Hear that train a-coming

The San Joaquin Valley Toy Train Operators Club is taking the lead on promoting interest in trains and educating the public about train safety.

Last weekend members of the club met at the Amtrak stations in Merced, Modesto and Stockton to celebrate Amtrak Train Days. Scale-model train layouts were operated throughout the day for the entertainment of passengers and the public at the station.

The club, established in 1975, is a small organization of model train operators and collectors that are dedicated to collecting toy trains of all makes and eras. Members exchange ideas on new technology, as well as advice on how to maintain and restore older trains.

Ed Cathcart, club president, said the club sets up layouts at different events and locations, including fairs and retirement centers. Next month the club will be visiting retirement centers in Turlock. Cathcart said he hopes to schedule presentations at retirement centers in Merced soon.

Cathcart said the club is also working on scheduling trips to local schools to promote train safety. “You frequently hear about people crossing and ignoring train signals, and sometimes you hear that someone got hit by a train,” Cathcart said.

The organizations is also currently looking for more club members. Cathcart said it is sometimes hard to recruit members because the prices of toy trains have gone up significantly over the years.

Anyone interested in learning more about the San Joaquin Valley Toy Train Operators can email Cathcart at edrailroadman@aol.com.

This story was originally published May 10, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Hear that train a-coming."