McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park will be recognizing the Model Railroad Building’s one millionth visitor around 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22.
Built in 2010, the 10,000-square-foot Model Railroad Building houses four model railroad clubs, three layouts and a variety of exhibits and hands-on amenities. The LEED-Gold building was designed to weave contemporary architecture into a long and low structure that recalls the style of 19th century train sheds. From the building’s lobby, you can see at least eight scales of trains – from the smallest Z-scale to the full-sized Roald Amundsen Presidential Pullman Car.
A few interesting facts about the building:
• Orange hands are incorporated into the layouts throughout the building. When touched, different items on the layouts move.
• Each club has 1,280 square feet of exhibit space that is viewable on all four sides. This creates over 450 feet of up close viewing.
• The building is unique in that the built-in ramps allow small children and people in wheelchairs to view the layouts without a step or lift.
• Two large video screens show a variety of train related videos.
• The building has over 25,000 feet of electrical conduit either underground or on the roof.
• In addition to exhibit space, each club has approximately 270 square feet of club workroom space.
The 30-acre park is one of the most unique parks of its kind in the country. Visitors can ride on the Paradise & Pacific Railroad and the 1950-vintage Allan Herschell carousel. Besides the train and carousel rides, the park features playgrounds, the Scottsdale Railroad Museum, trains and cars, shops, and model railroads.
In 1967, resident Fowler McCormick donated 100 acres of McCormick Ranch to the city of Scottsdale stipulating that it be used as a park for all to enjoy. The family’s hope was that the gift would encourage others to give, as well as to make Scottsdale a better place to live for future generations.
In 1971, Guy Stillman – part of the Fowler family – chartered the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society as part of the agreement with the city to establish a railroad park on the donated land. The original purpose of the society was to provide technical expertise to the McCormick Railroad Park. Later that year, Guy began to move his Paradise & Pacific steam railroad to the park land, donating two narrow gauge 5/12 scale locomotives.
McCormick Railroad Park opened in October 1975. The facilities were a “bare minimum,” and the one-mile of track had been supplied by donations and laid by volunteers. The highlight of the event was a ride on the Paradise & Pacific Railroad.
In 1996, the park’s name was changed to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park to honor Guy Stillman’s contributions.