HISTORY

WTTC was organized in 1985 in the garage of charter member, Gene Rasler. A more formal structure developed in 1986 with the election of club officers. The club's first major project was the design and building of a 12-foot by 16-foot display layout for the Children's Museum of Wichita, forerunner to Exploration Place.

The original Train-Mania suite opened to the public on February 19, 2000 at Pawnee Plaza Mall. A 1400-square-foot area, WTTC was able to display the aforementioned "Children's Museum" layout plus about two-thirds of the modular layout (described below) when not in use at local train shows or displays. The Club also held its monthly meetings there, and had room for a small repair bench. In June, 2002 the suite had to be vacated, due to the mall's impending demise, making way for a new Wal-Mart Super Center.

In September 2001, a much larger suite in the lower level of the Twin Lakes Mall at 21st and Amidon became available. Dubbed "Train Mania II", basic improvements to the physical plant slowly began to be made, and Club meetings were switched to the new location. For ten months both suites were simultaneously occupied, but after shortly following a farewell party in June, 2002, all layouts, fixtures and supplies were moved to Twin Lakes. Much more spacious, the new clubhouse was still undergoing remodeling, but opened to the public on Nov. 6, 2004. It eventually housed six operating layouts before the facility closed.

Other early WTTC projects aside from the "Children's Museum" layout included collaborating with a local HO club to hold the first of many Air Capital Train Shows in 1987. Prior to that first show, a modular layout standard was procured and Club members began constructing "modules"--small 3-foot by 4-foot tables with standardized tracks--so the cost of the layout could be distributed amongst the club membership. The layout was completed in time for its debut at the show.

In January 2003, WTTC became incorporated, and in July 2003 received its 501c3 status. We celebrated our Twentieth Anniversary in Sept. 2006 with visits from O-Gauge Railroading magazine editor Jim Barrett and the M.T.H. VP of Sales & Marketing, Rich Foster. WTTC and the Taggart Railroad appeared in separate feature articles in the December 2007 issue of OGR.