May/June 2024

President's Message

Gordy Robinson MMR®

The NMRA's 2024 National Convention is only a few short months away but there is still time to make your plans to attend. Model railroaders from across the world will bring their creativity and camaraderie to Long Beach, CA. Whether novice or expert, workshops and clinics hosted by fellow model railroaders offer invaluable insights into the many aspects of our hobby.

Connect with model railroaders worldwide, forging lasting friendships and sharing in the joy of trains. Peruse great deals at the National Train Show and catch up on the latest innovations from hobby manufacturers, from rolling stock to scenic materials. There are going to be lots of new things for you to see and experience. Don't miss this ultimate gathering of enthusiasts, where imagination knows no bounds. Whether a lifelong aficionado or curious newcomer, join the excitement and board the train to Surfliner 2024. Register today at surfliner2024.org.

I hope to see you all in Long Beach this August 4-11 for the NMRA National Convention and National Train Show.

Best Wishes

Gordy

Gordy Robinson MMR®

NMRA President

Surfliner 2024 NMRA National Convention

Pat Raymer

President, PSR

Hi everybody! In this edition of the eBulletin I would like to feature a few of the wonderful layouts that will be available to tour at the SurfLiner 2024 NMRA National Convention. We are offering layout tours by motor coach Monday through Friday during the convention. All will be full day tours with the exception of Friday, which will be a half-day tour in the afternoon. This tour will consist of nearby layouts in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. This will allow you to enjoy the "registrants only" portion of the National Train Show in the hotel in the morning, and still see some great layouts in the afternoon.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store...

The Pasadena Model Railroad Museum’s Sierra Pacific Lines – HO Scale

The Pasadena Model Railroad Museum was recently featured in the NMRA Magazine. It's a point-to-point layout with three main yards capable of storing over 1200 cars with 4 branch lines. Computer monitors show the location of all trains on the main line, and regular operating sessions and switching sessions are held. This layout is a must-see!

Morrie Fleishman’s Mitchell Falls & Staunton RR – F Scale

The MF&S RR is a G Gauge, or F Scale, garden railroad that was started in 2013. It consists of over 300 feet of track, featuring short trains and locomotives, operating in a 1930’s setting. The layout features logging and mining operations with the central feature being a large mountain with a waterfall and a pond. This is a joint venture between husband and wife, as Morrie runs the railroad, and Roberta creates the scenes and landscaping.

Don Julien’s DJ&C Railroad – HO Scale

The DJ&C Railroad is set in a somewhat mountainous region and consists of a variety of road names (2 of UP and ATSF, 1 each of CN, CP, and Southern).

The layout consists of a single line dog-bone laid out in a spaghetti bowl manner, looping back and forth over itself several times (3 levels) in order to get as much track as possible within a somewhat small space. However, the mountainous terrain and tunnels help to disguise the back and forth looping.

Joel Morse’s New York, Ontario & Western – N Scale

This proto-lanced point to point layout models the NYOW main line through the rolling hills of New York’s Catskill Mountains in the spring of 1954. Traffic consists of dairy products, coal, bluestone granite, farm products, produce, wood chemical products and a variety of manufactured goods. This E-shaped, folded dog-bone layout includes a 10-track staging yard representing the Division points of Cadosia and Norwich on the NYOW, a hidden track representing a connection to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad and a 9-track staging yard representing the DL&W mainline at Binghamton and Syracuse. All this staging allows for the 7 operators to run a variety of train types, with a typical session handling 15 to 20 trains.

Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers – HO, HOn3 Scale

The HPSMRE was founded on April 1st, 1948 in Highland Park, but has been located in its current San Gabriel location since October 1962. Our model railroad layout, lounge and work spaces are located in a one-bedroom house that has been remodeled and expanded throughout our history.

The layout depicts the fictitious Highland Pacific Railroad and contains approximately 3,500 feet of track (nearly 58 scale miles) featuring two roundhouses, multiple rail yards and rail-served businesses, a narrow and dual gauge section, and traction interurban lines. It's operated with a Centralized Traffic Control system.

As I am sure you can see, these are some of the outstanding layouts in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and this is only a small sampling. We will also be offering self-drive tours, especially of some more distant layouts. I am pleased to tell you that the San Diego Model Railroad Museum has offered free admission to the museum for our convention registrants for the entire week of the convention. The SurfLiner 2024 is rapidly approaching, and we are looking forward having you on board!

Pat Raymer

Chairman, SurfLiner 2024 NMRA National Convention

Leadership Expectations and Responsibilities

The NMRA is not a single large block of model railroaders. It is formed from the Regions and Divisions that provide activities, education, resources, and fellowship at the local level. The Presidents and Superintendents of those Regions and Divisions play a crucial role in the success of the NMRA. To assist those important people, the NMRA website has a number of valuable resources.

Two new documents are available which lay out the expectations and responsibilities for people in leadership positions at both levels:

Region Presidents and Superintendents – Expectations and Responsibilities

and

Division Superintendents – Expectations and Responsibilities

The Regions and Divisions Handbook is a page giving access to more than a dozen documents useful for local leadership and members. There are also links to the two documents above.

There is also a Division Superintendents' Handbook specifically tailored to the needs of that position.

Take advantage of these resources to improve and grow your NMRA.

Volunteers Needed

Education Department

The Education Department is looking for volunteers to help in the Data Sheet program, including chairing the program.

Data sheets have been an important online reference offered to members by the NMRA for many decades. Subjects include tools and adhesives, scenery, track, yard design, motive power, rolling stock, online and commercial structures, electrical components, layout wiring, operations, as well as prototype information. Individual data sheets are reviewed and updated periodically for currency and accuracy.

The chair will work with the Education Department Head, Michael Hohn, MMR®, to carry out review and promotion of the Data Sheet program. Tasks would include organizing the review of data sheets, updating current data sheets, working with the NMRA Information Technology Department on the data sheet web pages, and reporting progress and benefits of the program to members.

If you value information, consider yourself organized, and like working with people, please consider this volunteer opportunity. If you have questions, or would like to volunteer, please contact Michael Hohn (educate@nmra.org).

We’re Looking for a Few Good Layouts…

Gerry Leone MMR®

NMRA Calendar Editor

Photography and HO scale modeling by Larry Blaylock, Kansas City, Missouri

...12 to be exact! You’re proud of your model railroad. Why not share it by submitting a photo or two for the 2025 edition of the NMRA Model Railroad Calendar? The calendar is distributed to every U.S. member as a fundraising project. To have your layout photo considered for inclusion, just follow these easy steps:

Take a horizontal (landscape) photo of your layout.
Submit your photo as a digital file. Files must be at least 300 pixels per inch and 8” x 12” (at least 8.6 megapixels – larger is better). Accepted file types are tiff (preferred) or jpg (highest quality only).
Write a caption describing the action in your shot, the scale, the builder, and the photographer. Include that information as a text or .doc file.
Include your name, address, phone number and email address.
Please limit your entries to no more than your four best scenes.
Submit your photo and text files for free at wetransfer.com.

If you don’t see the “Upload files” box (shown below) click on the “I just want to send files” link at the bottom of the page. Follow these steps:

Click (+) Upload files. Locate and add your files.
Email to: scwd.email@gmail.com
Add your email address.
Add the title: 2025 Calendar.
Add your name, address & phone number.
Click the transfer button. You will receive a confirmation email.

Note: By submitting images for the NMRA Calendar, you are giving permission to the editors to alter them as needed (cropping, smoke and lighting effects, etc.). Please indicate specifically if you do NOT give permission to alter your images.

Photos must be submitted by July 15, 2024 for consideration.

NMRA Gallery Third Anniversary Celebration

John Stevens

Howell Day Museum Department Manager

Hello, my name is John Stevens, the Howell Day Museum Department Manager (HDMDM). My primary duty is overseeing The Magic of Scale Model Railroading Gallery, which opened on April 6, 2021 at the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) in Sacramento.

Getting to opening day was truly an adventurous undertaking that took much longer than any of us anticipated when the project was started. It wouldn’t have happened without the support of corporate sponsors, major donors, and members like you who donated money to the project. Unfortunately, the Gallery didn’t get the celebration that it deserved when it opened in April, 2021 due to the COVID restrictions imposed by the State of California.

When I took over as the HDMDM in late 2021, one of my goals was to have a proper celebration of the Gallery. Even this took longer to plan than I thought it would. Once the Gallery was open to the public, we determined that we needed to make some changes near the entrance and the exit to improve the visitor’s experience. That work has been completed and we are now ready to hold the NMRA Gallery Third Anniversary Celebration on July 31, 2024 at the CSRM – and you are invited to attend!

We’ll start at 10:15 PDT in the Museum theater. We’ll spend about 45 minutes to an hour in the Theater and then will proceed up to the Gallery. After the Gallery visit, we’ll move to one of the local restaurants for refreshments.

If you wish to attend this event, please RSVP at museum@nmra.org no later than July 15, 2024. Your name will be placed on a VIP List located at the check-in area of the CSRM, and you will be given complimentary access to the event. The museum opens at 10:00 PDT so please allow sufficient time to check in and move to the theater. Space is limited.

If you can’t attend the celebration, you can find information about the Gallery online. There is a video tour of the Gallery presented by former President Charlie Getz, and a magazine article about building the gallery.

I hope to see you at the Celebration. Whether you can be there or not, I want to thank you for your support of the Gallery.

John Stevens

2024 NMRA Election Results

Mike Cummings

NMRA Secretary

The following have won their elections for a three-year position starting at the summer Board of Directors meeting in Long Beach, California in August.

President Gordy Robinson

Vice President Rick Coble

At Large North American Director Chris Palermo

Eastern District Director John Doehring

Pacific District Director Brad Anderson

Thank you to all members that ran for office, and took the time to vote either electronically or by written ballot. I encourage all members to consider serving in any capacity at the Division, Region or National level.

Mike Cummings

Secretary NMRA

Upcoming Conventions

May 2-4 Around The Bend, South Bend, IN (MWR)
May 16-19 North Coast Limited 2024, Cleveland, OH (MCR)
May 16-19 Sawdust City Hauler, Eau Claire, WI (TLR)
May 22-26 Surrey Excursion 2024, Surrey, BC Canada (PNR)
June 13-15 Grand Island Express, Grand Island, NE (MCoR)
June 20-23 River Rails 2024, Decatur, AL (SER)
Aug 4-11 Surfliner 2024 NMRA National Convention, Long Beach, CA (NMRA)
Sept 19-22 Lakeshores '24, Rochester, NY (NER)
Oct 10-13 North Central Express 2024, Northville, MI (NCR)
Oct 11-13 Sunshine Region Convention, TBD (SSR)
Oct 17-20 Piedmont Junction, Durham, NC (MER)
Oct 25-27 79th NMRA British Region Convention 2024, Berkshire, UK

Partnership Program

The companies listed below give discounts to NMRA members when orders are placed using a special discount code. Newly added companies are in bold red. Check them out! You can find descriptions of these companies and their products, links to their websites, and the discount codes on our Partnership Page at nmra.org/partnerships . Remember you need to be logged into our site as a member to see the codes! Go to nmra.org/user/register to register your name on the website.

Bespoke Rail

CatzPaw Innovations

CB Train Junction

Clever Models

Custom Model Railroads CMR

Coastmans Scenic Products

Composite Designs

Conowingo Models

Cowcatcher Magazine

Daylight Sales

Deepwoods Software

Deluxe Materials

Diorama Hobbies

Dwarvin Enterprises

East Coast Circuits

Enterprise&National Car Rentals

Evan Designs

Feight Studios

Fusion Scale Graphics

Gatorfoam

Great Decals!

Green Frog Productions

Highways and Byways Model Railroad Graphics

Hot Wire Foam Factory

Ipswich Hobbies

ITLA Scale Models

K.I.S.S. Method

LaBelle Woodworking

LARC Products

Logic Rail Technologies

MAC Rail

Micro-Mark

Mine Mount Models

Miniprints

Model Train Catalogue

Modelers Decals & Paint

Motrak Models

MRC (Model Rectifier Corp)

MrTrain.com

Mudd Creek Models

New Creations Victorian Railroad Building

Nick and Nora Designs

Northlandz

NScaleWorks

Old Depot Gallery

Old West Scenery

R & J Details

Ram Track

RR-CirKits

Scale Model Plans

Scale Railroad Models

Scenery Solutions

Showcase Miniatures

T-TRAK by Denniston

Team Track Models

The Model Railroad Benchwork Store

The N Scale Architect

Tichy Train Group

Touch of the Brush Weathering

Train Installations

Train Show, Inc.

Trainmasters TV/MRH Store

Trainz

TSG Multimedia

UGEARS

USA Airbrush Supplies/Badger

White Rose Hobbies

WiFi Model Railroad

Yelton Models

Coming soon to all members

Rob Caves' Christmas Tree Lane Model Railroad Society
Steel Benchwork
Why Standards Matter: S-9: General Electrical & DCC Requirements
Are Exhibition Layouts More Creative?
Why 1/48 (O) Scale?
Model Railroad Scale Conversion

Did you miss?

Thanks to volunteer Tom Bensberg, all NMRA eBulletins and NMRA Dispatches are archived on the NMRA website. Here are a few links to items you may have missed.

Announcements

Grouper Launch

Dispatches

Announcing the NMRA Interchange! 2023-01

eBulletin articles

National Train Show Relocation March/April issue
Estate Planning July/August issue
Instructions for joining the Interchange March/April, 2023 issue
Have an event coming up? Let the NMRA calendar(s) know! Jan/Feb 2021 issue
NMRA Digital Magazine FAQs Jan/Feb 2022 issue

Editor: John Bate, Canadian District Director

The NMRA eBulletin is an official bi-monthly production of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. Publishing Department (Riley Triggs, Manager). Its purpose is to keep every NMRA member informed about organization news and events. If you know of an NMRA member who is not receiving this mailing, please direct them to nmra.org/members to update their email address. If you no longer wish to receive these mailings, please don't mark them as spam. Instead, click the safe Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. ©2021 National Model Railroad Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1328, Soddy Daisy TN 37384.

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