Welcome to the North Central 'O' Gaugers Model Railroad Club

A Model Railroad Club for individuals who like to run O Gauge Trains and share their interest with like minded individuals.

The club has monthly train runs on the 3rd Saturday of every month. Members bring their trains and operate them for the public. This event has an average of over 60 visitors on each of these days.

The layout consists of three loops of track set up to run Lionel Trains with Cab 1, Legacy, and conventional operation, as well as MTH, K Line, and Williams by Bachmann engines. A member can come to the layout on the second Saturday of the month, or by contacting one of the members who has a pass key, to gain entry into the facility at other times. Operation of trains is encouraged once the member is familiar with the general operations of the power supplies. Only members are allowed inside the train area.

In addition to the monthly train runs the club does special runs. This is done on a operating modularized traveling layout with 3 tracks. The modules are housed in a trailer and the club seeks to set-up for a minimum of 4 local events in Lake, McHenry, and Cook Counties of Illinois, and has run trains in communities just into Wisconsin. Special runs are on a single day, Saturday. Member participation is encouraged for both the setup and to bring their trains for the run. A typical special run lasts approximately 6 hours. The layout is decorated in themes such as Halloween, Holidays, and Carnival/Circus. The club is reimbursed for these runs and this is an additional source of income. These one day runs usually average over 600 visitors.

The club also does an occasional Community Service run. These runs are provided on a non-charge basis. During the year a Saturday or two is designated as member only days called "Non-Picnic" Days. Members run trains from 9 AM to 4 PM on this day, and some members bring in lunch and soft drinks to share. On those days the public is not invited. We often include a swap meet for members to sell trains to other members.

The club also has a guest program, so that an individual who has an O Gauge train they would like to run on our tracks has the opportunity to do so at no cost. In addition, the club has a member who is very good at repairing trains and is willing to help them service their engines and get them running again.

The original club layout resided on the second floor of the Fremont Public Library. After 20 plus years, the library reclaimed the floor space and made renovations to the area for library patrons. The original layout was dismantled and relocated with many of the modules assembled at a new location. The new layout is operational, and this allows members to once again run trains. The club is now open to the public, to come and watch the trains.

Should you have an interest in joining, membership dues are $100.00 per year.

Thank you for your interest. The Board of the North Central O Gaugers Model Railroad Club Inc. welcomes your questions and comments, and invites you to visit our Website: http://www.ncogtrains.com/