It’s full steam ahead for O.C. Model Engineers now that new trestle bridge is complete
Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park was a scene of celebration Tuesday, as model train enthusiasts and city officials marked the completion of a new trestle bridge and rededicated the structure to the man who’d built the original three decades earlier.
Seated atop tiny steam engines and other rail-worthy vehicles, members of the Orange County Model Engineers lined up on the newly rebuilt Hank Hornsveld Memorial Trestle for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that culminated in a “Big Toot” — a simultaneous sounding of horns and whistles.
OCME members offer free mini-train rides to thousands of kids and adults on the third Saturday and Sunday of each month (weather permitting) and hosts train-themed birthday parties. Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens said the experience can be a formative one for children under 5.
“If you ask kids who travel on these tracks, what’s your first memory, many of them will say right here. I know my [adult] kids would,” Stephens said
as he addressed a small crowd. “It’s created so many treasured memories.”
Although it stretches just a little more than 30 feet in length, the brand new bridge marks the completion of a colossal effort undertaken by OCME members, who spent several months building the structure themselves.
Its cost — which came in at more than $32,000 — was a tall order for the all-volunteer nonprofit, which not too long ago spent $300,000 replacing 4 miles of train tracks as part of a six-year campaign.
An incident of vandalism at Fairview last December racked up even more expenses for the beleaguered club, as unknown suspects caused thousands of dollars of damage. That’s when local elected officials and business owners stepped in to assist.
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley donated $15,000 toward the cleanup and replacement of the trestle bridge, an amount that was later matched by the city of Costa Mesa.
Love Costa Mesa, a campaign of the nonprofit Trellis, and Ganahl Lumber contributed labor and materials, while Newport Exterminating treated the lumber against rot and termites and La Habra Fence helped build new gates.
Those contributions, along with countless small donations from fans and supporters, made the rebuild possible, according to OCME member Hank Castignetti.
“The outpouring from the community for building the trestle was really overwhelming,” he said, indicating that, since February, more than 17,000 free rides have been logged.
Tuesday’s ceremony also honored the memory of Hank Hornsveld, founder of Hank’s Electric and a longtime member who built the original trestle bridge in 1991. He passed in 2018 at the age of 96.
A trio of his grandchildren — brother and sister Kevin Hornsveld and Noel Whitmarsh and their cousin, Michelle Christensen — were presented with a special plaque remembering the bridge’s namesake.
Christensen recalled her “Opa” taking her to ride the trains in Riverside, before the O.C. Model Engineers incorporated in 1985 and laid down their first 580-foot track in Fairview Park. Once the Costa Mesa facility had been established, it became a regular haunt.
“I think both of my kids’ first five birthday parties were at this park,” she said, remembering her grandfather’s work ethic and enthusiasm.
“He liked being busy and loved tinkering. I’m sure that part of the challenge of building this [bridge] played on all of that,” Christensen continued. “He loved it here. He would be so excited to see they didn’t just move on to something else.”
“He’d be very proud of it,” Kevin Hornsveld agreed, as tiny trains in motion dotted Fairview’s expansive horizons. “He’s up there looking down thinking, that’s my bridge.”
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