05/06/2026
Thirty years ago in the month of May, a small group of intrepid model railroaders entered a large dark building in search of the future. With flashlights in hand, they explored the fifth floor. Light from an adjacent building’s sign shown across the chasm of the main floor of this new and promising structure. What they discovered was the rough and unfinished space that would become the home of the model railroad exhibit at the Washington State History Museum, to be built by this fledgling group of skilled model railroaders, known as the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers.
The PSMRE would go on to construct the largest public model railroad in Washington State. Not only the largest but also one of the most historically accurate and detailed model railroads in the country. Representing Tacoma in the 1950’s it includes structures carefully and expertly crafted by a large number of local model railroaders, many built from original plans and/or photos. And of course, trains, lots of trains!
Many of the original group are no longer with us, but the few remaining Charter Members and the current generation of PSMRE members are proud of the hard work by the Charter Members and proud to care and maintain the exhibit for museum visitors and fellow model railroaders.
