Belen Model Railroad Museum celebrates 30th anniversary with open house, Doodlebug tour

BELEN—Model railroading is more than just a hobby. It can become an adventure for someone with just enough imagination to create and become entrenched within the miniature world of trains.

The Southwest Model Railroad Museum in Belen is not only celebrating the hobby but sharing it with the community.

An open house will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 13, at the museum, 118 S. Second St., Belen. Along with honoring Maurine McMillan, the museum’s biggest fan and benefactor on her birthday, visitors will learn a little history as well.

Local author and historian John Taylor will talk speak about the history of the M.190 Doodlebug at 10 a.m., and about railroad history in New Mexico at 2 p.m. There will also be free door prizes hourly, a tour of the Doodlebug and refreshments.

Jim McKelvey, president of SMRM, first started model railroading when he was a child, but has been doing it seriously for nearly 25 years. He said the hobby centered on the creation of miniature railroads, featuring small-scale trains that run on miniature tracks, along with detailed landscapes and scenery. But it’s more than that, he said.

“My father-in-law, Jim McClure, worked for BNSF and told me about the Belen Model Railroad Club, and asked me if I would join,” McKelvey said. “I had built a 4x8 HO layout and at that point, I joined.”

Along with the museum’s permanent layout, the members participate in a roadshow with their modular display. It’s a way to get people from around the state interested and involved in model railroading, McKelvey said.

The organization has gone through several changes and has moved a few times. What began as the Belen Model Railroad Club in 1995 as a modular club and meetings held at members’ homes, they exhibited their trains in various locations in the county.

The club moved into the Belen Harvey House in 1999 and built a permanent layout. In 2006, the BMRC was certified as a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization.

In 2015, the club left the Harvey House and moved into a hangar at the Mid Valley Air Park in Los Lunas. Because of the location change, a name change was also in need. But in 2020, the Southwest Model Railroad Museum had to move again and the members decided it was time to return to the Hub City.

In October 2021, the portable building was purchased on Second Street, and by December 2022,, the museum was open to the public.

Model railroads operate on different scales, which are ratios of the model’s size to a real-life train or location. Modelers also often choose a specific historical era to model, influencing the design of their trains, buildings and scenery.

The Southwest Model Railroad Museum’s display features many Belen attractions, including an incredible model of the Harvey House. McKelvey said they are still working on what is going to be a historic display of Becker Street.

“We have the kids come up and run it (the display). We don’t run it,” McKelvey said. “It’s about public interaction, and we always have someone say, ‘I did this when I was a kid.’ It brings back a lot of memories, and kids still do like trains.”

SWMRM is always looking for new members and docents to help with museum displays. Members are also in the process of building a DC/DCC controlled N Scale model layout depicting parts of Abo Canyon. Volunteers are always needed.

Currently, SWMRM is fundraising for restoration of the AT&SF M.190 diesel-electric motor car, affectionally called “Doodlebug.” Donations are taken in person at the museum or via mail to Doodlebug Restoration, 118 S. Second St., Belen, NM, 87002.