The schools are located at 401 Fremont St. in Lena. There will be signs. The doors are open from 10 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 to 4 p.m. on Sunday in all three buildings. Free-will donations are accepted at the elementary school entrance. Melvin “Butch” Polhill serves as club president. He got involved with the Depot Stove Gang about 12 years ago.
“We’re a group of about 25 members. It’s open to the public, we meet six times a year. Our base is the train show. It is our big event,” Polhill said. “At our meetings, we try to promote programs that pertain to model railroading. We meet in the Lena community building on the third Saturday from September to February.” Polhill says the show enjoys the support of the community. The Lena-Winslow school music boosters provide the food stand, the Lena Lions Club are selling tickets for their Ranger, and the Boy Scouts set up and take down tables. The Lena Business Association and Stephenson County Museum will have displays. The Lena Community Park District provides insurance.
Roger Schamberger of Lena joined the club about seven or eight years ago. He serves as secretary.
“What I’ve done is got the posters printed and sold signature ads for the sponsors,” Schamberger said. “We put 650 posters in over 60 towns. We cover all of the towns within an hour drive of Lena. We want people to come to our community and have a good time.”
The vendors will have either complete model trains or train parts for sale. There will be railroad memorabilia, along with model railroad displays. There is a test track for those who bring a train in to figure out why it is not working. There are a number of exhibitors who offer opportunities for folks to operate a train.
“That’s why the kids are crying when they leave. They don’t want to go,” Schamberger said with a smile.
Polhill said that they have vendors and exhibitors coming from 11 different states. They had to turn some people away because they were full. The show features something for everybody.
25th Anniversary In 2013, the model train show and swap will mark its 25th anniversary. Polhill said they are taking orders at this year’s show for a special 25th anniversary limited addition HO-scale refrigerator car. It is co-sponsored by Sullivan’s Foods and features the Sullivan’s colors and logo, as well as the Depot Stove Gang 25th anniversary logo. The car cost is $20. Polhill and Schamberger are life-long Lena residents. They enjoy promoting and serving their hometown.
Schamberger said, “We do it for the enjoyment. It’s a lot of work, but it brings people to the community.”
The Depot Stove Gang Model Railroad Club of Lena held its first train show in 1988 in the town’s American Legion building. Twenty-four years later, the annual show fills the gyms of the Lena-Winslow Elementary, Junior High, and High schools. It has grown from about 12 tables to 275 tables. This year, the show features 35 model railroad displays, along with many vendors.
The schools are located at 401 Fremont St. in Lena. There will be signs. The doors are open from 10 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 to 4 p.m. on Sunday in all three buildings. Free-will donations are accepted at the elementary school entrance. Melvin “Butch” Polhill serves as club president. He got involved with the Depot Stove Gang about 12 years ago.
“We’re a group of about 25 members. It’s open to the public, we meet six times a year. Our base is the train show. It is our big event,” Polhill said. “At our meetings, we try to promote programs that pertain to model railroading. We meet in the Lena community building on the third Saturday from September to February.” Polhill says the show enjoys the support of the community. The Lena-Winslow school music boosters provide the food stand, the Lena Lions Club are selling tickets for their Ranger, and the Boy Scouts set up and take down tables. The Lena Business Association and Stephenson County Museum will have displays. The Lena Community Park District provides insurance.
Roger Schamberger of Lena joined the club about seven or eight years ago. He serves as secretary.
“What I’ve done is got the posters printed and sold signature ads for the sponsors,” Schamberger said. “We put 650 posters in over 60 towns. We cover all of the towns within an hour drive of Lena. We want people to come to our community and have a good time.”
The vendors will have either complete model trains or train parts for sale. There will be railroad memorabilia, along with model railroad displays. There is a test track for those who bring a train in to figure out why it is not working. There are a number of exhibitors who offer opportunities for folks to operate a train. “That’s why the kids are crying when they leave. They don’t want to go,” Schamberger said with a smile.
Polhill said that they have vendors and exhibitors coming from 11 different states. They had to turn some people away because they were full. The show features something for everybody.
25th Anniversary
In 2013, the model train show and swap will mark its 25th anniversary. Polhill said they are taking orders at this year’s show for a special 25th anniversary limited addition HO-scale refrigerator car. It is co-sponsored by Sullivan’s Foods and features the Sullivan’s colors and logo, as well as the Depot Stove Gang 25th anniversary logo. The car cost is $20.
Polhill and Schamberger are life-long Lena residents. They enjoy promoting and serving their hometown.
Schamberger said, “We do it for the enjoyment. It’s a lot of work, but it brings people to the community.”
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