MILWAUKEE — People interested in model trains and railroad sets have been flocking to the same secret location in Milwaukee for nearly 90 years.
The Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee has been meeting at 215 East National Avenue since 1936. There’s no signage on the concrete building tucked under railroad tracks now owned by Canadian Pacific.
Occasionally, when you’re inside, you can hear the rumble of a freight train passing overhead.
George Edward has been an active member of the club for 55 years.
“We look at this as like a living museum,” said Edward, as he watched a small model train chug along tracks. “This layout was completed in 1950, so it is very high tech for 1950, which means it’s not very high tech at all now.”
When you walk into the Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee, you’re transported back in time. The antique model train displays are intricate. The group takes great pride in the set-up. It’s only fitting the space used to be a commuter train stop in the early 1900s.
“This (The Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee) used to be a passenger station for the Milwaukee Road Railroad, and it was built during the first World War,” said Edward. “At the time, it was a place where people would stop off and work down here because there was a lot of industry down here. You can still see the window for the ticket office. The main room was a waiting room for passengers. Then people would walk up the stairs, turn left and be by the tracks,” he said.
Grace Fuhr, the director of special events for Historic Milwaukee, Inc., said she loves sharing the Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee with her young daughter. Fuhr also helps open the space to visitors during Milwaukee’s annual “Doors Open” weekend at the end of September.
“This is an example of a hidden gem that is part of Doors Open,” Fuhr said. “Going beyond some of the more known institutions and giving people the opportunity to see history in action,” she said.
Edward said he encourages people to come check out the model railroads on display. The club is always looking to attract more members to carry the unique tradition forward.
“We would like more people, quite frankly, who are of a historic mind,” Edward said. “They don’t really have to be model railroaders. They just need to be interested in preserving history.”
The Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee meets every Monday and has an open house the last Sunday of each month, starting at 1 p.m.