ALL ABOARD; DEPOT HOME TO MODEL-RAILROAD HOBBYISTS.Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer As Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run and Metrolink trains whizz by outside, traveling between Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , little trains make journeys across a miniature American landscape inside the historic Santa Susana Santa Susana can refer to several places:
``Mr. Ely, you're clear for Salinas Salinas, city, United States Salinas (səlē`nəs), city (1990 pop. 108,777), seat of Monterey co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. It is the shipping and processing center of a fertile valley famous for its grain and lettuce. ,'' says dispatcher Software that determines what pending tasks should be done next and assigns the available resources to accomplish it. It may execute other programs or generate a list for human operators to follow. See scheduler. Paul Frantz from his raised booth overlooking 1,500 feet of track, sidings, depots and cities lovingly re-created by the Santa Susana Model Rail Club inside the building that was constructed in 1903. Following Frantz's direction, Peter Ely, 36, uses a special electronic remote control to move his train, controlled by a microchip, onward to Salinas, careful to avoid crashing into trains simultaneously operated by four or five other members at various points in the network that snakes around the room. ``I like to dispatch,'' said Burbank resident Frantz, ``I like the game playing. It's a bit like being an air traffic controller.'' And with some of the intricately detailed engines and cars costing as much as $7,000, members take the business of moving the trains very seriously. The trains, some created from scratch and some built from kits with materials ranging from brass to polystyrene, include diesel and steam locomotives that whistle and hiss and hoot, refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. cars, cabooses, tankers and flat cars. And the breathtaking detail includes lumber, rail-ties and cattle in pens awaiting transport through tunnels penetrating realistic-looking mountains hewn hewn v. A past participle of hew. Adj. 1. hewn - cut or shaped with hard blows of a heavy cutting instrument like an ax or chisel; "a house built of hewn logs"; "rough-hewn stone"; "a path hewn through the underbrush" from plaster of Paris and across metal bridges spanning canyons. The model train section, known as the freight room, occupies most of the two-story building that is 25 feet wide by 134 feet long. The club has about three dozen members, ranging from youngsters to seniors. It has been operating at the old Southern Pacific depot The names Southern Pacific Depot and Southern Pacific Railroad Station apply to a number of historic train stations operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Arizona: And through a special foundation, club members have so far put in thousands of hours of voluntary work restoring the old building to its original condition, said Walt Griffen, president of the club. ``What we are trying to do is put it back, historically, the way it was,'' said Griffen, a retired elementary schoolteacher from Oak Park. ``It's really a labor of love for all of us.'' That work has included tearing out all the dry rot that infested in·fest tr.v. in·fest·ed, in·fest·ing, in·fests 1. To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious: the wood and refurbishing the ticket office and the freight room where the 1/187-scale train replicas run. The Amtrak and Metrolink trains don't stop at the station, which is on a bend just west of the Santa Susana Pass Santa Susana Pass is a mountain pass connecting Simi Valley to the San Fernando Valley. The road used to be an Indian trail, and later a wagon road (a famous part was called Devil's Slide) before the road was paved. in the Santa Susana Park and Rail Depot owned by the Rancho Simi Park and Recreation district. The district bought the building from Southern Pacific Railroad "Southern Pacific" redirects here. For the country-rock band, see Southern Pacific (band) The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks SP) was an American railroad. for $1.06 in 1976 and relocated it in three sections to its present location due to the area's rustic location, which is reminiscent of the way Simi Valley was then, said Griffen. In 1990, the foundation paid $6,000 to the district for a contract that allows the club to use the building in return for helping with restoration and upkeep of the building. Outside, standing on the platform near where the real trains speed by, Simi Valley resident Bill Rehart, 79, explained what seems to be a lifelong love of trains shared by the members. ``The love of trains is what unites us here,'' said Rehart, secretary of the foundation. ``People are fascinated by trains. Kids come out here and wave when they see trains going by. The fascination with trains is they're always going somewhere, and people want to do that too.'' The depot is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1 -- Color -- Ran in Simi and Conejo only) Hobbyist Bill Rehart of Simi Valley puts his model train on the tracks at the model rail club in the Santa Susana Depot. (2 -- Color -- Ran in Simi and Conejo only) A scale model shows the Santa Susana Depot as it will look when it is completely restored. (3 -- Ran in Valley Edition only) Walt Griffin, president of the Santa Susana Model Rail Club, stands by a model of the Santa Susana Depot. Lilly Barrett/Special to the Daily News |
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