The Origins of The Dictionary of Non-Existent Model Railroad Terms*

Rare pre-production review copy of 1st ed.

It might be hard to believe, but there once was a time - over 60 years ago now - when The Dictionary of Non-Existent Model Railroad Terms was itself non-existent. The dictionary has gone through three editions and innumerable printings since its first release on Boxing Day, 1959. Since then it has been a fundamental reference work about model railroading’s more esoteric terms, ideas, and literature.

The decision to publish the dictionary was hatched in early 1959. In January of that year the four editors at 30 Squares’ forefather, 4 Squares**, got wind that the TMRC at MIT might soon publish their own model railroading dictionary***, and thought that 4 Squares’ long delayed plans for publishing one dealing with the odd and hidden aspects of the field might be overshadowed by the work of that illustrious institution.  

At the time, the DoNEMRT existed only as a set of 3x5 cards that the editors had collected over the course of many years. On each card was a word or idea that they thought had some significance to the field, which although not uncommon, were nevertheless not generally recognized in the literature of the time. Some cards noted findings from magazines, pamphlets, newsletters, and books, others were records of ideas from conversations and folkways. Sometimes cards, in the form of postcards, were mailed by readers and associates noting things that should be included in the dictionary. All the cards were housed in a massive wooden cabinet in the Railtorium.

After many meetings, the editors decided to embark upon what they much later referred to as their moonshot program****: convert the cards into a manuscript and publish the dictionary by Christmas 1959 - they missed by one day, but that’s another story. Luckily a rather famous crooner and closet model railroad fanatic of the time covered the project’s costs when asked to finance the great undertaking. It allowed the four editors to embark on doing it their way. Regrets? They had a few, but too few to mention, and the dictionary was off to the printers by Labour Day. 

And the rest, as they say, is history.

*Fine print: This history is completely fictional and has no relation to any person, place, or thing living or dead. Any similarities or synchronicities are purely coincidental and likely figments of the imagination ; )

**It’s thought that the name, 4 Squares, was something of an homage to the Dave Brubeck Quartet, who would later in 1959 release the legendary album, Time Out; however, where exactly the name 4 Squares came from is a subject of much controversy. Refer to Lew Voltz’s definitive history of model railroading’s punk era, Gluestick Traces, for the full story.

***The TMRC Dictionary was published in June 1959. It was rather idiosyncratic to the club, but was highly significant in that it introduced the terms ‘hack’ and ‘hacker’, which were important terms in the early days of computer technology, and as we know, continue in general use today.

****In September 1962 President Kennedy committed the US to landing a man-on-the-moon, and it was later that month that the editors of the newly reorganized 7 Squares***** company assigned a name to what they had done back in 1959.

*****Some say the name 7 Squares was in honour of the Mercury Seven astronauts, and what was to be a brief sortie into all things to do with model rocketeering. Again, refer to Gluestick Traces for details**.