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09/02/2020 08:30 AMEver since he was a little boy, Bob Gentile has loved trains and model buildings. His fascination began with the train his family would set up every year at Christmastime and while his six siblings lost interest, Bob never did.
“I’ve also been just fascinated with trains and anything that’s mechanical,” says Bob. “My dad really got me interested in it and we used to have A.C. Gilbert, a factory that manufactured the [model] trains, right on Peck Street in New Haven.”
Bob’s interest in G Scale model trains sparked an interest in building the surrounding structures for the trains and their tracks. G Scale models are approximately one-twentieth scale.
Bob, who was born and raised in East Haven, has built hundreds of buildings throughout his many years engaging in the hobby. His latest creation, though, almost didn’t come to fruition.
Several years ago, he decided he wanted to take on building a scale model of the Old Stone Church. He spent about three weeks measuring the church, its windows, and other features. Bob created plans and drawings, putting in about 70 hours of work in the planning process alone.
Bob began creating the building, framing it in wood and then covering it in Hardi board before bonding the corners. He then painted the building and drew 3,600 bricks before carving each one out. The process stalled two years ago, though, when Bob’s wife, Arlene, got sick.
“I had lost my interest in it when she got sick and she’d say, ‘Why don’t you finish the church? I’d like to see it finished,’ but in December my wife passed away,” says Bob. “She never got to see it finished and I wasn’t going to finish it, but my son said, ‘You got this far, why don’t you finish it?’”
In February, Bob decided to complete the project. When all was said and done, he estimates that he spent nearly 1,500 hours on the building and nearly $500 in materials.
Construction included six sheets of 3x5 Hardi board to create the 36 ½-inch high, 43 ½-inch long, and 29 ¾-inch. wide structure. The belfry is 20x20, standing 120 inches tall. There are 720 pieces of siding on the steeple and one weather vane. The church and belfry have 3,657 stones carved out and 720 shingles on the roof. There are 41 windows and three entrances total.
“I really enjoyed putting this building together—it was lot of work, but it was fun work, something that relaxes you—and finishing it got me out of a depressing mood,” says Bob. “I appreciate what I did, but my wife always appreciated it more than me.”
Bob notes that Arlene was always very supportive of his hobby. The couple got married in 1982, moving to Florida for 13 years, before returning to East Haven in 1998 where Bob had a workshop in the basement. At one time, he also had a model railroad outside at his house.
“She would always come down to the basement to check on my project and bring me coffee,” says Bob. “Before she got ill, I’d make all the buildings and she used to paint them for me.”
Bob learned a lesson about the painting process when he built a model of the firehouse. He carved the bricks before he painted the walls, leaving a lot of detail painting to do, which he wasn’t looking forward to, but Arlene volunteered. The couple also built a 10-foot by 6-foot roundhouse, which Arlene also painted.
Over the years, Bob continued to create more buildings and when the space began to get cramped, he had to sell some of them. The firehouse met an unfortunate fate as it was destroyed when it was shipped.
Many of Bob’s other buildings have found homes all over the country. He spent a lot of time creating buildings, such as general stores and log cabins, that he would sell on eBay.
Bob not only enjoyed building models, but he also enjoyed traveling to train shows in New Jersey or Pennsylvania with Arlene. About 20 years ago, Bob and a friend founded a club, the Central Connecticut G Scalers. While Bob is no longer involved as there is a lot of travel, he says, the club still has meetings and hosts train shows.
Because the church is so large, it cannot be displayed in Bob’s home and he is considering the possibilities of where it will be placed, having spoken with Mayor Joseph Carfora and the pastor of Old Stone Church.
“I wish I could show more of the buildings I did, but I sold off most of the buildings,” says Bob. “My railroad dated from 1905 to 1950—that was my era.”
Bob was a stone mason and tile setter for 43, retiring 16 years ago at age 60. Now in retirement, he tries to keep busy by helping his son with remodeling projects, keeping up with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and considering his next project.
“When I was younger, my main objective was to do a lot of the buildings from old East Haven,” says Bob. “I’ve done Goody’s Hardware, the firehouse, and the church, and now people are wanting me to build the Town Hall.
“I’d love to take on that project if I could get up the energy and figure out how to get the materials on a fixed income,” says Bob. “There are a lot of impressive buildings in East Haven.