National Model Railroad Association

[Anonymous]

I have been thinking about joining the NMRA, but I hear a lot of mixed reviews.[%-)]

I would like to know specifically:
1) Is it a worthwhile organization?
2) Where do they get their money other than membership dues?
3) I know they've done some good things, e.g., the RP standards and the DCC standards, but what are the advantages to an individual who joins?

[dknelson]

I have been an NMRA member for many years. Model railroading is very important to me and most of my closest friends are model railroad (or railfan) friends. I think it is important to support the one national organization that exists to serve the special interest that is so important to me.
The advantages? Well frankly the magazine Scale Rails is merely OK, as are the Regional and Divisional newsletters although those have more immediate useful news about local events but if you view your membership dues as a mere subscription price to the literature that is the wrong way to view things.
Here in Milwaukee many hobby shops offer a 10% discount to all NMRA members so it has that advantage. Maybe not all towns do that.
The NMRA offers materials and literature to members.
I think the primary reasons are the chance to be with like minded people at conventions, meets, shows, and layout tours.
Dave Nelson

[cacole]

The question of NMRA membership has been beaten to death several times on this forum, so if you search past articles you might get more opinions, both pro and con.

[Big_Boy_4005]

The NMRA is really what YOU make of it. It depends on your involvement, and the involvement of others in your area. I have been a member for almost 30 years, and when I first joined, it was a lot of fun. I have gone through long periods where I have been totally inactive, occasionally questioning why I still bother. For me it has become too much of a hassle to try to attend the local meetings because of how far away they're held, but I've come too far to quit now.

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

The NMRA is really what YOU make of it. It depends on your involvement, and the involvement of others in your area.

The NMRA Division I am in has at least 4 meeting a year. The normal turnout is only 10 to 15 out of approx 150 members[:(] When somthing special like a tour or train ride is part of a meet, this rises to 40 - 50 (sometimes more) [:)] But with less than 10 really active members, it is difficult to arrange things[8] Someone has to do the work and make the arrangements. Still we mannage to have at least one special meeting a year[:)]

[IRONROOSTER]

I have been a member for over 30 years. I support it because I think the standards are important. I've been to a couple of division meets which are fun, but haven't had the time for regionals or national conventions. Hope to change that.

On raising money, they have two collector car series. Heritage and Living Legends, these are cars decorated for the railroads of deceased and living model railroaders. They also have some other products as well.

Check out their web site http://www.nmra.org/ for more.
Enjoy
Paul

[rogerhensley]

To follow up on Paul, I'm going to write a book....

NMRA Web Site
Have you been to the NMRA web site?. It is a one stop shop for many of the things that you want or need to know about the NMRA. It is one of the best quick references for everything NMRA that you will find anywhere. What can you find there? Why should you bother? Well, here is a very brief rundown of what you will find when you work down the Navigation Bar on the left of the screen.

As a member, you can register your layout with the Pike Registry Program or see what Pike Names are registered. You'll find many more than you might think. And how about the Pass Exchange? You can find sample passes and contacts for joining if you are an NMRA member. That program even includes e-Passes (virtual electronic passes) exchanged by e-mail.

Are those too obscure for you, too far down the list? Well, starting at the top of the home page, take the 'Join or Renew Now' link and can sign up as new member or renew your own membership on the secure portion of this page. And then comes the "Home Page Topics" where you can jump to see the latest Heritage and Living Legends cars or the Beginner's Page Project which is a series of pages with a fantastic amount of information of use to the beginning model railroader (or even the more advanced type). Many of the beginner's pages are always in the top 30 pages every month for usage!

Then there are the book reproductions like Steam on the Feather River and the 1943 ORER and the InfoPak CD, the Porter Locos book and the Webmaster's Choice link. "What is the Webmaster's Choice." you ask, "and who cares?" Literally hundreds of people take that link every month. It is a modeling web site selected by the Webmaster as being something worth seeing. It is mostly related to layouts, but has included museum sites, clubs and layout hosting sites. It changes monthly and is picked for visual appearance and informational content.

Moving along there is the Home Page Photo Archive page links. Twice a month, the lead in photo on the home page is changed and the older ones placed in the archive. These are shots of layouts and models of any scale and gauge including some scaleplate. You want to see what others are doing and have done? Start here. And of course there are the NMRA News and Want Ads link and the E-Mail Lists archive link and last on the home page is the What's my old Model RR item Worth? Page where we try to help you find out where to look for the value of that piece out of the attic.

The Honors pages list the Honorary Life Member's we have in the Association and who they are. These and all other national award winners are listed. And you can use the Administrative Department pages for information and forms to contact those in charge of the various areas that you may need to contact. Next, you can find out about the benefits of being a member of the NMRA and get answers to the question of "Why Join?" on the Member Benefits page. That's followed by the link to the Member Aid Program information.

Conventions? Have we got conventions! Need info on the next National Convention, a past National Convention, The National Train Show® and regional conventions? These are the links. Not all regions put their next convention on the web, but most do.

Visit the National Organization page to find out how the Association is organized and staffed. And if you want to check out what is going on in another Region or Division, the Regions and Divisions page has links to all of the regions and divisions who have web pages. This is followed by the Education Department pages links. This includes the Achievement Program, AP Forms Page, NMRA Contests and Modeling w/the Masters pages. So you might want to get involved in the AP Program but have questions? Well, here are your answers. Everything you need to know about the AP Program is available here including the rules, in simple language, and the forms necessary are ready for printing or reading. And not to be overlooked, for Kids in Training, see the JCP Program where you will find a description of the program and many photos of kids participating.

And the Standards and RP's, plus C&I and DCC information is all available on the Technical Department pages. Like the Beginner Pages, and the AP, the Technical Department pages would be a web site to themselves on any other site.

You can wander through the pages telling you about the Kalmbach Memorial Library and its programs with some exciting things in the works for the future, and visit the Publications and see what is available on the Supplies and Collectibles pages. The largest Links page of Model Railroading and prototype railroading is on the NMRA site along with links to the various manufacturers and other information. We call it the Directory of World Wide Rail Sites. There just isn't a program available or a department that exists in the NMRA who doesn't have information on the NMRA Web Site.

And all of this was just on the home page! Imagine what treasures await you when you actually take these links and explore the pages! You can reach the NMRA web site at: http://www.nmra.org/ Remember that all of this was done by and is hosted by volunteers. It is members at work for the Association and the hobby. Come and see what is waiting for you!

Now, personally speaking, with all of this, the most important benefit to the NMRA for me is the personal contacts that you make with other modelers at local meets, shows and conventions. When I joined the NMRA, I had never heard of divisions and regions and was surprised to find the Central Indiana Division's ( http://cid.railfan.net/ ) newsletter, the Rusty Spike, show up in my mailbox. Over the years, it has kept me in contact with the friends that I have made and the activities of my division. The NMRA is the people in it who share the hobby with others whether NMRA members or not.

Although some have had bad experiences, I find the NMRA to be far more positive than negative and recommend it to anyone to give it a try.

Roger Hensley
NMRA Webmaster

[Anonymous]

Roger, Great job of explaining what the NMRA is and what it provides for it's members! I would join, if the cost wasn't what I consider to be to much. In 89 when I got active in Model Railroading again, the cost was around $25-$30.00. Now it is $45.00. When I was active in Radio Control Airplanes, membership in the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) was in the $45-$55.00 range. Along with the benefit of an advocate's voice addressing the legal & political issues confronting this hobby, a member received one of the better model airplane publications available and liability insurance coverage to help protect a member when he was flying.

I am sure the NMRA is not bilking it's members, however, why is membership this expensive?

[rogerhensley]

The HQ building, paid office and library staff, the monthly Scale Rails/Bulletin magazine, insurance, maintenance, phone lines, ISP fees, legal fees for various activities like the UP copyright claim and DCC claims, start up and up front fees for publishing and special runs cars and NMRA items such as the track gauges, etc.

These are just the ones that I know about. Remember, if you are in an active area with good communications, you can join for about half without Scale Rails/Bulletin if you wish. I don't recommend that unless you are in an area with an active region/division.

Hope this helped.

[Anonymous]

I've been a member of the NMRA for ten years. I sign up for the basic membership (without the Bulletin) and I also support the regional by paying additional dues. I don't care if I don't use the benifits (sometimes I do), I'm supporting an non-profit organization dedicated to making model railroading more enjoyable in many ways. I also get a 10% discount at some hobby shops for belonging to a modeling group. Check with your LHS.
For less than what I pay in one months Union dues at my job, I can belong the Model Railroaders Union for a year.

[Hudsonmike]

I been a member for 0ver18 years ,
The main reason was for a discount on Insurance on my collection.
Your home insurance doesn't cover your collection.
Although the member ship is rather costly It is still off sets the cost of my insurance.and they have a great library .

[DTomajko]

I have been a member of the NMRA since 1990 and agree with many of the positives listed above. I am lucky in that in the Pittsburgh area the local division is very active.Meetings are held ten months of the year and are at different places each time.Most of the meetings are hosted by clubs but occassionally a local museum or live steam group will host a meeting. Most meetings will include a slide show or hands-on clinic or other special event,(like a trolley ride at a museum).There is also an annual day long Jamboree with many clinics presented and dinner with a guest speaker.The next day there are self-guided layout tours.The best thing about local meetings,regional & national conventions is meeting and getting to know people with a shared love of model railroading who are always willing to help beginner and expert alike. I have found that working weekends now and missing local meetings has resulted in a decrease in my modeling interest. In the end, you have to decide for yourself, but maybe try joining for a year or two to see if it's something you'll enjoy.Good luck and good modeling.