The following is an updated version of an article on the CASG that was written by Don Heimburger. You can find the original article here.
Formation
The Chicagoland Association of S Gaugers (CASG), one of the largest S gauge clubs in the world, began in October 1969. The first members gathered at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) on Chicago’s south side to discuss S scale model trains. There, club members would meet in a room to talk and visit the model railroad layout sponsored by the IIT Model Railroaders.
At the second meeting, John Enhorning of Enhorning Industries of Ludington, Michigan offered members a preview of new S products they were going to make. Member Bob Pichler brought in several examples of products on the S market; Don Heimburger showed several models made by Wayne Riggle of Regal Kits, and Gene Glendinning brought a six-foot test track with code 100 rail, a station and some rolling stock.
At the third meeting of the club, a 17-minute color production film titled The Last Run of the Shay from St. Regis Paper Co. was shown by member Don Heimburger, who worked in the Public Relations Department of the Illinois Central Railroad.
Gathering Steam
At the March 1970 meeting, Ed Jung brought his Tomalco Sn3 brass 2-8-0 for inspection; the meeting was planned as strictly a social meeting. In the March newsletter, a call went out for nominations for the four club officer positions. Annual dues were set at $1, and a club directory was printed.
In April, club discussion was focused on finding a central location for members to meet and discussing a new GP-9 kit from Port Able Lines, new GP-40 body shells from Enhorning and being able to receive some Enhorning decal catalog sheets for members.
In October, the CASG celebrated its first anniversary with new S projects on display and an excellent slide show presentation of heavy coal-hauling freight trains from the Piedmont area. It had been one year before that the first notice of the club’s formation was sent to more than 150 S gaugers in the Chicagoland area. The club president was Gene Glendinning, Bob Pichler was vice president, Alan Zielinski was treasurer and Rick Bieler was secretary.
A Nimco car building session was planned for the November 1970 meeting. Six wood box cars were ordered at $2.50 each and work tables were provided, but members needed to bring along necessary tools to work on the kits.
Club notices of the meeting schedule ran for the first time in Railroad Model Craftsman and Model Railroader in 1971. Nominations for the recipient of the Bernie Thomas Memorial Award were being accepted, with only members of the NASG being able to vote, according to the club’s newsletter entitled The Switchlist, edited by Gene Glendinning.
The July 1971 meeting of the club was hosted by Hans Krause of Niles, Illinois, which began a long-term relationship with the Krause’s. Hans loved to have the CASG come to his house and layout. Hans’ layout featured long stretches of track and Hans allowed members to bring their equipment to run on the hi-rail pike. Carolyn Krause always had plenty of refreshments for the members.
In December, CASG members were given their first-ever membership cards. Member Jim Annetti supervised the printing. In May 1972, the club was invited to view Dave Garrigues’ extensive American Flyer collection. Dave collected variations of engines and rolling stock. Dave had a track board that allowed trains for N, TT, OO 2- and 3-rail, S, O and Standard gauge to run on it.
New officers for 1972 were Jim Annetti, president; Joe McGarrigle, vice president; Joe Mazanek, secretary; Alan Zielinksi, treasurer; and Joe Stamm was elected photographer and activity chairman.
The second CASG picnic was held Sunday, August 27, 1972 at Lake Geneva. The ship Polaris was rented, and the group took a boat ride along the shore of Lake Geneva. Afterwards, the club traveled to Union, Illinois and rode the streetcars and passenger cars of the Illinois Railway Museum. The actual picnic was held later in the day at the Lake County picnic grounds on Illinois Route 173.
In February 1973, Joe Jiranek took over the CASG Switchlist newsletter. “I guess you fellows are really in for it,” he wrote in the first issue. “I have been requested by the powers that be to attempt to prepare and send out the newsletter of the CASG.” Joe always did an excellent job, expanding the newsletter to as many as 16 pages each issue. Joe included drawings, membership rosters, many tidbits from other rail publications, and club minutes.
By June 1973, the club was meeting almost exclusively at the home of Hans Krause. A cake was prepared with candles by Carolyn Krause just for the occasion. At the June meeting, member Leonard Normand brought in several S scale diesel locomotives he had built in Illinois Central colors. Marty Cohen and Joe Toliquin brought in many AF items to sell. Joe Jiranek brought in a Marx Army train set which he was going to convert to S scale. Ben Wilbur was nominated and elected as chairman of the NASG National Convention to be held in Chicago in 1975. Don Heimburger was elected vice-chairman, and various meetings were initiated to organize for the event.
In 1973 the CASG had 55 paid members. A new meeting location was announced for the May 1974 meeting– the Lincoln Federal Savings & Loan Association Building on West Cermak Road in Berwyn. The change was necessary as there was more room for members and more members were showing up at Hans’ house. By May 1974, the club had more than 75 paid members.
The 1975 NASG Convention, sponsored by the CASG, was held over the Fourth of July weekend at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village. Registration was $17.50—with banquet included. A daily admission charge of $5 was levied. The club had a 75-room minimum for the Holiday Inn. All the clinics, banquet speaker, layout tours (Parade of Pikes), railette program and overall program were considered excellent. Beforehand, the club had designed and built an 8 x 16-foot modular layout that was easily assembled and disassembled. The CASG also designed and sold a club patch for $2.
Joe Jiranek, newsletter editor, said, “To those of our members who were not able to be in attendance [at the NASG Convention], may I express our deepest sympathy.” The club had not only sponsored a national S convention, it was reported a profit of $1,000 was made.
The next year, the Fall S Fest was born. Peter Jugle, along with his brother Andy Jugle, were the major force behind developing the event. The brothers also started the tradition of a commemorative car for each S Fest. You can see the full history of the Fall S Fest cars here.
The March, 1977 meeting saw 50 members and visitors in attendance and nine railettes. The second Fall S Fest was held the weekend of November 18, 1977, and many members were in attendance. The show was held at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village.
Steady Pace
With the January 1994 meeting, the club started meeting at Walther Lutheran High School in Melrose Park. The club was host of the 1994 Fall S Fest at the Holiday Plaza in Matteson, Illinois with an excess of 9,800 square feet of space available plus another 3,000 square feet of lobby display area. The March 1994 meeting was proceeded by a slide presentation by Bruce Moffat covering the Chicago and suburban public transportation systems over the years.
In 2002, the Tinley Park, Illinois Convention Center was the site of the Fall S Fest, with nearly 23,000 square feet of convention space. There were 24 manufacturer booths, 265 dealer tables, operating displays, a large modular layout, a banquet, prizes, clinics, movies, an auction, a hospitality room, train races, a model contest, and tours of home layouts.
Today’s CASG
Back in the early days of S, few modelers were in S scale, and the fellowship of S modelers was crucial to keeping the hobby alive and helping with the continued promotion of S scale. The same is true today. The CASG was only one of a handful of active S scale clubs in operation in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when S scale was beginning to advance. It was and is in the forefront of S scale club activity.
The club has a formal meeting once a month, with some meetings at members’ houses and other meetings at church in Hinsdale. The business meeting is often bookended by informal discussions, “show & tell” and a trip to the local pizza parlor. Beyond the formal meetings, there is also an operating session on the club’s modular layout one Saturday each month.
During the warmer months, there are several club activities & expeditions – trips to museums, railfanning locations, and more. Watch for information on our next meetings, operating sessions, and events over on our News page!