Modelers Meet at the Mall
February 21-22, 2004
Page 1, 2, 3, layout
Chris Palomarez, far right, is the co-founder of "Freemo" railroad modeling. Participants from three California Freemo groups put together the 2nd largest freemo layout ever assembled in California for the 1st Annual Model Train Show held by the Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum (SMVRHM) in conjunction with the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Maria Town Center Mall.
This section of the layout models a North Bay container-handling yard. Individual Freemo modules are owned by individual modelers who come together for events like this. Three Freemo groups participated in today's show: Freemo San Luis Obispo, Freemo Los Angeles, and Northern California Freemo.
Train lovers watch as the passenger train (inside track) rounds the Shandin loop while the freight sits still.
The California Zephyr makes its way through the Hearst (closest section) and Bean countryside.
The SMVRHM and Central Coast Trains (background) made model train equipment and accessories available. This picture shows the Cottonwood Creek (foreground) and Piru approach to Shandin (far loop)
8.5 x 11 flyer [PDF, 374kb, pictured above].
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The SMVRHM is building a modular layout using the Freemo standards. This made it possible to tie in the Museum's downtown yard section of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad to the 66 modules assembled for the weekend's show. The depot is in the foreground, and the enginehouse is down the track a ways just beyond the water tower.
A freight train meanders through the Glen Frazer section of the layout as some of the 2000+ attendees of the 2-day show look on.
A family chats with Skip Purper (right), one of the SMVRHM modelers, with the depot building of the SMVRR downtown yard in the foreground.
Viewers watch trains pass through the Mojave yard.
These Western Pacific diesels pass by some heavy equipment in the Llano section.
See Chris Palomarez' article in "SLO Trains", February 2004 [PDF, 1.4mb].
See coverage of the event on the Free-Mo web site: Photos from the 2004 Santa Maria Free-Mo Modular Layout / RPM meet.
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