Model railroading is a wonderful hobby and an excellent 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.
Although we can't feature every Model Train 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 train 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.
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.
MobileRailroad 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 railway 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.
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 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.
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.
Hobby groups in the USA include:
(more clubs listed on other pages)
Nevada: Southern Nevada N-Trakers, Clark County, Nevada.
North Carolina: Cape Fear Model Railroad Club Inc
Wilmington, Carolina Coastal Railroaders New Bern, Carolina Model Railroaders
Greensboro, Hinkle's Lionel Trains Lionel collector and operator in the Charlotte,
League Of Non Aligned Modelers Raleigh & Boone, Neuse River Valley Model
Railroad Club Raleigh, North Raleigh Model Railroad Club Raleigh, Piedmont and
Western Model Railroad Club Valdese, Sipping and Switching Society of North
Carolina Raleigh & Boone, Triad Live Steamers 7.5" gauge Live Steam Club
Farmington, Waynesborough Model Railroad Club Goldsboro, Wilson Area Railroad
Modelers Inc. Wilson, NC.
Ohio: Burning River 'N' Society Cleveland, C.A.N.S.
(Columbus Area N Scalers) Columbus, Carillon Park Rail & Steam Society Dayton,
Central Ohio Model Railroad Club Columbus, Central Ohio N-Trak Columbus, Central
Ohio S Gaugers Columbus, Cooke Road Train Crew Columbus, Crossroads Railroad Club
Vandalia - Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley S Gauge Association Cleveland, Cuyahoga Valley and
West Shore Model Railroad Club Olmsted Falls, Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway
Society, The Hocking Valley Model Railroaders Lancaster, Janis Junction Model
Railroad Club Columbus, Lake Shore Live Steamers Cleveland, North Coast N-scalers,
Pittsburgh & Ohio Northern Railroad Club Ada, The Sebring Model Railroad Club
Sebring, Swanton area railroad and model club inc. swanton, Travelin' Trainmen of
North Central Ohio North Central Ohio, Tri-State NTRAK Cincinnati, Youngstown Model
Railroad Club Youngstown, Ohio.
Oklahoma: Central Oklahoma Model Railroad Club Oklahoma
City, Claremore and Southern Railroad Club Claremore, Grenn Country Model
Railroaders Green Country Model Railroad Assoc - Oklahoma, Locomotive Operators of
Central Oklahoma, North Central Oklahoma Rail Road Club Ponca City, Northeast
Oklahoma N Scale Tulsa, Oklahoma O Scalers Oklahoma City - Oklahoma, SouthWest
Oklahoma Railroad Association Duncan, Southwestern Live Steamers.
Oregon: Aloha and Western Oregon Lines HO Model Railroad
Club Aloha, Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Club Portland, Corvallis Society of Model
Engineers Adair Village, Greater Portland LEGO Railroaders Portland, Over The Hill
Live Steamers Chiloquin, Pacific Northwest Division of the Toy Train Operating
Society Seattle & Portland, Pacific Northwest Livesteamers Molalla, Rose City
Garden Railway Society - Portland, South Coast Model Railroaders North Bend -
Oregon, Train Mountain Railroad Museum Chiloquin, OR.
Pennsylvania: Track2, Allegheny Northern Railroad Club, The
AMRS Hazleton, Capital PenNScalers Harrisburg, Carnegie Mellon Railroad Club
Pittsburgh, Chelten Hills Model Railroad Club Elkins Park, DARN NTRAK, East Penn
Traction Club Philadelphia, GATSME Lines Fort Washington, Great All Saints Model
Train Display Pittsburgh, Keystone N Trak model railroad club Kulpsville, Keystone
Model Railroad Historical Society Mechanicsburg, Keystone Chapter of European
Trains Enthusiasts Marietta, Lehigh Valley Large Scalers Lehigh Valley - Allentown,
Lower Anthracite Model Railroad Club - Shamokin, McKeesport Model Railroad Club,
Nazareth Area Society of Model Engineers Stockertown, North Penn S Gaugers
Lansdale, Penn State Model Railroad Club University Park, Reading Society Of Model
Engineers Reading, Southeastern Pennsylvania HO Modular Railroaders Willow Grove,
St. Alban's Railroad Fellowship Newtown Square, Strasburg Model Railroad Club
Lancaster, Western Pennsylvania Railroad Society Hickory, Western Pennsylvania
Model Railroad Museum Gibsonia, Williamsport North Branch Railroad Historical
Society Hughesville, Youngwood Historical & Railroad Museum Youngwood,
Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island: Providence Model Railroad Club Providence,
Rhode Island Central Railroad Providence, RI Providence.
South Dakota: James Valley Model RailRoad Association
Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Tennessee:
Chattanooga Area Model RR Club Chattanooga, Mid-South Live Steamers Columbia -
Tennessee, Nashville NTrak Nashville - Tennessee.
