Donate Your Train Set to the 17-Year-Old Model Railroad Building Club

Have you commenced spring cleaning post-holidays? Eh, maybe not, but you're most likely ridding your attic of old holiday decor. If you're contemplating throwing away an old train set, or equipment for one, consider donating it to the Model Railroad Building Club. 

Founded by Peters Township Juvenile Officer Dave Stanton, known to most students as Officer Dave, this 17-year-old organization has been serving children as a "positive alternative to stay away from drugs." The club is simply based on one child who needed aid, and a distraction from smoking. Stanton approached him with opportunities to play sports, but he wasn't interested. That's when Stanton asked the boy if he liked building models and it sparked interest, which then sparked the growth of the program nearly three years later.

The club meets every Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the basement (21 x 31-foot room) of the Venetia Heritage Center. Just last week a new furnace was donated by a local supporter; the original furnace has never been replaced since the building was used as the Venetia School. 

"I think [the club] is a reflection on society," Stanton said. "A lot of children don't know how to use their hands and with this they're cutting wood and using saws and drills."

This program keeps kids busy, gives them a weekly routine and ultimately, keeps them away from negative alternatives. 

"It builds a lot of confidence," said Stanton. 

The Model Railroad Building Club teams up with the Ohio Valley Lines (OVL) on a myriad of projects, one where the OVL made specifically-fitted boxes, for the train sets the Venetia-based club had designed, in Ambridge. 

Stanton's organization is currently working on building a model of the Montour Railroad. Stanton says they're building a set from the Montour Junction all the way to the Library Y by Quail Run, which was once a coal mine, and including landmarks like the Dairy Bar.

The club currently has five children involved and has had up to fifteen in previous years.

To donate, contact Officer Dave Stanton at 724-942-5030 or e-mail him at DJStanton@peterstownship.com. He is currently the D.A.R.E officer for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th-grade students.