EGG HARBOR CITY – After four years in a different location, the Cape Atlantic Model Railroad Club has new digs in the western portion of Atlantic County just in time for the holiday season.
“We just moved here in October, so we are trying to get the word out about our new location,” club member Bill Rowe of Somers Point said. “We had a display at McNaughton’s Garden Center in Somers Point for several years, but they closed in June.”
Because McNaughton’s went out of business, the club contacted 42 other places, including the Hamilton Mall, about obtaining space for its display.
Club President John Barbieri of Egg Harbor Township, a retired police officer who served 30 years in Somers Point, said the club is now trying to rebuild its clientele.
“Moving from Point A to Point B means we have to rebuild our visitation base,” he said. “But once the word gets out and people know where we are, they will come.”
Barbieri said a prominent citizen of Egg Harbor City introduced him to the building’s owner, who provided the club with a one-year lease with four-year option.
“The community has been good to us and there’s nothing but positive feedback,” he said. “We are happy to occupy what was a once-vacant building right in the heart of the downtown area.”
Egg Harbor City is a historic community in the western part of Atlantic County, sandwiched between Galloway and Mullica townships, which are mostly rural areas. The town is in the process of revitalization and having the railroad club bring foot traffic to Philadelphia Avenue benefits other businesses. The avenue intersects the White Horse Pike (Route 30) and most of the action is on the first two blocks, including Gennaro’s Italian restaurant, Chen’s, a new Chinese restaurant that just opened, and two popular bars – the Firehouse Bar and Grill and Crossroads.
With support from the city’s grant-funded Neighborhood Preservation Program, the building will be undergoing a façade upgrade in the coming weeks, which will include upgrading the ADA access and new signage that replicates the 1900s-era train that once ran through Egg Harbor City.
"The interactive Cape Atlantic Model Railroad museum adds new life to Philadelphia Avenue," Mayor Lisa Jiampetti said. "Families, schools and train enthusiasts from arount the region will find Egg Harbor City is a great destination place."
There was a steady flow of visitors to the display Saturday morning.
The Cape Atlantic Model Railroad Club has opened in a new location at 244 Philadelphia Ave., in historic downtown Egg Harbor City.Karen and Jim DeGeorge of Absecon came into town to visit Angela’s Closet, a second-hand store across the street, and stopped in to check out the trains.
“I have a setup of my own at my home,” Jim DeGeorge said. “This is great for kids. I like the interactive buttons where they can activate the displays.”
The club has about 30 members who are scheduled for “run days” when they bring in their own trains, some of which cost between $200 and $3,000, to set up on one of 13 tracks. The platform measures 16- by 24-feet, and there’s a smaller platform for the Christmas display at the rear of the brightly lit space.
“There’s always something different to see,” Rowe said. “If you come multiple times, there will always be new trains on display. On Veterans Day, we had a military train and a battle display.”
Dennis Weiss of Galloway Township serves as the non-profit organization’s secretary and treasurer.
“I had trains as a kid and when I moved to Galloway Township 23 years ago, I started buying old Lionel trains that I had as a kid. Then I started collecting more modern, remote-controlled trains,” he said.
On Saturday, he brought in his steam engine, an all-black set that models the old Chesapeake-Ohio Line. It was the most expensive set on the platform, with the engine alone costing about $3,000. He recently purchased the passenger cars, which were being pulled around the track.
“I gave up my garage space for my trains,” Weiss said. “This keeps me out of trouble.”
He was a member of the Shoreline Model Railroad Club for several years before it disbanded. Then he joined the Cape Atlantic club, which has been in existence since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The club is non-profit and exists on donations and member dues, which are $125 a year. The club also has a display at the Cape May County Zoo which is operational between April and October.
“That location brings in a good amount of revenue, which keeps us operational,” he said.
The only requirement to become a member is to have a genuine interest in model trains. If a candidate has a skill that can benefit the club, it’s a bonus.
Member Scott Schenker of Mays Landing is a retired electrician.
“I got into trains when my boys were born and my dad bought them a Lionel train set. My interest grew from there,” he said. “It was during COVID and I was home twiddling my thumbs so I brought out the train set and then found the club on Facebook”
He helped to set up the display at McNaughton’s, he said.
“I mostly enjoy the building aspect of it, but it’s good to have an electrician in the group to keep an eye on the thousands of wires under the platform,” he said.
When asked what his favorite thing about model trains is, he responded, “The people’s reaction to them, and enjoying what we have done together as a group. We were creative enough to come up with the 48 different pushbuttons on the display that help keep children and adults engaged. Sometimes they stay here for more than an hour.”
Rowe said the pushbuttons help the children see everything on the platform and get a better perspective of the different trains and displays, which include a subway system on the lower part of the platform, tin plate trains, an amusement park and MTH Lionel Menards, buildings and accessories.
“It’s a very diverse setup and it has an assortment of displays and train sets from the 1920s to today,” Barbieri said.
A die-hard Penn State football fan, Barbieri brought in his Penn State train set, which includes an engine that cost $1,000. The white trains with dark blue markings were traveling across the platform.
As families entered the well-lit space, they were given a Scavenger Hunt flyer where they had to identify the different trains and displays and if they got them all, they were rewarded with a lollipop.
“That gives them an opportunity to see everything on the platform, and keeps it interesting for them,” he said.
Barbieri said the club is looking to establish relationships with the local community, other towns in the area, welcome visitors from near and far, and support the local school districts. He plans to offer children the opportunity to visit on field trips.
“As long as the community will have us, we will be here,” Barbieri said.
Visitations are free and 100% of any donations received go toward maintenance and purchasing what’s needed for the displays. The group also accepts donations of trains, and good homes will be found for any O-Guage trains they cannot incorporate into the displays.
Santa Claus will be visiting the station 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras or cell phones to take pictures of their children with Santa in front of the Christmas display.
Upcoming events include the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Bazaar the evening of Dec. 7 and the annual Holiday on the Avenue Christmas Parade, starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21.
Groups can call Barbieri at 609-517-9064 to arrange special showings for a fee.
If You Go
The Cape Atlantic Model Railroad station is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 12-4 p.m. on Sundays, and will be open during all downtown community events and festivals.
The Atlantic Cape Model Railroad Club is located at 244 Philadelphia Avenue in Egg Harbor City, just two blocks from the White Horse Pike, Route 30.
By Car: Take Exit 17 of the Atlantic City Expressway or take Route 30 to Philadelphia Avenue and travel north a few blocks.
By Rail: Take the NJTransit Atlantic City Rail Line to EHC station and walk three blocks north on Philadelphia Avenue.
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