Pocomoke Area Model Train Club holds Open House for community October 11th

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. — The Pocomoke Area Model Train Club is hoping to expand its membership with an open house on October 11. WMDT visited the club headquarters to speak with hobbyists and learn how they create their detailed model train displays.

Paul Becker, a senior member of PAMTC, said the club has been active for several years. “We’ve been around for a few years now, and in this building for maybe four or five. COVID slowed things down,” he explained.

The club hopes to attract locals interested in joining. One member, Paul Nimmerichter, focuses on the display frameworks and wiring. He highlighted the versatility of model train layouts.

“The nice thing about it is you can always add to it. The layouts are never done. You can run it for a while, get bored with it, change it up, and start over again,” Nimmerichter said.

At the Pocomoke Train Club, visitors can see several completed displays, including a Christmas layout, a Civil War layout, and a model of Pocomoke City. Betty Burgert, another member, focuses on the intricacies of the layouts, specifically the Pocomoke City model.

“We’ve got the river, the schoolhouse, the train station, a park with picnic tables and people, and a bridge representing our bridge,” Burgert said.

Building around the tracks, she explained, takes creativity. Members use materials such as aluminum foil, paint, and even crumbled paper to bring the layouts to life.

Nimmerichter is hopeful that the open house will attract a younger crowd eager to invest in the hobby. “We want to get them more involved, maybe inspire them to put up a track for Christmas, and it’ll go from there. That’s how most of us started.”

The club invites anyone interested to visit next Saturday. As Becker put it: “Come down here to Pocomoke, visit the train station, and have a good time.”