GATSME 2 Circa 1965

[@nbctop]

Visited Wiley's basement many times to see the GATSME Lines, thanks for posting

[@geogerber6102]

Hi, I placed some pics with names in the Facebook page. A fun trip down memory lane. Thanks for sharing!

[@vpistilli]

GATSME II was a U shape that was built along the two walls. We were halfway through construction and different tenants upstairs came and went. There were a couple pizza shops after Wiley’s, then a camping outfitters run by member Chuck Mogk. The kids cleaning the pizza shop floors would throw buckets of soapy water on the floor and it would seep down the air vents and cracks in the floor. There was a soda machine that used syrup to mix with carbonated water. It seeped out of the tray on the floor and landed on our RR. We called the place Syrup Junction.

[@vpistilli]

I recognized most of the people here. The opening scene from right to left was Ken Kitson, Chuck Mogh, John Dorsam, the founder of the club Jim Greener, lastly Pete Shavney. There was a scene where Ken Kitson was front of the camera and a member to the left was looking around, that was Ron Wiggins. He brought me into the club.

[@carbidejones5076]

Really fun to see, thanks.

[@thomasharroun8068]

Toggle switches instead of DCC. The toggle switches work well.

[@vpistilli]

Jim Greener started the club with a RR he and the early members built in his attic. The club was getting larger and they decided to get a bigger home. That’s when they moved to Oreland. While there, they named the club Greater Abington Township Society of Model Engineers. GATSME for short. The RR in the movie is GATSME I. When I joined, it was splinters on the floor. Never saw it. Six months later we had a plan and started to build GATSME II.

[@vpistilli]

Bill Donnelly was on left side of screen operating the engine terminal. He scratch built many structures. Many were used on GATSME III RR.

[@LackawannaChannel]

For our history files, we would appreciate anyone that can recognize some of the members. Put a comment below or on our Facebook page. Thank you!

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Back in the days when there was a lot more scratch building for a model railroad layout (today you can pretty much get everything "off the shelf" on-line or from a hobby shop where they still exist). Hey, was that a "rule G" violation at 1:46? Thanks for sharing this mid 1960s film!

[@vpistilli]

I was President when the problems upstairs and with the landlord became untenable, we decided to move. I appointed a committee to find a place. After months of searching, we found the Fort Washington location. The rest is history!

[@vpistilli]

Earl Brickley was sitting on a low bench. Mechanical genius.

[@magnuswettermark8293]

Great old DC. Love the old stuff. The hobby has lost some of its charm and innocent. To much "overloaded" technical and expensive today.

[@tobygoodguy4032]

Clean cis-gendered male bonding. 🤠