History

HISTORY OF THE ORANGE COUNTY

MODEL ENGINEERS

The Orange County Model Engineers (OCME) was originally formed in 1977 as the

Orange County Live Steamers (OCLS), after the demise of the short lived Long
Beach Live Steamers.

Negotiations were started soon after with Orange County for a site in Mile Square

Park. As work progressed on a draft contract between the County and OCLS, the County
began placing conditions on the Club's use of the park, which the Club felt were not in
its best interests. Finally the negotiations were broken off and the Club began looking
elsewhere for a site.

Through Chris Anten, the City of Huntington Beach was contacted with a proposal

for a facility in its Adventure Park. Huntington Beach was interested in the idea but
indicated that it would be a number of years before it could pursue the proposal.

About this time contact was made with the City of Costa Mesa, which expressed an
interest and suggested a site in Fairview Park on the west side of Placentia Avenue.
Costa Mesa said they would contact the Club as soon as the City and the State had
finalized the City's acquisition of this land.

Around 1982 Bob Platfoot and Pete Garwood brought the Club and the City of Irvine
together. The Club proposed a facility in Irvine's Heritage Park. Shortly after that,
Irvine decided the Club would better fit in the City's planned new Civic Center park.
Since the park was several years away, Irvine proposed the Club build a temporary
facility on an eight acre site adjoining the proposed Civic Center park.

In 1985 the Club formally incorporated in California with a change of name as the
Orange County Model Engineers (OCME) and a formal slate of officers was elected.

OCME developed a plan for the temporary site in Irvine, which was submitted to
the city for discussion. A ground breaking ceremony was held in anticipation of the
city's approval of the Club's plan.

While OCME and Irvine were haggling over details, Costa Mesa contacted the Club
and asked if we were still interested in using Fairview Park. Because of the state of
negotiations between OCME and Irvine, the Club decided to pursue negotiations with
Costa Mesa concurrently with those in progress with Irvine.

Costa Mesa decided that the forty plus acres on the east side of Placentia Avenue
would be better suited to the OCME's needs and accordingly gave the Club a
topographical map of the site with which to develop a Facility Plan, which was submitted
to, and subsequently approved by, Costa Mesa.

The outcome of the parallel negotiations with the two cities was a twenty five year
renewable lease with the City of Costa Mesa signed in October 1988. Negotiations with
Irvine were ended and a ground breaking ceremony was held in the new home of OCME.

In March of 1989 OCME began construction of a temporary six hundred foot oval of
track at the site of the current station which was completed in time for OCME to hold its
first public run in August, 1989. Following this first run, construction was started on
the permanent facilities.

On March 19, 1991, with construction of the First Phase loop completed, OCME held
its Golden Spike Ceremony, thus inaugurating operations on twenty four hundred feet of
track, including the ninety foot Hank Hornsvelt trestle. In attendance were Mary
Hornbuckel, Mayor of Costa Mesa, and Keith VanHolt, Director of Parks and Recreation.

Work was next started on Phase Two, which incorporated another eighteen hundred feet
of track out to the water tower at Mehren, included The North and South Y's. Also built
at this time were: Higgins Loop, Matassa loop, Platfoot Yard, and the access tracks from
Skinner Yard at the exit from the compound.

Up to this time, we had been using a temporary canopy for a station platform cover. A
permanent cover was in order. In late 1998 Plans were drawn up and submitted to the city
for approval. The city reviewed the plans and asked for some changes to the support posts.
The changes were made and the plans re-submitted to the city, which approved them in early
1999. Construction was started in mid year and the cover was completed within a couple of
months.

In mid 1998, the plans for the rest of Goat Hill Junction Station, which included
restrooms, a storage area, and the club store, were submitted to the city for approval.
Approval was given in the Fall of that year. Construction was started in February of 1999,
and completed the following June. Most of the work of building the station was done by Club
members.

In 2003, the Club received permission from the city to proceed with the third and final
phase of the Club's Facility Plan, the Mountain Division. Construction was started in the
Spring, including the transplanting of endangered Purple Needle Grass with the help of the
Boy Scouts. Track work was finished in time to inaugurate operations on the Mountain
Division at our 2003 Fall Meet.

More work lies ahead. The addition of a much needed siding off the Switchback is under
way. Future plans include stub-sidings for prototype operations, and a re-build of the
passanger loading area cover at the station due to termite damage which will be done by
an Eagle Scout as a badge project.