‘Ironheads’ celebrate the romance of rail through model trains

ATHENS, Ohio — The son and grandson of railroad workers, Keith Morrow has been into trains since his childhood.

“When I was a kid, we had cabooses on our trains and you’d stop at a crossing and we always waited to wave to the guys that were in the caboose,” Morrow said.

Because advances in technology have allowed railroads to significantly reduce the size of their workforce, today’s kids don’t have the personal connection with trains that Morrow did. Instead, rail enthusiasts like Morrow indulge their love of trains on a smaller scale.

Morrow is treasurer of the Railroad Model and Historical Society of Southeastern Ohio — more commonly known as the Ironheads. The Ironheads’ mission is to not only to preserve railroad history, but to get people interested in trains. 

“We want to foster awareness of railroads and what the railroads do in the country and it happens by getting people interested in rail,” Morrow said. “The easiest way for us to do that is through model railroading.” 

Area residents are most likely familiar with the Ironheads from their Holiday Railfairs, held at the Market on State annually since 2007. The tradition dates to 1981, when the Ohio University Railroad Club held its first Holiday Railfair at Irvine Hall on Ohio University’s West Green. The group later broke away from OU, when community members began to outnumber students. 

The Ironheads’ Holiday Railfairs were held at a variety of venues — including the Dairy Barn and the Athens Community Center — before settling down at the Market on State.

The main attraction of the railfair is the Ironheads’ HO scale (1:87) layout, which has been a mainstay of the club for over two decades. 

“It’s our miniature world,” said Ironheads President David Bidlack. “It’s been re-tracked and rewired a couple of times during its history, because traveling is tough on a model railroad.” 

For this reason, the club began work in 2017 on a smaller, N scale (1:160) layout that could be disassembled and taken to shows.

Railfairs emphasize operating trains and keeping visitors engaged, which means keeping trains moving and interacting with spectators. It also means focusing less on real-life railroad operating practices. Or on reality in general, with whimsical touches to the layouts such as a flying saucer or a hidden Cookie Monster figurine for the kids to find. 

Morrow recalls when more realism-minded members of the club stopped a Railfair train to do a crew change. 

“I know these kids; these kids don’t care about your crew change,” said Morrow. “They want to see the train on the track and they want to see it run.”

One of the most popular displays at Railfair is an interactive exhibit featuring a railroad yard that hosts several minecarts filled with poker chips. 

“We had nothing that was really hands-on for the kids who come visit, so I went ahead and put together a switching layout,” explains John Tysko, who guides young visitors through the puzzle. 

Children pick out three chips of varying colors, then use the controller to move the various minecarts into position and assemble a train that matches the combination of colors they picked out. Other popular displays are the club’s O scale (1:48) Christmas village and a Lego train display with dioramas that incorporate science-fiction and fantasy elements.

While the Ironheads have signs telling visitors not to touch the layouts, it does happen. 

“I always chuckle when a kid gets a little too excited and reaches and points and bumps something over,” said Bo DeCoy. 

Unlike some of his colleagues, DeCoy doesn’t sweat it when young visitors get a little too up close and personal with his models. 

“All this stuff is repairable,” he said. “I’m just glad they’re enjoying it and having a good time.”

A personal connection

Like Morrow, DeCoy has a family connection to railroads. His grandfather was an engineer on the Baltimore & Ohio out of Benwood, West Virginia. His grandparents’ home was decorated with train memorabilia; DeCoy and his siblings referred to them as “Pappy Choo-Choo” and “Grandma Choo-Choo.” 

DeCoy’s first model trains were simple toys his grandfather made from plastic bottles and milk jugs. Later, DeCoy received a G scale Thomas the Tank Engine for his fifth birthday, along with hand-me-down model trains from his older cousins. He was in high school when the movie Unstoppable was filmed in DeCoy’s hometown of Bellaire, Ohio, and he would watch the trains go back and forth between classes. 

By the time DeCoy enrolled in college, though, his interest in model trains began to wane. 

“Like most boys who enjoy model railroads, there comes a point in life where they’re placed on the backburner,” DeCoy said. 

However, this changed during DeCoy’s sophomore year at Ohio University, after his then-girlfriend saw the Ironheads’ Holiday Railfair while going Christmas shopping at the Market on State. DeCoy went to check things out and soon became involved with the organization.

“Before getting involved, I was the only person interested in trains I knew about,” said DeCoy. “So, when I (realized) ‘Wow, there’s people that I enjoy model trains that I enjoy being around,’ it rekindled my fascination and enjoyment of model railroading.”

For DeCoy, model railroading provides him with a creative outlet and the ability to express himself and share his passion with others. 

“Model railroading is nice because I can work on something and I can share with people and they can get enjoyment from it,” DeCoy said. 

Among those DeCoy shares his hobby with are his two sons, 5-year-old Jacob and 5-year-old Zachary. 

“Ever since a young age, Jacob’s been a very calm and collected little kid, so he’s been my little train buddy,” explains DeCoy. 

Jacob started out playing with wooden trains, but by the age of 3 he was already operating trains alongside his father at Railfair. 

“People really got a kick out of it when they saw this little three-year-old running trains with a smartphone,” he said. “Everybody just thought that was the coolest thing.”

Searching for a permanent station

In addition to the Holiday Railfair, the Ironheads have done small-scale shows at venues such as the Nelsonville Public Library, where they taught children about Southeast Ohio’s railroad and mining history. 

“We try to get our image out there and share some of the other local groups that are doing things in the community,” DeCoy said. “One of my favorite things to do at shows is to pick out one of the little kids and let them run one of our trains.” 

For several years, shoppers at the Market on State could view the Ironheads’ layouts year-round at the club’s storefront space in the mall. Having a permanent location was beneficial to the Ironheads’ mission, Morrow said. 

“We would be working on trains and people would be walking on by and we’d open the doors and let them come in. We’ve picked up some members that way.” 

But no more. In March, the club was informed that the Market on State had found a tenant for the storefront the club occupied. As per the club’s agreement with the mall, the Ironheads vacated the space, dismantling their layouts and placing them in storage until they can find a new permanent home. 

The club remains on good terms with the Market on State and still plan on holding Holiday Railfair 2024 at the mall in December, Bidlack said.

“I thought it was a mutually beneficial relationship,” said Bert DuVernay, the Ironheads’ secretary. “The mall traffic generated interest in the club and Railfair drew more people into the mall, so that heavily trafficked area benefitted both organizations.”

The club continues to hold its monthly meetings at the Wells Public Library in Albany but has not yet found a new permanent location. DuVernay said the ideal space for the club would be located in downtown Athens, which would allow the club to draw interest from Ohio University students.

“There may be students who are looking for a hobby and they could participate,” said DuVernay. “One advantage of joining a model railroad club is that it lets you work on model railroads without necessarily making a big investment of your own funds and students are usually short on funds.”

The Ironheads’ desire to appeal to young people is part of a broader renaissance within the hobby. Interest in model trains grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 the National Model Railroad Association saw its first increase in membership since the early 1990s.

Many of the Ironheads are in their golden years, and the club’s website includes a page dedicated to members who have passed on. But there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel.

 “I made a statement during a recent meeting that we’re a dying breed,” Bidlack said. “Well, then after the meeting, here comes a 15-year-old with his mom and I said, ‘OK, I stand corrected.’”