Celebrating our 36th Anniversary!
Hello and welcome to the Short Line Model Railroad Club, Located in Ephrata, PA. We have been in operation since 1989, and in our current location for over 25 years.
The Short Line Model Railroad Club is dedicated to advancing and sharing the art of model railroading with its members and the community. Through education, collaboration, friendship, and hands-on experiences, we strive to preserve railroad’s rich history, promote creativity in model railroading, and inspire current and future model railroading enthusiasts.
Our layout features the Pennsylvania-Reading Anthracite Lines (PRAL), a fictitious railroad set in central Pennsylvania in the late-1950s. Our layout is entirely HO scale, mostly standard gauge with a small amount of narrow gauge (HOn3) track on our logging line.
Trains are operated using Digital Command Control (DCC), which is similar to what you would find in radio-controlled cars or airplanes, I rather than using a traditional DC power pack per I train.
Our club has over 40 members, with a variety of interests (steam/diesel, freight/passenger, local/ out-of-state railroads), prior model railroading experience, and modeling skill levels. Club Members run their own trains, and/or a variety of trains owned by the club.
Club Members meet every Thursday night throughout the year, from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. The 2nd Thursday of each month is our business meeting, while the other Thursdays are devoted to members running trains and working on the layout.
In addition to our Thursday night meetings, we are open to the public during our holiday shows, every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00, beginning on Thanksgiving weekend until early January.
We are located at 11 South State Street, Ephrata, PA, 17522, behind the building in the basement.
Feel free to contact me, Webmaster, for further information.