Hobby groups in the USA include:

Alabama: Azalea City Model Railroaders, Bay Area Rail Roaders, Central Alabama Model Rail Road Club, Coosa Valley Model Railroad Club, Redstone
Model Railroad Club, Southeast Alabama Model Railroad Club, South West Alabama Railroad Modelers, The Wrecking Crew.

Arkansas: Central AR Model Railroad Club, Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway,

Arizona: Arizona & Southwest Model RR Society and Tucson Ntrak, Cochise & Western, Flagstaff Model Railroad Club, Grand Canyon State Model
Railroaders, Maricopa Live Steamers, Ponderosa North Model Railroad Club, Scottsdale Model Railroad Club, Southern Arizona Society of Model
Engineers, Sun'N'Sand Model Railroad Club, Thunderbird Model Railroad Club.

California: Alameda County Central Railroad Society, Amtrak Employees Model Railroad Club, Angels Gate Hi-Railers, Antelope Valley Model Railroad
Club, Antelope Valley N'Scalers, Bay Area Lego Train Club, Bay Area NTRAK Model Railroad Club, Bay Area Garden Railway Society, Belmont Shore
Model Railroad Club, Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club, California Southern Model Railroad Club, Capitol City NTrak, Carquinez Model Railroad
Society, Citrus Empire Model Railroad Club, Coachella Valley Model Railroaders, Coastal Valley Lines, Corona & Temescal Canyon Railroad, Black
Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club, East Valley Lines, Eel River Valley Model Railroaders, Glendale Model Railroad Club, Gold Coast Modular Railroad
Club, Golden Empire Model Railroad Club, Golden Gate Model Railroad Club, Golden State Model Railroad Museum, Goleta Valley Railroad Club,
Group 160 Ntrak Club, San Fernando, Highland Pacific HO Model Railroad Club, High Sierra Model Railroad Club, Joshua Tree & Southern Railroad Club
& Museum, Lancaster andNorthwestern Railroad Club, Live Steam Clubs Of Southern California, Los Angeles Live Steamers, Los Angeles Live Steamers
Railroad Museum, Los Angeles Model Railroad Society, Los Angeles N-Scale Association, Modular Railroad Engineers of Ventura County, Monterey &
Salinas Valley Railroad Modeling & Historical Society, Napa Valley Model Railroaders, North Coast Narrow Gaugers, North County Model Railroad Society,
North Valley Live Steamers, Oahu Sierra Railroad Engineers, Orange Coast Railroad Club, Orange County Model Engineers, Orange County Module
Railroaders, Pasadena Model Railroad Club, Pomona Valley Model Railroad Club, Poway Station All Scale Model Rrailroad Club, Redwood Valley
Railway, Riverside Live Steamers, Roseville Roundhouse Model Railroad Club, Sacramento Model Railroad Historical Society, Sacramento Modular
Railroaders, San Diego Garden Railway Society, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego Model Railroad Club, San Diego Society Of N Scale,
San Joaquin Valley Garden Railway Society, Santa Susana Railroad Historical Society, Silicon Valley Lines, Slim Gauge Guild Model Railroad Club,
South Bay Historical Railroad Society, Southern California LEGO Train Club, Southern California N Scale Council, Southern California Traction Club,
Tehachapi Loop Railroad Club, Tri-City Society of Model Engineers, Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society, Western Sierra Model Railroad Club,

Colorado: Boulder Model Railroad Club, Coal Creek & Southern Ry, Denver Garden Railway Society, Denver HO Gauge Club, Golden, Denver N Scale
Model Railroad Club, Estes Valley Model Railroaders, Longmont Area Railroad Modelers, Pikes Peak 'N' Gineers, Rocky Mountain Railroad Club.

Connecticut:  Connecticut S Gaugers, Housatonic Model Railway Club, Mohegan - Pequot Model Railroad Club, New Haven & Derby Railroad Club,
New Haven Society Of Model Engineers, Silk City Model Railroad Club, The Stamford Model Railroad Club, Torrington Area Model Railroaders, Valley HO
Trak Model Railroad Club, Valley Ntrak of Connecticut, Delaware: Nordel Model Railroad Club.

Florida: Big Bend Model Railroad Association Tallahassee, Consolidated Model Railroaders (CMRX) Panama City, Florida Citrus Model Train Society Fort
Lauderdale, Florida Nature's Coast Model RailRoad Club Brooksville, Greater Florida LEGO Train Club, The H. B. Plant Railroad Historical Society Plant
City - Florida, Miracle Strip Model Railroad Club - Florida, Model Railroad Club Wildwood, Ocala Model Railroaders Ocala - Florida, Orlando N-Trak
Orlando, Palm Beach Model RailRoaders West Palm Beach, Pensacola Model Railroad Club Pensacola, Ridge Live Steamers Dundee, Sarasota Model
Railroad Club Sarasota, Scale Rails of Southwest Florida Fort Myers, South Plantation Train Club Plantation - Florida, Sun City Center Model Railroad
Club sun city center, Suncoast Model Railroad Club Largo, Palm Beach Model Railroaders West Palm Beach, Florida.

Georgia: Flint River Model Railroad Club Albany, Metro Atlanta N-Scalers Atlanta, Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club Warner Robins, North Georgia
Modurail Atlanta, North Georgia LEGO Train Club, Northwest Georgia NTRAK Kennesaw, GA.

Idaho: Eagle Rock Railroad Historical Society Idaho Falls, Pocatello Model Railroad & Historical Society Pocatello, Rocky Mountain Hi-Railers.

Illinois: Chicago Big Train Operators Chicago - Illinois, Chicagoland Area Garden Railway Society Chicago, Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club Chicago,
Elmhurst Model Railroad Club Elmhurst, Fox Valley O Scalers Elgin, Illinois Live Steamers, Illinois Tech Model Railroad Club Chicago, Lake Shore Model
Railroad Association Chicago, Little "Q" Model Railroad Club Aurora, Midwest 'N' Pioneer Model Railroad Club, Mississippi Valley N Scalers St. Louis,
Northwest N-Trak An N Scale, Northwest Trainmasters Model Railroad Club, Oak Park Society of Model Engineers (OPSME) Oak Park, Salt Creek Model
Railroad Club West Chicago, Stateline S Gaugers Rockford, Will County Model railroad association Joliet, IL.

Indiana: Big Train Engineers Model Railroad Club Of Indiana Indianapolis, Columbus Area Railroad Club Columbus, Indiana Live Steamers Martinsville,
Naptown & White River Model Railroad Club Indianapolis, Purdue Railroad Club, Ridge Model Railroaders Griffith, St Joseph Valley Railroad Club
Mishawaka, Union Station Railroaders Association Indianapolis, IN.

Iowa: Cedar Valley "O" Scale Modelers Cedar Falls, Central Iowa Railroad Club Des Moines, Iowa State Railroad Club Ames, IA.

Kansas:
Northeast Kansas Railroaders Atchison, Topeka Model Railroaders, Inc.  Topeka, KS.

Kentucky: K&I Model Railroad Club, Radcliff Model Railroad Association Radcliff, The shOw Modular Model Railroad Club Bowling Green, KY.

Louisiana:
Arklatex Modular Club, Baton Rouge Model Railroads Baton Rouge, Crescent City Model Railroad Club Metairie, Cresent City S-Gaugers  New Orleans,
Midsouth Railroad Club Baton Rouge. Maine: Eastern Maine Model Railroad Club Inc. East Orland, Great Falls Model Railroad Club Lewiston, Maine
Track N-Scale modular group in Southern Maine, Portland Terminal Modular Model Railroad Club Scarborough.

More groups listed on other pages.
Recommended
Model Railroad
Resources
Get all the latest model railroad news and views from the world of model
railroading. Stay up to date in the most enthralling (ok I'm biased) hobby in the
world...model railroading!
About Model Railroad Clubs
Model railroading is a wonderful hobby and great way to make friends. There
are numerous model railroad organizations you can join where you can meet
with like-minded people from all walks of life who share your passion for the
hobby of model railroading.

As a member of a model railroad club you'll have the opportunity to share ideas,
get expert advice, attend model railroad conventions, build a model railroad as
a group project, and even take railroad trips together.

Working alone does have its disadvantages, because often solutions to
problems can be hard to find without the input and experience of others. Here's
another excellent  way to get answers to your  model railroading questions.
Take all the guesswork
out of setting up the
perfect model railroad.
Easy to follow action
steps to quickly and
easily design, build,
maintain and repair a
model railroad you'll be
supremely proud of. All
explained step-by-step
at this excellent model
railroad resources
website.
Model Railroad
Questions
Answered
Model Railroad Club News
Although we can't feature every Model Railroad Club from around the globe,
we will from time to time give special mention to different clubs and model
railroad societies starting with the following clubs:

The Seattle based United Northwest Model Railroad Club has an N scale
(1:160) layout. (An N scale locomotive would have to be magnified 160 times to
equal the real thing.)

The present 24' x 12' United Northwest Model Railroad Club layout breaks
down into modules for easy take-down and transport. For Club Members it has
been a work in progress for almost 20 years. The model railroad club has
plans to extend the layout by 12' bringing it to 36'x 12'.

The United Northwest Model Railroad Club layout doesn't follow a particular
prototype or era, but instead incorporates the best elements of Pacific
Northwest railroading.

The layout has operational DCC on the outside "low line" main. The system is
North Coast Engineering.
Model Railroaders
(beginners and
experienced) were
asked to submit
questions they wanted
answered.

It was like opening the
floodgates! The
questions came in thick
and fast, including a lot
of questions on Analog
verses DCC and
advanced electronics.

Clear concise answers
to all the questions are
laid out in the Model
Train Help Ebook.
Sample  Of The
Model Railroad
Questions That
Get Answered
Here are some more interesting aspects of the United Northwest Model
Railroad Club layout:

Yard and Engine Facilities - One end encompasses the massive yard and
engine facilities, where we build and break up trains.

Mountain Area - The other end is a mountainous territory containing bridges,
tunnels, loops, and a valley.

Mainlines - There are two mainlines, one that is known as the "High Line", and
the other that is referred to as the "Low Line".

United Northwest Model Railroad Club members usually operate passenger
trains on the twisting and grade-filled High Line, and run longer freight trains on
the flatter Low Line. The model railroad layout also has a host of other smaller
switching opportunities to keep everyone busy and entertained.

The Northwest Model Railroad Club has its own excellent website to explore.
If I install a larger motor
in my locomotive will I
be able to pull more
cars?

What's wrong when a
part of the track will not
work? How do I go
about fixing it?  

Should I replace my
horn-hook couplers with
knuckle couplers?  

What is rust-busting, a
talgo truck, "head-end"
traffic, a green wave
for freight trains?

What is meant by
"code", as in code 40
track? Is a locomotive
change-over the same
as shunting?

Which rails should I
use - brass, steel or
nickel-silver?  

How do I make plastic
buildings look real? Why
do some buildings look
translucent?

Should electric feed
wires be included every
couple of feet or should
I solder rail joiners?  

What is a bridge rectifier
and what does it do?

When I buy a track
switch, what is meant
by 'No. 4 turnout' or 'No.
8 turnout'?

Running techniques for
a locomotive on a
reversing loop. What
about stopping the loco
on the loop and
throwing the switch?

What is a decoder and
can I run an analog
locomotive on a DCC
system without a
decoder?

Can I just put a decoder
in my old analog
engines?  

Are 'O-gauge' and
'O-scale' the same
thing?  

Is there a right and
wrong way to cut track?

If I have limited space
what should I leave out
from my model railroad
layout?

What is a classification
yard and how does it
work? What are the yard
options for my model
railroad?

Should I have a
run-around track and
dedicated lead track?

What's a Capacitor
Discharge Unit and a
Solenoid Motor and
what do they do?

What's the difference
between DC and DCC?

What do I need to start
or convert my analog
model railroad layout to
a DCC system?

What's the difference
between service mode
and operations mode?

Can I control turnouts
with DCC?

What's a booster? Will
the ampere rating of a
booster and power
supply limit how many
locos I can run at the
same time?  

What causes a train to
short out on a turnout?

Clear concise answers
to these questions
along with hundreds of
other model railroading
tips and ideas are
included in the  Model
Train Help Ebook.
Mobile Model Railroad Layout

The Eltham Model Railway Circle (Melbourne, Australia) was formed in 1980
and started with a small end to end layout. The model railroad has progressed
to a fully operational layout. By the Mid 1990's the club began construction of an
exhibition model railroad layout. The exhibition layout had it's first public
Showing at the Strathmore Model Railway Exhibition in August 1999.

The Eltham Model Railway Circle now has a large permanent layout as well as
an exhibition layout called "Layout Murranbilla".
Layout Murranbilla is 20ft long by 8ft
4inches wide. The model railroad
layout breaks down into 8 modules,
each 5ft 10 inches in length and 2ft
6inches wide. The legs are made
from tublular steel that are fitted into
larger square tubing screwed into
each corner.

The model railroad layout is built on
the open type timber frame, with
decking only where necessary for a
solid base for the trackwork. Hand
holds have been cut into the sides to
allow easy carrying.










The model railroad layout breaks down
into 8 modules, each 5ft 10 inches in
length and 2ft 6inches wide.
Power to the track is by way of two commercial battery chargers modified to
give a split potential power supply using the two transformers in parallel. This
allows the running of one common rail and a common return wire for the whole
model railroad layout. The controllers were originally purchased from the
Melbourne Model Railway Society and were modified by removing the jug style
of element from the circuit and replacing this with series connected diodes.
This allows for a smoother operation of locos by varying the voltage rather than
the resistance.
Model Railroad Club Makes Home In School

The Echo Valley Railway Guild in Saskatchewan, Canada has its model
railroad layout located in the basement of a local school. The club's model
railroad layout is a representation of the Crow's nest pass area of southern
British Columbia and Alberta. The CP line and the Kaslo and Slocan Railway
are modelled.

Ft. Mcleod (Mcleod) is modeled from which the line proceeds around the room
passing through Crowsnest, Moyie, Sirdar, Nelson. To do this the line passes
under the peninsula and circles twice around the room.
The Echo Valley Railway Guild strongly
support the hobby of model railroading.
It with other model railroaders has
taken on the task of producing a
regional and two divisional NMRA
conventions. The guild opens it's doors
to the school children at least once a
year. Together with the Regina Model
Railroad Club, The Echo Valley Railway
Guild have sponsored a model railroad
show.
Model Railroad Club Members Share Clever Ideas

As well as working on their own home model railroad layouts, the Prince
William County Model Railroad Club members collaborate on an
award-winning modular club layout displayed at events in Virginia & Maryland.
The club occupies part of the Historic Quantico Depot in Quantico, Virginia
where members are building an HO model railroad layout.

The model railroad club has its own website that includes several "how-to"
pages with clever ideas like these:

Broken couplers are a problem for many model railroaders and are often
caused by hitting the bumpers too hard. This problem was solved by the
addition of two small nails just before the bumpers. Placed exactly two and a
half ties from the bumper, the nails were inserted so they caught the axle of the
car and kept the coupler from hitting the bumper. This not only saved many
couplers, but is reported to have also lowered levels of frustration.
Model Railroad Club Has Helix and Waterfront Scene

The Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club began back in July 1981 as a
group of model railroaders who gathered in the back of a local Antioch,
California hobby shop. Later that year, the group decided to make things official
and were incorporated as a non-profit organization.

The Black Diamond Lines models in HO scale, which is a ratio of 1:87. This
means that if a model is 1 foot long, it represents a real-life object that is 87
feet long. (One foot, in HO scale is actually 0.137 of an inch.)

The model railroad layout occupies approximately 1500 square feet of space,
with a track elevation range from 46 inches to 82 inches above the floor.

All track is hand-laid on real wooden ties. All turnouts (switches) and crossings
are hand made in place, which represents a lot of time and skill. The railroad
club members prefer hand laying over flex track and pre-built turnouts as they
feel it has a more craftsman like quality.
Model Railroads To Visit

Flemington in New Jersey is home to "Northlanz", which has 8 actual miles of
HO model railroad track and 100+ model trains running at one time. 25 years
went into sculpting 35 foot mountains and building 40 foot bridges. The model
railroad layout features thousands of handmade buildings and over 10,000
freight cars. Incredible!

Another model railroading place worth a visit is the Pasadena Sierra Pacific
Club, located in Pasadena, CA, which operates the Sierra Pacific Lines. This is
one of the largest HO Scale operating model railroads in the world covering
almost 5000 square feet. The model railroad has over 30,000 feet of hand laid
steel rail. The 1700 foot single to quad track mainline with ten cabs allows for
operating of up to ten 30 foot trains (up to 60 cars long). Yard panels
throughout the model railroad allow for operation of another 15 to 20 model
trains. Worth a visit!
Creating a great model
railroad is both challenging
and fun …especially if you
have guidance from someone
who's been there.

Model Train Help is the perfect
resource for model railroading
enthusiasts who want
answers to everyday model
railroading questions -
including tips, clever ideas and
solutions to model railroading
problems.
Copyright © Robert Anderson and Market Leaders Ebooks. All Rights Reserved.
Help For Model Railroad Enthusiasts
Model-Railroad-Resources.com

Model Railroad Clubs
Are Well Worth Joining