Southern California Traction Club Links

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Southern California Traction Club Members

The club was founded by six traction modelers in October 1995. In April 1997 the club made it's first public appearance at the South Coast Botanic Gardens in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA with five modules. The club was governed by a President and Treasurer for over six years. In December 2003, the club eliminated both officers and created a three-person Board of Directors. Elections are held each December as terms of all three members expire at the end of the year. The current Board of Directors consists of Pete DeBeers, George Jones and John McWhirter.

Byron Brainard has been active in the club since February 1998. He is native to Southern California but enjoys a diverse selection of locals in which to engage his interurban modeling. Being from Southern California, he,of course, models the Pacific Electric but he does not let geographic and time lines limit his modeling. He also enjoys researching and modeling the Sacramento Northern, North Shore, Illinois Traction System and the Illinois Terminal. He dates his interest in traction to the day back in 1988 when he joined the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Not only is he a member, but he is also active in several restoration projects within the standard gauge electric equipment collection. He is also a member of the Illinois Traction Society. He focuses his modeling on non-revenue traction equipment as it provides a more interesting subject to research and create. Byron resides in Laguna Beach, CA.

Pete DeBeers joined the club in May 2002. He has been in the model railroad hobby most of his life and has accumulated quite a collection of electric railway models in more than one scale. Pete serves on the club Board of Directors and supports almost every club appearance. He normally tows the club trailer to club appearances and has the second largest number of model electric railway vehicles certified for club operation. In August 2005, Pete became Superintendent of the Countryside portion of the modular layout and is in the process of added details to these two modules. Pete lives in Pasadena, CA with his wife Georgia.

Dave Garcia lives in Downey, California and serves as the club guru on the systems of electric railway vehicles. He joined the club in January 1997, and is a recognized authority on prototype air brake systems and provides invaluable data on the various operational components of typical electric railway vehicles. He is a virtual font of knowledge on the Los Angeles Railway and the Pacific Electric Railway. and was responsible for the design of the electric systems on the San Pedro Waterfront trolleys. Dave is also a key member of the maintenance department at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California.

Fred Gurzeler joined the Southern California Traction Club in December 2003. Fred Gurzeler is a native of Santa Monica, California. He has always been fond of trains--as a child he enjoyed playing among the SP freight cars stored off the old Air Line at 14th and Colorado--but didn't start acquiring models until 2000. While the main focus of his collection is Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway, he also has traction models from roads such as Milwaukee and IT, a couple of Hamburg streetcars and some odds and ends just because he found the model to be "interesting and unique." A graduate of UCLA, Fred lives in West Los Angeles with his wife and two children. He authored a lesson in the Trolleyville Schoolhouse on HO scale Los Angeles Railway models.

George Huckaby was one of the initial six founders of the club in October 1995. George installs and maintains most of the module overhead wires. In 1992, he founded CustomTraxx which is a leader in HO scale model electric railway decals. He is also the moderator and webmaster of the Trolleyville internet site. George is a major consultant to Bowser Manufacturing for the development of the 1999 Bowser trolley drives and the development of the Bowser HO scale San Francisco F-line PCC car and other planned trolley car projects. George is Superintendent of the downtown portion of the club modular layout and continues to increase the level of detail on those six modules. He has an extensive collection of HO scale traction and railway equipment, totaling over 1000 pieces, and continues to expand the role of Digital Command Control (DCC) in traction modeling. George worked with Train control Systems to develop the M4T decoder for the Bowser F-line PCC which features automatic car stops and brake light functions. As of this date, forty-six of his traction vehicles have DCC decoders in them. George resides in West Los Angeles, California with his wife, Anne.

George Jones, a professional locksmith, joined the Southern California Traction Club in October 1997 and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He was selected as Show Manager early in 2005. He coordinates resources and equipment to support club appearances. He is an active Pacific Electric Railway modeler, specifically freight operations, and has authored a lesson in the Trolleyville Schoolhouse on HO scale freight car models. George is currently Superintendent of the Four-Track portion of the modular layout and continually details these four modules. can be counted upon to support all of the club appearances and normally tows the second club trailer to club appearances. George lives in Culver City, California.

David Lyman (aka Dan D Sparks) is SCTC lucky member #13, joining the club June 28, 2009. David grew up in San Diego where he observed the construction of the San Diego Trolley past his High School in 1981. It was while exploring the high school's library when David discovered the Traction Guidebook which contained photos of San Diego Electric cars. Struck by the fact that in the 1880s San Diego had the beginnings of a trolley empire, and then 100 years later, San Diego had the beginnings of a trolley empire, Dave was hooked. His life long love of trains grew to include, and focus on, the SDERy. Dan D Sparks is Dave's alter-ego to help keep his hobby life separate from his professional life as a cartoon animator. David now lives in Castaic with his wife Cindy and 3 kids and his small SDERy HO layout.
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Toshisuke Matsumoto joined the club while he was a student at Harbor College in September 1996. He was an integral member of the club during initial startup and was a major contributor, teaching his many modeling skills to the club members during the formative stages of the club. He graduated from Harbor College and returned to his home in Tokyo, Japan in 1998. He still visits the club at least once annually, usually in September and certifies more of this equipment to run on the club modules. Toshi was selected unanimously to be a lifetime member of the club due to his contributions. He visits the club once each year on his annual trip to the united states each September.

John McWhirter joined the club in 2005 and immediately took on the task of building and completing a power station structure on the clubs developing "Access" module. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He became a Superintendent for the Suburban portion of the modular layout in July 2005 and continues to increase the level of detail on those three modules. He has been responsible for fabricating interior details for and illuminating many structures. He is responsible for fabricating a television transmission tower complete with flashing lights, using custom built circuitry and illuminating another building using fiber-optics and many other detail items. Johns dedication has resulted in him being known as "Mr. Club". John lives in Ladera Heights, CA.

Dr. Akihisa Saitoh, a research chemist at the University of Southern California, was introduced to the club by Toshisuke Matsumoto and joined in October 1999. He participated in the laying of track on one of the club's corner modules and was instrumental in assisting the club in maintaining the club supply of automatic couplers for HO scale multiple unit streetcars, interurbans and subway equipment. Dr. Saitoh lives in Los Angeles but travels over 50% of the time outside of the continental United States. He is currently on leave of absence from the club due to his heavy travel schedule. His family resides in Kyoto, Japan.

Photos by George Huckaby, John McWhirter & Dave Lyman

Last updated on October 4, 2012

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	Byron Brainard has been active in the club since February 1998. He is native to Southern California but enjoys a diverse selection of locals in which to engage his interurban modeling. Being from Southern California, he,of course, models the Pacific Electric but he does not let geographic and time lines limit his modeling. He also enjoys researching and modeling the Sacramento Northern, North Shore, Illinois Traction System and the Illinois Terminal. He dates his interest in traction to the day back in 1988 when he joined the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Not only is he a member, but he is also active in several restoration projects within the standard gauge electric equipment collection. He is also a member of the Illinois Traction Society. He focuses his modeling on non-revenue traction equipment as it provides a more interesting subject to research and create. Byron resides in Laguna Beach, CA.
	Pete DeBeers joined the club in May 2002. He has been in the model railroad hobby most of his life and has accumulated quite a collection of electric railway models in more than one scale. Pete serves on the club Board of Directors and supports almost every club appearance. He normally tows the club trailer to club appearances and has the second largest number of model electric railway vehicles certified for club operation. In August 2005, Pete became Superintendent of the Countryside portion of the modular layout and is in the process of added details to these two modules. Pete lives in Pasadena, CA with his wife Georgia.
	Dave Garcia lives in Downey, California and serves as the club guru on the systems of electric railway vehicles. He joined the club in January 1997, and is a recognized authority on prototype air brake systems and provides invaluable data on the various operational components of typical electric railway vehicles. He is a virtual font of knowledge on the Los Angeles Railway and the Pacific Electric Railway. and was responsible for the design of the electric systems on the San Pedro Waterfront trolleys. Dave is also a key member of the maintenance department at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California.
	Fred Gurzeler joined the Southern California Traction Club in December 2003. Fred Gurzeler is a native of Santa Monica, California. He has always been fond of trains--as a child he enjoyed playing among the SP freight cars stored off the old Air Line at 14th and Colorado--but didn't start acquiring models until 2000. While the main focus of his collection is Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway, he also has traction models from roads such as Milwaukee and IT, a couple of Hamburg streetcars and some odds and ends just because he found the model to be "interesting and unique." A graduate of UCLA, Fred lives in West Los Angeles with his wife and two children. He authored a lesson in the Trolleyville Schoolhouse on HO scale Los Angeles Railway models.
	George Huckaby was one of the initial six founders of the club in October 1995. George installs and maintains most of the module overhead wires. In 1992, he founded CustomTraxx which is a leader in HO scale model electric railway decals. He is also the moderator and webmaster of the Trolleyville internet site. George is a major consultant to Bowser Manufacturing for the development of the 1999 Bowser trolley drives and the development of the Bowser HO scale San Francisco F-line PCC car and other planned trolley car projects. George is Superintendent of the downtown portion of the club modular layout and continues to increase the level of detail on those six modules. He has an extensive collection of HO scale traction and railway equipment, totaling over 1000 pieces, and continues to expand the role of Digital Command Control (DCC) in traction modeling. George worked with Train control Systems to develop the M4T decoder for the Bowser F-line PCC which features automatic car stops and brake light functions. As of this date, forty-six of his traction vehicles have DCC decoders in them. George resides in West Los Angeles, California with his wife, Anne.
	George Jones, a professional locksmith, joined the Southern California Traction Club in October 1997 and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He was selected as Show Manager early in 2005. He coordinates resources and equipment to support club appearances. He is an active Pacific Electric Railway modeler, specifically freight operations, and has authored a lesson in the Trolleyville Schoolhouse on HO scale freight car models. George is currently Superintendent of the Four-Track portion of the modular layout and continually details these four modules. can be counted upon to support all of the club appearances and normally tows the second club trailer to club appearances. George lives in Culver City, California.
	David Lyman (aka Dan D Sparks) is SCTC lucky member #13, joining the club June 28, 2009. David grew up in San Diego where he observed the construction of the San Diego Trolley past his High School in 1981. It was while exploring the high school's library when David discovered the Traction Guidebook which contained photos of San Diego Electric cars. Struck by the fact that in the 1880s San Diego had the beginnings of a trolley empire, and then 100 years later, San Diego had the beginnings of a trolley empire, Dave was hooked. His life long love of trains grew to include, and focus on, the SDERy. Dan D Sparks is Dave's alter-ego to help keep his hobby life separate from his professional life as a cartoon animator. David now lives in Castaic with his wife Cindy and 3 kids and his small SDERy HO layout. .
	Toshisuke Matsumoto joined the club while he was a student at Harbor College in September 1996. He was an integral member of the club during initial startup and was a major contributor, teaching his many modeling skills to the club members during the formative stages of the club. He graduated from Harbor College and returned to his home in Tokyo, Japan in 1998. He still visits the club at least once annually, usually in September and certifies more of this equipment to run on the club modules. Toshi was selected unanimously to be a lifetime member of the club due to his contributions. He visits the club once each year on his annual trip to the united states each September.
	John McWhirter joined the club in 2005 and immediately took on the task of building and completing a power station structure on the clubs developing "Access" module. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He became a Superintendent for the Suburban portion of the modular layout in July 2005 and continues to increase the level of detail on those three modules. He has been responsible for fabricating interior details for and illuminating many structures. He is responsible for fabricating a television transmission tower complete with flashing lights, using custom built circuitry and illuminating another building using fiber-optics and many other detail items. Johns dedication has resulted in him being known as "Mr. Club". John lives in Ladera Heights, CA.
	Dr. Akihisa Saitoh, a research chemist at the University of Southern California, was introduced to the club by Toshisuke Matsumoto and joined in October 1999. He participated in the laying of track on one of the club's corner modules and was instrumental in assisting the club in maintaining the club supply of automatic couplers for HO scale multiple unit streetcars, interurbans and subway equipment. Dr. Saitoh lives in Los Angeles but travels over 50% of the time outside of the continental United States. He is currently on leave of absence from the club due to his heavy travel schedule. His family resides in Kyoto, Japan.