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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. The Club felt the conditions 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. At about this time, contact was made with the City of Costa Mesa. The City 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 the State of California with a change of name to the Orange County Model Engineers (OCME). 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 groundbreaking 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 OCME’s needs. The City 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 groundbreaking ceremony was held in the new home of OCME.
In March of 1989, OCME began constructing 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 the construction of the First Phase loop completed, OCME held its Golden Spike Ceremony. The ceremony inaugurated operations on twenty-four hundred feet of track, including the ninety-foot Hank Hornsvelt trestle. In attendance were Mary Hornbuckle, 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, including 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, OCME 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 were 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.
