We mourn the passing of our friend and Librarian/Archivist George Pitchard, who took the highball to the great beyond shortly after ExTRAINaganza. George was a life-long railway enthusiast and a true encyclopedia of arcane narrow-gauge …
Check out what the Sun Journal had to say here. We like to have our younger (and sometimes young at heart) visitors write their names on a train and put it on our tree. At …
Operating sessions are back at the Great Falls Model Railroad Club! We operate our HO layout on the first Saturday of each month from about 9 until noon and on the Saturday following the third …
With building occupancy restrictions lifted, we are happy to reopen to the public! It has been a long 15 months and we are excited for the public to see our layouts once again. We are …
To Members of the Great Falls Model Railroad Club:
It is with sadness that we report that Jay Calnan passed away on Monday, August 14, 2017 at Hospice House.
He knew his battle with cancer was nearly over when he came to the Executive Committee meeting last Thursday. He had hoped to be able to come to this Thursday’s club meeting to say good-bye to other club members. Jay was president of the GFMRRC from May 2014 to May 2016. He will be missed for his humor, his enthusiasm, and his many contributions of time and energy to the railroad club.
As Jay requested, his funeral will be a short ceremony in the building at the new Veterans Cemetery, 163 Mount Vernon Road in Augusta this Thursday, August 17, at 2:00 p.m.
Mike and Tami have been active members of GFMRC and have been helpful in all of our activities. Tami is the Social Media Editor who posts items on Facebook for the railroad club. Her husband Mike was diagnosed with severe heart problems a few months ago. June 27, 2017 was the day scheduled for the operation. Mike died in the hospital that night. His heart was not strong enough to survive the surgery. Tami needs prayers and support.
The last picture Tami sent was of Mike smiling happily while holding their newborn grandson, Logan, who was still in the hospital.
Mike and Tami have been extremely helpful at the railroad club and both have helped at all of the club’s major events – the ExTRAINaganza, Hobo Holiday, Train Fest, and the railroad shows in Topsham. They were always smiling and cheerful. For the Hobo Holiday in May last year, they dressed in special hobo outfits Tami had created from clothes at Goodwill. Tami had to work this year, but Mike and their granddaughter helped at the Hobo Holiday and stayed nearly all day. Tami and Mike came often to Governor’s Restaurant to help with the railroad club’s activities at Family Night on the first Thursday of every month, and they usually came directly from working at the D’Youville Pavilion nursing home.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.greatfallsmodelrrclub.org/news/mike-paine/
Tom Coulombe of Lewiston died on Monday, June 7, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer. Tom was a past president of The Great Falls Model Railroad Club and until 2016 was the Station Master and Treasurer of the club, two offices in which he provided valuable expertise for several years.
Tom and his wife Carmen were active participants in all of the special events at the railroad club. Tom helped mentor members of the Model Railroading Classes taught at the club every year and coordinated the club’s annual spring and fall model railroad shows in Auburn and Topsham.
As a Boy Scout leader, he helped local Scouts and Scouts at national jamborees earn their railroading badges, using “Time Saver” layouts like the one he frequently brought to the railroad club’s Family Night at Governor’s Restaurant. By a unanimous vote at the club’s annual meeting in May, the meeting room at The Great Falls Model Railroad Club has now been named “Coulombe Hall.”
To Members of the Great Falls Model Railroad Club:
Mike and Tami have been active members of GFMRC and have been helpful in all of our activities. Tami is the Social Media Editor who posts items on Facebook for the railroad club. Her husband Mike was diagnosed with severe heart problems a few months ago. June 27, 2017 was the day scheduled for the operation. Mike died in the hospital that night. His heart was not strong enough to survive the surgery. Tami needs prayers and support.
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