Lake Shore Model Railroad Association

The Lake Shore Model Railroad Association was started by half a dozen newly discharged GI's meeting in the rear of a hobby shop on 79th st. in Chicago. By the end of the summer of 1946 we found a 20X20 foot room in the wood shop of the Calumet Park Field House. After writing a constitution, within two years we were incorporated as a Non-Profit Organization under Illinois Law.

Our first layout was donated, it measured 4x8 feet. This layout used a common rail power system. It was subsequently incorporated into a larger layout when the room was enlarged to 20x40 feet.

April 1955, a 50% completed layout had to be torn down due to the wood shop requiring more space. At that time, the park district requested us to relocate to a 18x88 foot room in another part of the building. At that time, we began construction of our third layout. A portion of the original layout also became part of the third layout.