What AMRS is About
AMRS is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization operating and growing for several decades. Arizona Model Railroading Society is a mix of smaller scale model railroads (HO and N) along with the Arizona Garden Railway Society (G and O)....collectively the two are commonly known as AMRS, and depend on each other for their success. As a registered Arizona non-profit corporation, membership dues and donations are the sole operating funds for the park. Members are the key to the great experience. Members have the opportunity to participate on the levels comfortable to them....general train operations, superintendents, support staff, officers, or even on the Board of Directors. There is a place for most everyone at AMRS.
The foundation of AMRS is based on encouraging, educating, and promoting all aspects of the hobby of model railroading for everyone at all skill levels and experience. AMRS encourages the sharing and development of skills among its members in an always evolving mix of old and new technologies. Members and the public have the opportunity to explore model railroading, simulated railroad operations, and railroad history.
What type of people make up the members of this organization? They represent a wide ranges of ages from children through seniors, occupations from every spectrum and education level, and diverse cultural backgrounds. The members at this park see others as fellow train enthusiasts, each with something to offer and ultimately enjoying active camaraderie. You could be a member!
What will you see at the AMRS train park? Entering the driveway into our park, to your right you will see the AMRS building and just to the west of that you will find abundant and easy access parking. Proceed through the gate on the sidewalk path and you have your choice of heading to the beautifully landscaped G scale garden layouts to the left, O scale layout on the north side of the building, or into the building itself for the meticulously detailed HO and N scale layouts. The shade covered courtyard is used for special events and swap meets. Inside the building is also a meeting area, kitchenette, and restrooms. Absolutely everything here has been proudly built and maintained by the members.
What can you anticipate for train scales and layout divisions? AMRS focuses mainly on four scale divisions: N scale, HO scale, O scale, and G scale. Members can be active in more then one division. The N scale and HO layouts are located in a 3,000 square foot air conditioned building. O and G scale layouts are located outdoors and adjacent to the building. These train enthusiasts are not limited to stationary layouts though---smaller modular layouts are also utilized so that part of AMRS may be taken off-site to shows, fairs, schools, etc. Within each of the four divisions members build, maintain, and run trains. Superintendents for each division help keep members on track with rules and responsibilities specific to that scale.
The public is invited to visit AMRS during Public Open House Visiting Hours for free, published (non-private) special events, work sessions and general meetings. It's your opportunity to get a feel for AMRS and what it has to offer. Special events like the park's Starlight event in December brings thousands of people from the community to see festive holiday light displays while members run their trains most Friday and Saturday nights. The swap meets in March and October at the AMRS courtyard brings over a hundred vendor tables, and are a great place to get awesome buys for trains and related items for you to expand your endeavors at home....or as a member! Private tours and parties may be accomodated, just email us your inquiries.
AMRS History
AMRS was established in 1984 as a small model railroading club, and has evolved from a club into a community focused non-profit corporation with over a hundred member volunteers. AMRS is also a part of Sahuaro Central Railroad Heritage Preservation Society, Inc. with both entities located at the Adobe Mountain Desert Railroad Park. The history of AMRS is co-mingled with Sahuaro Central and the park, having evolved together. This section is devoted to the history buffs out there.
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Sahuaro Central Railroad Heritage Preservation Society, Incorporated is the the creator and promoter of the Adobe Mountain Desert Railroad Park and Museum---originally known as Railplex. Sahuaro Central leased an 80 acre parcel of land, which is now a portion of what has grown into the approximate 150 acres of railroad park where it is still located today. Maricopa County (Arizona) Parks and Recreation Department leased land to the organization(s) in 1989. The original lease was for 25 years, with an option of an additional 25 years. Renewals were negotiated with the county, and the train park hopes to continue in it's mutually beneficial relationship at this location in the community it has come to love.
In early 1992 the Arizona Model Railroading Society (AMRS)/Arizona Garden Railway Society (AGRS) was forced out of a location it had on a second story of a shop located at 26th Avenue and McDowell Road in southwest Phoenix. Prior to vacating the facility they petitioned Sahuaro Central for approval to locate in the Adobe Mountain Desert Railroad Park. AMRS and Sahuaro Central entered into an agreement in February 1992. But it couldn't be a direct move, as there wasn't a building on the county land that could house the model railroaders.
AMRS relocated temporarily to a vacant store in what was then known as Valley West Mall (Manistee Town Center), at 59th Avenue and Northern---which later became a Walmart Supercenter. During the stay at the mall, AMRS began planning for the move to the Adobe Mountain Desert Railroad Park. At the same time, The Maricopa Live Steamers (MLS), whose base of operations was in the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, also entered into an agreement with Sahuaro Central.
In 1992, during a period when the County was having financial problems, the Maricopa County Recreation Services vacated the Park Ranger station at Adobe Mountain Park. Sahuaro Central was contacted to see if they would be interested in adding the 2.9 acres to the existing agreement. It was ideal, as the property was adjacent to the section already under lease, and had an existing structure which was habitable, on the site. This gave Sahuaro Central a place for a base of operations at the Park. The former Ranger Station currently houses the Sahuaro Central headquarters, the museum, and other properties owned by Sahuaro Central. In January of 1996 Sahuaro Central invited AMRS and MLS to use the facilities until such time as the model railroad groups could undertake the erection of their own buildings.
With Sahuaro Central financing, AMRS erected a 20x30 foot metal building, which housed the Huntley HO train layout. This layout was part of the Sahuaro Central Museum collection. Sahuaro Central, with Maricopa County Recreation Services approval, remodeled the Ranger Station building to make it more community accessible for meetings as well as museum operations. AMRS also started an N scale layout inside the Ranger building, and a G scale layout outside the HO building.
MLS began their project at the Park in March 1996, and completed the loop of 7-1/2" gauge track around the museum building in November of that year. The steamers installed five steaming bays and transfer table at the Sahuaro Central Museum compound, now known as "Pottsville". In the years 1996 through 1999 nearly three miles of track were placed outside the Sahuaro Central area and going into the large tract of Railroad Park land to the west and south. Signal systems, grade crossings, station platforms, picnic areas, and towns were developed along the routes. When the four track terminal, dispatch building, and the first sea containers started to arrive, the MLS base of operations moved to "Adobe City". By spring of 2004 the live steamers had placed more than eight miles of track in the Park.
AMRS started building their 3000 square foot building for their N and HO scale layouts in 2002. Members volunteered and constructed the building over a period of almost two years and then came the layouts inside the building. AGRS started their garden layouts, and everything started taking fantastic shape to round out the Park.
Starting in 2004 Sahuaro Central starting holding swap meets at the Park in the spring and fall, in the AMRS canopy courtyard area. Bringing together model railroaders from around the country helped to cement the Adobe Mountain Railroad Park as a great place to be a member or visit. It was that year that AMRS also first sponsored the Arizonans for Children event that January and every January since then.
Just a few years later AMRS started an event called "Starlight" for the local community to come to the park to experience holiday fun focused around model railroading. All the divisions fell in love with the event, and it continues to draw ever growing crowds each year, into the thousands.
In 2009 AMRS layouts were featured on the cable series "Tracks Ahead". Many hours of taping went into the segment, which was later enjoyed by many people worldwide. The layouts have continued to increase in size over the years. And the building amenities have expanded as well, like expanded covered courtyard for the swap meets and other events.
AMRS has continued reaching out to the public in many ways such as going to Railfair, demonstrating at Maricopa County Fair as well as the Arizona State Fair, going to schools, taking modulars for community experience at restaurants, and hosting the boy scouts. AMRS has been the arm of the train park that actually goes out into the community to bring the community back to the park.
Thank you to Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department, Sahuaro Central, and the volunteers past and present, for helping AMRS in its endeavors to educate and promote the history of trains and model railroading to the public in such a friendly environment.