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Boonville —
Model trains began marching down the tracks at an old military academy last week.
Mike Duncan started the Boonslick Model Railroad Club of Boonville and found a home in the old library of Kemper Military School and College. The group consists of 21 due-paying members.
Duncan said he sends out informational emails to an additional 57 individuals.
The group holds one business meeting on the first Thursday of the month. Members will meet in October to discuss plans for the HO model. HO refers to the proportion of the train which is 1/87th the size of a real train and measures 8.9 inches long and 2 inches high.
"It is a work in progress. We do not know yet if each module will be different or the set will be a free flowing set with scenery meant to fit to each other," Duncan said.
Duncan plans to expand the HO set, eventually filling more than half the room. The set stands 10 feet x10 feet with two 12 feet x 30 inch staging area modules. Seven trains reside on the staging area platforms. Trains sit on the tracks ready to be activated.
As for the construction of the scenery, members use lightweight Hydrocal, a lighter version of plaster, for the terrain portions of the display. It molds easily and is not as heavy as plaster of Paris, a mixture of water and calcium sulfate hemihydrate. The buildings of the model come from craftsman kits. These kits require board-by-board assembly.
"You need an advanced level of skill for those. You need to know what you are doing," Duncan said.
Other kits, however, have larger pieces and are easier to manage.
For vegetation and other aspects of the display, they use natural as well as fabricated material. Some of those are hand designed instead of fashioned from a kit.
Duncan is especially fond of digital locomotives. These versions possess sound activation features.
"The creators of these trains record the sound of a certain type of train engine and install the sound into the train," Duncan said.
The trains also include human voice recordings of train conductors.
"The train model hobby is not just for boys," Duncan said.
Female customers who come into Duncan's shop, River Eagle Hobby on Main Street, tell him they always wanted a train set, but could not have one because it was a boy's hobby. They often end up buying their first from him.
Duncan sees model train building as a good way for youth to spend time doing something constructive and positive.
"Everyone needs a hobby," Duncan said.
Model trains began marching down the tracks at an old military academy last week.
Mike Duncan started the Boonslick Model Railroad Club of Boonville and found a home in the old library of Kemper Military School and College. The group consists of 21 due-paying members.
Duncan said he sends out informational emails to an additional 57 individuals.
The group holds one business meeting on the first Thursday of the month. Members will meet in October to discuss plans for the HO model. HO refers to the proportion of the train which is 1/87th the size of a real train and measures 8.9 inches long and 2 inches high.
"It is a work in progress. We do not know yet if each module will be different or the set will be a free flowing set with scenery meant to fit to each other," Duncan said.
Duncan plans to expand the HO set, eventually filling more than half the room. The set stands 10 feet x10 feet with two 12 feet x 30 inch staging area modules. Seven trains reside on the staging area platforms. Trains sit on the tracks ready to be activated.
As for the construction of the scenery, members use lightweight Hydrocal, a lighter version of plaster, for the terrain portions of the display. It molds easily and is not as heavy as plaster of Paris, a mixture of water and calcium sulfate hemihydrate. The buildings of the model come from craftsman kits. These kits require board-by-board assembly.
"You need an advanced level of skill for those. You need to know what you are doing," Duncan said.
Other kits, however, have larger pieces and are easier to manage.
For vegetation and other aspects of the display, they use natural as well as fabricated material. Some of those are hand designed instead of fashioned from a kit.
Duncan is especially fond of digital locomotives. These versions possess sound activation features.
"The creators of these trains record the sound of a certain type of train engine and install the sound into the train," Duncan said.
The trains also include human voice recordings of train conductors.
"The train model hobby is not just for boys," Duncan said.
Female customers who come into Duncan's shop, River Eagle Hobby on Main Street, tell him they always wanted a train set, but could not have one because it was a boy's hobby. They often end up buying their first from him.
Duncan sees model train building as a good way for youth to spend time doing something constructive and positive.
"Everyone needs a hobby," Duncan said.
