Baker County Model Railroad Club Seeks Permanent Indoor Space in Baker City

A miniature train jumped the track at the Baker City Farmers Market last August, was fixed in seconds, and kept running. That small moment captures something essential about the Baker County Model Railroad Club: an enthusiasm that keeps moving regardless of obstacles. Now the club's biggest obstacle is finding a building to call home.

The Baker County Model Railroad Club, formed in 2024 by Baker High School student Drew Benjamin and foundation member Chris Papenfuss, is actively seeking a permanent indoor location in Baker City where members can assemble modular layouts, store equipment, and host demonstrations for schools and community organizations. Benjamin, 15, leads the club and is asking anyone with available space, or who knows someone willing to donate part of a building, to contact him directly.

"We want to create a place where people of all ages, skill levels and hobbies can share ideas, display their work, trade parts and geek out about the world of model making," Benjamin said.

The club's scope runs well beyond model trains. Its membership structure includes mentors, foundation members, supporters, and visitors, with interests spanning radio-controlled vehicles, dioramas, and scale kits alongside traditional railroading. Benjamin has been clear that the club's identity is deliberately broad: "While trains may be one of our focuses, we are more than that, and welcome all model hobby enthusiasts."

The club's modular layouts are designed for exactly the kind of outreach a permanent space would anchor. Because the layouts can be disassembled and reassembled relatively quickly, the club plans to transport them to local schools and businesses to demonstrate the craft and attract new members. A dedicated building, Benjamin has said, could eventually serve as a diorama museum and demonstration space for the broader community.

The club held its first model hobbies convention, BC ModCon, on Sept. 13, 2025, drawing exhibitors and attendees with free general admission and a $10 vendor registration fee. The event featured trains, RC vehicles, model kits, and diorama displays, and coincided with a run from the Sumpter Valley Railroad. Club secretary Monique Papenfuss framed the convention as the organization's public statement of purpose: "This event is our way of giving back and helping people find a creative outlet they didn't know they needed."

The club has been building community presence through regular appearances at the Baker City Farmers Market in Central Park, where members set up a booth on many Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Monthly meetings are held at the Baker County Public Library, 2400 Resort St., typically on the first Saturday of the month from noon to 1:30 p.m. In December 2024, Chris Papenfuss set up a train display at the library as an early demonstration of the club's outreach intent. The pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, himself a railroad enthusiast, has also offered the church as a potential event space.

Anyone with space to offer can reach Benjamin at 541-403-0090 or drewbenjamin4449@yahoo.com. Club secretary Monique Papenfuss can be contacted at 208-724-8038. The club's email is bcmrrclub@gmail.com, its website is bcmrrclub.square.site, and its Facebook page runs under the name Baker County Model Railroad Club.