Museums & sig groups and the hobby

[trolleyboy]

Good evening everybody, this could have been a poll but I was thinking it would make for a better info thread instead. I'm wondering how many of us are influenced by train related museums or sig groups or historical societies.All give great info to help us better our layouts or expand our knowledge of our favorite roads. since my wife and I joined the hcry i have got to operate real equipment and see how the "real" trains work, and it's made me rethink certain aspects of the layout.A happy byproduct has been many new freinds and more knowledge to share with others.It feels good seeing young and old smile and enjoy themselves and to actually try to preserve rail history and heritage.Has anyone else out there found the same thing. I thought we could reminise here but also post the web addresses etc of your museums etc.i've found that most of these societies are shroestring budgeted but do hold a weakllth of proto type info and pictures etc which we all can benefit from. thanks for your time. I'll start the ball off with the museum i belong to and look forward to seeing the others. Rob www.hcry.org

[Jetrock]

I volunteer regularly at the California State Railroad Museum, and also spend some time at the Western Railway Museum. I also belong to my county's historical society and all three are influences on my model railroading. I highly recommend volunteering at your local railroad museum--if for no other reason than because you get in free! The chance to have access to museum materials, as well as gaining the benefits of community with other railroad fans and model railroaders, are invaluable.

Western Railway Museum http://www.wrm.org
California State Railroad Museum http://www.wrm.org
Sacramento Historical Society http://www.sachistoricalsociety.org
Sacramento History Online http://sacramentohistory.org/ (lots of old steam photos!)

[CBQ_Guy]

I belong to the Burlington Route Historical Society,
http://www.burlingtonroute.com/

I am also somewhat involved with the Union Depot Museum in Mendota, IL.
http://mendotamuseums.org/

They have a nice HO scale layout representing Mendota, and the three railroads serving them, in 1940: CB&Q, IC and MILW.

As I learn more about my prototype, it can be fun to try and incorporate that into my layout plan, models, or ops scenario . . . or not. You can also get many of your prototype specific questions answered, and many times even expanded upon, by asking on a historical society's email list or forum. [^]