Announcements
Thank you to everyone who visited us during our Christmas Show! Stay updated with our latest events.
Please like us on Facebook for regular announcements. For questions and inquiries, please contact us.
Welcome
The Grand Valley Model Railroad Club endeavors to model the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, and other Colorado railroads, circa 1950. We are located at the Museum of Cross Orchards, a member of the Museums of Western Colorado organization, on 3073 F Road, in Grand Junction, Colorado.
The city of Grand Junction, which we call home, is located in a region called the Grand Valley. The Grand Valley got its name in the early days of its settlement in the 1880s from the Colorado River, which was called Grand River at the time.
Grand Junction was a stop on the historic Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW). The D&RGW ran from Denver, the Mile High City, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Grand Junction was the halfway point between these two great cities. Here at Grand Junction the D&RGW had a full repair and dual build facility handling both narrow gauge and standard gauge equipment. The D&RGW's historic Union Station in Denver, the Union Depot in Grand Junction, and a few other original buildings still stand today in Grand Junction and other stops along the former Rio Grande railroad.
The Grand Valley encompasses the towns of Palisade, Clifton, Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma and Mack, where the Uintah Railway was located, among other towns. Grand Junction itself was named for the union of the Colorado (which used to be called the Grand) and Gunnison Rivers.
About Our Club
"Even the details have details!"
~ Tom, Visitor
The Club was formed in 1988 as a 501(c)(3) organization, registered with the IRS and the State of Colorado. Our members, along with volunteers and businesses of the community, built our 30x60-foot building, which houses our HO and N Scale layouts, at Cross Orchards in 2000. In 2004, we began construction of our current layout. We incorporated the operations of the already existing G Scale layout built by Cross Orchards in 1996 into the GVMRC in 1998.
Upcoming Events
All events are located at Museums of Western Colorado's Cross Orchards on 3073 F Road.
We do not share hours with Cross Orchards. We are usually open when Cross Orchards has a special event, such as Fall Day on the Farm, and other events we are specifically requested to participate in, such as F.A.R.M. Farmer's Market. Typically our special events include the G Scale, HO Scale, and N Scale layouts unless otherwise specified.
While many of our more popular dates are explained below in detail, please refer to our calendar for the most up-to-date information.
Antique Truck Show
May 2024 ? - ?
Co-hosted by the regional chapter of the American Truck Historical Society, Cross Orchards Historic Site welcomes trucking enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of trucks. The display ranges from Cross Orchard’s own 1917 Model T and 1930 Firetruck and spans the automotive evolution to modern day semi-trucks still in service. The Grand Valley Model Railroad Club supports this event by running a small train show.
Visit Museums of Western Colorado • Antique Truck Show for more information.
Saturday F.A.R.M. Market
June - October
2nd & 4th Saturday 9 am - 12 pm
Other Saturdays 9 am - 11:30 pm (G Scale only)
F.A.R.M. is a farm and ranch market located at Cross Orchards, beginning sometime in June and ending before Fall Day on the Farm. On the 2nd and 4th Satuday markets, the Grand Valley Model Railroad Club runs a small HO Scale show. The G Scale layout will be open at every Saturday farmer's market.
Visit Museums of Western Colorado • F.A.R.M. for more information.
Fall Day on the Farm
October 2023 ? - ?
Cross Orchard's Fall Day on the Farm marks harvest season with baked cookies in the historic bunkhouse, blacksmiths firing up the forge, and their fresh, hand pressed apple cider. The cooler fall weather makes it a great time to visit the G Scale layout.
Visit Museums of Western Colorado • Fall Day on the Farm 2019 for more information.
36th Annual Christmas Show – 2024
We will be open on several to-be-determined weekends in December surrounding Christmas.
Family: $10
Adult: $5
Child: $2
*Cash or check only.
The Christmas Show serves as the club's annual fundraiser. Our members bring out their best models and trains to create a great event for all ages, harkening back to the days when shop owners displayed model train sets in their windows to attract children inside their stores.
Towns are strung with miniature Christmas lights, Santa visits the Hotel Denver, presents are delivered in gondolas, and locomotives are decorated with wreaths.
Revenue from the show goes towards general maintenance and improvements around the layout.
Recurring Events
The club gets together regularly to work on various projects or just have fun running trains. Visitors are always welcome any time we are open, but we highly suggest you come at one of our shows for the best experience. Please view our list of upcoming dates and see details about each event below.
Please note that during our Christmas Show we do not have any of our regularly scheduled events unless otherwise specified. Refer to our calendar for the most up-to-date information.
HO Work Night
Thursdays 7 - 9 pm
On Thursday nights, the club does general work, repairs, and landscaping as needed. For fun, we sometimes run operations in a fashion similar to the way real railroads do.
We do not have Work Nights in December due to our Christmas Show.
G Scale Work Night
Summer – Thursdays 9 - 11:30 am
Winter – Thursdays 2 - 4 pm
During the warm season, the G Scalers work, build, and run trains while it's still cool in the morning. When the weather cools down, they move their schedule to later when it's warmer.
We are currently on Summer hours.
We do not have Work Nights in December due to our Christmas Show.
Work Day
4th Saturday 9 am - 12 pm
We have a work day on the fourth Saturday of every month. While similar to our Work Night, it takes place in the morning to cater to different members who work on various types of projects.
Our Work Day often coincides with Cross Orchard's F.A.R.M. Farmer's Market and we usually have a small show if that is the case.
We do not have Work Day in December due to our Christmas Show.
Monthly Business Meeting
2nd Monday 7 pm
Our business meetings are held on the second Monday of every month. All members are welcome to attend and, in most cases, vote on issues. Meetings are run by our board members and the president may call a board meeting at any time, if necessary.
We do not have a business meeting in December due to our Christmas Show.
Mailing Address: Grand Valley Model Railroad Club, P.O. Box 4101, Grand Junction, CO 81502