The Lawrence Model Railroad Clubs (LMRC) home is one of the most unique model railroad club houses around. The Santa Fe Depot was built in 1906 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Santa Fe Trail Historical Society maintains the depot and when the depot became vacant for quite awhile, it felt like a ghost town.
It was in 2024 that the LMRC was looking for a new home for the club and the stars were in alignment with the club and the depot. With some quick thinking by a few club members and connections with the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society, the depot became the new club house.
What makes the new home even a sweeter deal is that the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society has allowed the LMRC to keep the historical artifacts on display!
When people enter the LMRC club house, they are stepping back in time as they are greeted by the original ticket counter that existed in 1906.
After admiring the intricate windows and woodwork at the ticket booth, members and visitors can turn left to be greeted by the clubs large HO model train layout or turn right and head into the front waiting area where the clubs N-scale layout resides along with many more Santa Fe depot artifacts on display.
To learn more and explore this historic landmark, stop by when the LMRC has an open house or when the club house is open for city events like the Maple Leaf Festival.
The other way to learn more is visit the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society and not only explore the history of the depot but also the complete history of the Santa Fe Trail in this region.
Visit – https://santafetraildouglas.org/
