed signs, like the one that says “Departures,” located above the exit door.

“We have a derailment!” member Tom Zeglicz exclaimed, running over to the crash scene. A switch hadn’t been flipped, and trains collided. Zeglicz helps out with maintenance at the club and, in this case, a derailment.

“I run some trains from time to time, but I’d rather do this,” Zeglicz said, describing his duty akin to being a spotter, as he climbed up on a chair to retrieve a train car that had fallen off the tracks.

“Or when you crash a train, he helps climb up and get it out,” Richard Hentschel interjected with a joke.

“When I retired, my brother gave me a membership. As a family, we’ve always done trains but never had a layout,” Hentschel said.

Digitally operated trains travel around the tracks, with tunnels and a functioning trestle bridge. However, there is room for operator error, as switches must be switched and sections turned on, or crashes and derailments can happen.

“With it being digital, it allows for special sounds, what they call crew talk, ‘tower comm,’ whistles, bells, and we can select five different whistles or bells with each engine,” Koch explained of the digital trains’ elaborate capabilities.

Details, Details

The intricate rails, assiduously designed, wind almost entirely around the main level, with highly detailed vignettes. The detailed floor-to-ceiling mural adds to the elaborate set.

When asked how they came up with the scenic layout, Koch said a lot of it was “spontaneous inspiration” that was well-thought-out.

Those with a keen eye could spot scenes from Chicago with its iconic skyline, and the journalists’ favorite hangout, the Billy Goat Tavern.

But it’s not just downtown — the south suburbs have plenty of representation, like the Citgo refinery, the Launching Pad in Wilmington, Meigs Field (before Richie Daley had his way); historic locales like Cadillac Ranch, and imaginary places like the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club brewery.

No detail is too small. Even the miniature people are extraordinarily realistic, like the bikers with beer bellies at a miniature bar. Some of the box cars feature graffiti. They even have a miniature logging operation tucked inside a forest on the set.

A Goodyear Blimp is suspended from the air in one spot. In the forest scene, a medical helicopter hovers above.

Rockin’ Around the Tree

“It’s like when we were kids — most of us had sets that ran around the Christmas tree when we were 4 or 5. I call it a chronic, incurable illness,” Clayton Pape joked of his love for the hobby.

Pape has been a member for the last couple of years and said his favorite part is the expansive space to operate their trains. He operates a Pennsylvania train that is replicated to date back to the 1930s and ‘40s.

“Our train layout is scenic to a very high, museum-grade level,” Koch said.

Upstairs, visitors can get a bird’s eye view, and they’ll even find a couple more setups. They’re always adding something new, too, said Ed Zeglicz, Tom’s brother, who is Director of Membership, Chairman and Yard Master.

Recently, they determined how to project a night sky and the Aurora Borealis on the ceiling for a spectacular sight in the room. A daytime sky is already is painted on the ceiling.

“Thanks to my wife and daughter, I got back into the hobby in the early 2000s. It was too bare underneath the Christmas tree, and when they went to the casino, I joined the club!” Ed Zeglicz said.

Members watched their trains run and chatted with each other during the club hours. The club offers more than just a place to run model trains — members can work on them in the repair studio and purchase parts or other train replicas.

Like the others, Ed Zeglicz said his favorite aspect of the Club is “the camaraderie of the people.”

One of the Club’s newest members, Paul Szalajka, joined this past September.

“I love it — it’s terrific. I can have my trains here instead of in the basement,” Szalajka said, adding he’s learned a lot from Koch.

For non-members, the Club offers open houses on the third Saturday of the month between January and November; in December, it provides open houses on the first and second Saturday. Open houses are held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an admission fee of $6 per person or $15 per family.

The Club also gives Boy Scouts the opportunity to earn a Railroad Merit Badge annually; this year on June 7. They also provide a segment on “Operation Lifesaver,” where Scouts learn about rail safety.

Visitors are treated to popcorn, but the sights to be seen are surely the real treat.

Those wanting to learn more can visit www.clrctrains.com.

Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.

Richard Hentschel, Clayton Pape, and Tom Zeglicz chat around the track. (Photos by Stephanie Irvine)

No detail is spared in the elaborate scenes along the track.

Some adjustments are needed on the track that runs all over the room with twists and turns.