National Model Railroad Month

[rogerhensley]

I received this message today and decided to share my answer
with the group.

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 23:29:18 EST <Barb> writes:
> It is my understanding that November is model railroad month.
> Do you have a web site where I could get further information?

There is no site for National Model Railroad Month that I am aware of. There is a site for the new 'World's Greatest Hobby' program at http://www.greatesthobby.com/ The older program started by
Kalmbach Publishing (Model Railroader and Trains magazine) was the National Model Railroad Month where the hobby would be promoted prior to the Christmas season which is the traditional
startup time for the model railroad hobby.

Now, that said, I can tell you that a number of groups are doing things to promote the hobby during the month. Our Central Indiana Division, NMRA is holding a free open Meet where everyone is welcome to talk trains, view display models and operating layouts and see clinics including one for the kids where they can assemble a model boxcar with parental and division members help. They get to keep the model when they are finished. See: http://cid.railfan.net/
This is in conjunction with a local Lions Club Pancake Breakfast which exposes the hobby to more non modelers than would otherwise be the case.

A number of clubs are holding open houses and several divisions are doing train shows this month. One division in Atlanta, is holding a month long series of open layouts, one or two each weekend day during the entire month of November.

I hope that this has helped.

[dknelson]

When I started in the hobby the magazines would pu***he idea of National Model Railroad Month much more than they do now. I was always under the impression that it was an NMRA idea.
Clubs were encouraged to hold open houses, and I remember my folks' church would traditionally hold a November "father and son" night (sorry girls -- we are talking late 1950s here) where some rather old Kalmbach films would be shown, a Kalmbach pamphlet would be given away ("Your Introduction to Scale Model Railroading" and I can still recite verbatim some of the articles and picture captions, so avidly did I read it), and the church's priest would show some of his HO models that he bought when stationed in Japan. I particularly remember a NYC Hudson, an early brass model. It took me a few years but seeing those models is what made me want to switch from Lionel to HO. I am glad I did but I sure wish I still had those beautiful Lionel trains! For that matter I also still wish I had my old Marx windup trains. (sigh).

I think November is still a traditional month for train shows. Here in Milwaukee we celebrate National Model Railroad Month with the annual Trainfest at State Fair Park, this year Nov 8-9. This is not a swap meet but a mix of operating layouts, dealers, displays, manufacturers, and a chance to see thousands of model railroaders and railfans have a good time. The trains.com website has a new feature on Milwaukee restaurants and hobby shops you can visit if you decide to take it in but we aware that most hobby shops pretty much move their inventory to train fest for the two days.
Happy National Model Railroad Month.
Dave Nelson