The Gateway Model Railroad Club was established in 1958 by a group of boys in the Basement of the First Methodist Church in Westville, New Jersey. Ed Evans one of the Sunday school teachers made arrangements with the pastor to use the basement on Friday nights. Names like, South Jersey Railroad and Westville Railroad were consider but Gateway was the final choice. The name originated from the to
wn of Westville's history. It was known as the Gateway to South Jersey due to Delsea Drive which begins in Westville by the Delaware river and travels all the way to the Seashore. (Delsea - Delaware to the Sea). The first railroad was nothing more the a 4x8 sheet of plywood on two saw horses. After every session the railroad would need to be dismantle and stored in the closet to make room for other uses in the basement. This became very frustrating and a decision was made to find a suitable place to build the railroad where it could be left up all the time. In 1959 a place was found in Smiths Hardware Store located in Gloucester City, NJ It was a steep five steps down a cellar entrance onto a mostly dirt floor surrounded by a foundation with mostly crumbling mortar. It was far from a perfect situation, but it was better than we had before. In 1962 the club decided to pursue a more suitable environment for the railroad. Keenan's TV and appliance store on the corner of Broadway and Mommoth Street in Gloucester had a third floor storage area that wasn't being used. There was a lot of cleaning and repairs that were needed to the room. It took some time and soon the railroad was running again. The members enjoyed their stay till 1975. The owners of the business had been instrumental in forming the new cable TV franchise in town. They planned on using our space for the studio and transmission equipment. It was about a year before the Club found another suitable home. It was on the third floor of Tutties corner store. It was an old Lodge hall with, again, major repairs needed. The owner could due nothing with it due to City ordinances, and was glad to allow the Club to use it. After rewiring the place, putting in new plumbing installing storm windows, and many other major repairs, including a hole in the roof, the club was back to doing what they enjoyed best. Building and running model trains. November 12, 1977 - The first open house. Over 700 feet of track, two miles of wiring, 600 pounds of plaster and 22 gallons of paint made up the railroad. All the hard work put into the railroad finally paid off. Every year since, the railroad club has continued to make improvements and build on and open the doors to the public to see the work they've accomplished. In 1993, the members discovered that there was a one story building located in Brooklawn, only one mile away. After legalities were hammer out, the club once again found a new home. The new building was one way to bring new life back to the Railroad. Most importantly, it was on the ground floor, and could allow easy access for handicap. Three floors up was a long way to travel in our existing building. We maintained the operation in Gloucester up till December of 1995. Present day—Work continues and many improvements have been made. The railroad now operates a fully D.C.C.(digital command control system). The railroad has gone through many changes from the original plans when we first moved in and those changes continue to take place. Every open house there is something different to see. Some are small changes to the scenery while others are major changes to the entire area. The layout consists of the Jersey Coast Lines, a fictitious eastern U.S. Class I railroad and the Central Jersey Traction & Light Company, a fictitious Interurban and streetcar line serving most major communities along the JCL. The CJT&L operates from live overhead wire rather than the more traditional 2 rail system employed by the JCL railroad.
