MONROE — The 46th Annual Green County Model Railroad Show and Swap Meet will take place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28-29 at the Stateline Ice and Community Expo (SLICE) center, 1632, 4th Avenue West, Monroe. The show will be open from 10-4 p.m. both days. Visitors are welcome to view the model railroad sets. The event is put on by the Green County Model Railroader’s, Inc. and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Among those showing is Richard Gordee of rural Argyle, who has been a model railroader most of his life. Growing up on a farm with three siblings, there wasn’t much time for toys or trains. But Rich persisted and started his railroading with the smaller “N” gauge trains. Soon after, Rich’s interests changed to the larger Lionel “O” and standard gauge trains of the post-war era.

Within that time frame, many other manufacturers of “O” gauge trains came forward. These manufacturers produced many new and exciting pieces to add to the already growing collection of trains and farm machinery.

After some years passed, Rich was running the family farm after his parents moved to a different location. That created a lot of room, and his first large layout was built. Some shelves were added to display a large portion of the collection. A few years later, an outside garage was renovated to hold an even larger layout. This allowed for much of his collection to be displayed — as it should be.

Rich was invited to display at one of the Green County Model Railroaders shows when the shows were at the old West Mall on Monroe’s west side, up the street from its current location at SLICE arena, though the show initially left the mall for the middle school before ultimately returning to the west side arena. 

For Rich, the first of his several traveling layouts was built basically the night before the show, and still having wet paint the day of the show. For the next 30-plus years, Rich has been present at the shows as a longtime member of the club. Along with doing the Monroe show, Rich has done shows in Rockford, Lena and Argyle for almost as many years. He figured the total is in the ballpark of 100 total shows. He said he has met many very nice people and shared his love and trains and farming with them.

Now retired from the farm, he has built a new house and shed to continue his love of running and collecting toys and trains. Rich has told members of the younger generations that its a great hobby with many things to learn along the way and “you never get done — there’s always one more piece.”