What are the advantages to joining the National Model Railroad Association? Is it worth it for the lone wolf?
Richard
The NMRA has a reduced membership fee for new people, it is worth joining at this reduced rate to find out for yourself if it is worth the cost.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
NP2626 The NMRA has a reduced membership fee for new people, it is worth joining at this reduced rate to find out for yourself if it is worth the cost.
I missed that when I was looking at the site. $9.95 for six months. Sounds like a deal to me. I would still be interested in the value others are getting from membership.
I joined back in the 70's, member ever since. I too am a lone wolf by definition, but I attend the NMRA and region conventions, etc. and have found the membership "worth its weight in gold". I don't get to meetings very often, but usually am on tour when the convention is in our city, I even complted the requirement and received my NMRA membership. Give it a try, you might really like it.
Bob
I have been a member for 40+ years. By any definition I am a lone wolf modeler.
My reasons for being a member include:
Supporting the standards that benefit the hobby.
The monthly magazine
Various district meets I have attended off and on over the years.
The odd program such as the Heritage and Living Legends cars and a number of books produced or reprinted.
There's more than this, that you can participate in as well. Some folks are deep into the Achievement Program. Others into contests. Etc.
Like any special interest organization, you get more out of it when you participate more.
With the low intro fee you can give it a try without spending a lot. Do get to a division/regional/national meet of two.
Good luck
Paul
I too have been a member for over 40 years. The NMRA provides lots of useful info in the form of the STANDARDS and RECOMMENDED PRACTICES, as well as the DATA SHEETS which are being revised and improved as we speak.
It has always been my view that the membership was well worth it, and I'm not even a convention goer.
It is because of the NMRA that all the different products work so well together, especially in HO and N scale, so the price of membership is a small "give back" for that, even if you don't "get" a whole lot directly the "minute" you join.
Many new guys don't realize, but many times when older modelers like myself answer questions on these forums, those answers came from stuff learned via the NMRA in one way or another - like the old data sheets I still have that came in my membership packet in 1969, or convention clinics, or through doing stuff for the achievement program.
Personally I do believe that if most modelers belonged to the NMRA, our products would be even better and the industry would be stronger, which would benefit us all.
From where I sit, if you can afford this hobby, you can afford an NMRA membership, and it is worth every penny.
Sheldon
Only you can tell if it will be worth it. Try it once.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
you may be interested in reading the section on the NMRA in The Sociology of Model Railroading. There is a review on the Charles Copper's Railway Pages.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
The main thing is to set time aside and attend the monthly division meeting since they usually have club or home layout tours..Plus,you get to meet other modelers and some members become long time friends.Some divisions even have various modeling clinics.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
kind of like going to union meetings and church services for me. i don't believe everything they say, but i do enjoy the fellowship.
charlie
The NMRA dues can be sort of expensive. I have been an NMRA member 'off & on' through the late 60's/70's80's. I was a firm believer that 'I did not need a license to play with model trains'. I kept re-joining the NMRA when I wanted to attend a Region Meet.
I have been a 'Life Member' since 1997, so have been immune from the dues increases over the years. Was that $450+ I spent back then worth it? I value being able to attend Division/Regional/National events.
Have you noted that I 'give' back to model railroading as well as 'take' my fair share? Part of what is great about this hobby is the 'social' aspect. One of the things I see from many 'Lone Wolf' modelers who attend a Division meeting for the first time - They are 'talking' all the time - They finally met someone else just like them! The Internet and even this Forum are great ways to meet folks and learn stuff, but 'face time' with other modelers is just as important. That yearly 'dues' pays for a lot of stuff - You just have to take the time to 'use' it.
Jim Bernier - NMRA Life Member
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
gregc you may be interested in reading the section on the NMRA in The Sociology of Model Railroading.
you may be interested in reading the section on the NMRA in The Sociology of Model Railroading.
I have been a member since 1980. I owned a Model Railroad Shop back then and was told that I should be in the NMRA for all the good that it did.
Why?
My division is very active and I have spent many enjoyable hours attending meets and regional conventions.
I was the Chief Clerk of the Central Indiana Division, MWR, NMRA for several years. Is the NMRA worth it? i would say yes. When I fell on 'bad times' a number of years ago, I dropped the subscriptions to the several modeling and railfan magazines that I was taking, but I kept my membership in the NMRA. Why? Well. I joined to return something to the hobby that I was a part of. I felt that by supporting the NMRA, I WAS supporting the hobby.
When the bad times came and I closed my hobby shop, it was the NMRA Bulletin and the CID 'Rusty Spike' that kept me in touch with the hobby even when their wasn't the money to go to the shows and meets and nothing available to buy anything for my railroad. Some of the tips and techniques that I found in the 'Bulletin' helped keep me modeling with an occasional bottle of paint and some common household items.
That said, I will invite you to make a visit to our website at: http://cid.railfan.net for a look at the activities that we have including a meet photo album with pictures taken at out meets. We also have a page of club listings and photos from a number of layouts.
I feel that the NMRA Bulletin is worth the price of admission alone and it is constantly improving. In our case, the Central Indiana Division sends our newsletter the 'Rusty Spike' free to all NMRA members in the CID. That isn't the case in all NMRA regions and divisions.
I have been a member since 1980 and have had my layout open for more than one layout tour, and I have found a richness with my involvement that I never knew before.
Some common questions:
Q) I know about the history of the NMRA, but what has the NMRA done for the hobby lately?
A) DCC Standards and RPs
Q) What can I do to get different locos from different manufacturers to run together?
A) Use DCC
Q) I'm in N scale. What has the NMRA done for N scale lately?
A) Same answer, DCC.
All of this doesn't ignore the facts that others have put forth. It's just my limited talk about the NMRA.
Roger Hensley= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html == Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ =
Thank You for this post, I am also a lone-wolf, and was thinking of joining. I did not know about the new member discount rate, to try it out. I am going to give it a try, and see what happens.
-Steven
SmithSr gregc you may be interested in reading the section on the NMRA in The Sociology of Model Railroading. That's one heck of an essay. Thank you!
I met the author about 10-15 years ago. He lives (or lived) in the LA area and he is (or was) a very bitter old man. So take it with a grain of salt. Much of what he writes about are simply sour grapes.
His own layout is (or was) quite a jumble and he railed about other people and hobby institutions during my entire visit (it was open on a tour). I was relieved to leave.
gregc you may be interested in reading the section on the NMRA in The Sociology of Model Railroading. There is a review on the Charles Copper's Railway Pages.
Whoa there...is it just me or does that person obsess much? It's an interesting read, but I think it says more about the author's insecurities than it does about the various institutions he flays at length.
The NMRA isn't for everyone. Those who view their membership as a two-way street seem to find value. Those who seem to think the NMRA should fulfill the validation missing elsewhere in their personal lives should probably consider savings their dues and investing in counseling instead.
That said, I'm a member and an officer in our local division. We've been rebuilding a mostly defunct division a little at a time by focusing on the fun of model railroading. The organization described in the lengthy article is virtually unrecognizable in practice, but some folks do have over active imaginations.
All I can say is that the NMRA is like most other volunteer-led organizations. It depends very much on who shows up and who contributes. If you're not part of the solution in the organizational deficiencies you're likely part of the problem.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I have been a member of the NMRA since 2004 (I think) and am now the Superintendent of the Lakeshores Division, Niagara Frontier Region.
I will credit most of the knowledge I have gained in the hobby to being able to interact with others in the hobby. much of that has been through the Division and Region of the NMRA. I have met some of the finest modelers in the world through the organization and feel that it has been worth every penny of my dues. The magazine alone is worth the entire price of membership.
I am working my way through the Achievement Program and have earned the Golden Spike Award and the Electrical, Scenery, Civil Engineering, Volunteer, and Association Official Certificates. Need two more (probably Cars and Structures) for my Master Model Railroader. I am one who has had a lot of fun working the program!
Yes there are people both within and outside the NMRA who hate the organization for mostly some perceived reasons (there are two types of problems in this world Perceived problems and real problems, the difference is you can solve real problems), but these are the same people who manage to see only the problems in any organization and seldom take any time to volunteer to make things better... (I have a couple in my division who are like that.)
Do get on board with a Railpass membership! Great way to find out more about the organization. BTW I believe that over 80% of those who did get a Railpass ended up joining as full members when the 6 months was up. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain (even as a "Lone Wolf"). One of my most active and helpful new members was a "Lone Wolf" for decades in the hobby. Joined the NMRA is is having a great time in my division. He has yet to miss a Meet since he joined! He is also a fine modeler and has been enjoying bringing models to our programs...
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
mlehmanI think it says more about the author's insecurities than it does about the various institutions he flays at length
You would know that for sure if you spent five minutes with him. Some call him the UnaBruce (like the Unabomber, who also wrote a manifesto).
I do not think that anyone should be promoting his warped views in forums by posting links.
The manifesto for sure does not reflect the reality of the NMRA that I have experienced. Or anything else he spewed about, really.
I'd suggest you join. If it wasn't for the NMRA, regionals and the national convention would not exist. When I first started in the hobby, I went to a regional convention, and I got so much out of it. A couple years later I went to the national convention and had the time of my life! There isn't anything like the train show at the national convention! I'm a lone wolf too, but you can meet a lot of great people at these conventions.
I bought my railpass yesterday. I looked for local activities and found the next meeting of the Arizona division is in Flagstaff in June, about a 2.5 hour drive from our house. I may try to make it. If nothing else, it will allow us to escape the summer heat of Phoenix. The flyer for the meeting says there is a $7.00 registration fee. Is this normal? Is this how the local division is funded? I did find it slightly humorous that the morning clinic is "How Do We Get Younger Folks Involved?" given the rather emotional thread on the same topic a while back. Heck, I may even bring the mountain bikes.
RideOnRoad I The flyer for the meeting says there is a $7.00 registration fee. Is this normal? Is this how the local division is funded?
I The flyer for the meeting says there is a $7.00 registration fee. Is this normal? Is this how the local division is funded?
Don't know why there is a fee, the Regions and Divisions are supposed to be funded out of the National Fee, it did not used to be that way years ago when you paid the National, Region and Division dues each year.
Rick J
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Conventions often have a fee attached. There are expenses to holding a convention on any significant scale: room rental; printing; refreshments; expenses for invited clinicians in some cases.
If you get a good convention for $7, it'll leave you feeling satisfied for a lot longer than a fast food meal you could have bought with the same cash. And there are zero calories if you stay away from the donut table...
Yes, regions and some divisions have separate, nominal dues. But these aren't really intended to cover convention and other special event costs in many cases. Most look at it being a case of charging the convention user upfront for its costs, rather than rolling the convention costs into everyone's dues. Given many older members can no longer travel, that would be unfair to them.
Joining the NMRA is like joining a gym. You get out of it what you put into it. Otherwise, don't be disappointed by the results.
As to a fee to attend a division meet, that is just a nominal amount to cover the cost of the meeting hall, and any refreshments (if provided).
Half the fun of a division meet is the socializing. Just talking about things, or going out as a group for lunch before the layout tours. It is a good way to meet people, learn things, and see new techniques and ideas. Plus be challenged by some excellent modellers.
It was said that the biggest mistake the NMRA ever made was to make the magazine (NMRA Magazine) an option. It is the communications medium of the organization and that allowed people to opt out of recieving those communications.
dti406 RideOnRoad I The flyer for the meeting says there is a $7.00 registration fee. Is this normal? Is this how the local division is funded? Don't know why there is a fee, the Regions and Divisions are supposed to be funded out of the National Fee, it did not used to be that way years ago when you paid the National, Region and Division dues each year. Rick J
Nope! National only gives back to the Regions $3 (I believe) per member and that is for mandated mailings. Some Regions divide that money with the divisions, some don't (Mine Doesn't). Therefore all activities within the Region and the Divisions have to be self supporting. My division either charges members $3 per event, or pays our costs with a raffle or other fund raiser. So far that has worked well for us.
rogerhensleySome common questions: Q) I know about the history of the NMRA, but what has the NMRA done for the hobby lately? A) DCC Standards and RPs
you're referring to the extending the protocol ?
The NMRA eventually licensed the protocol from Lenz and extended it.
i take most of what i read with several grains of salt. just trying to get my facts straight
gregc rogerhensleySome common questions: Q) I know about the history of the NMRA, but what has the NMRA done for the hobby lately? A) DCC Standards and RPs you're referring to the extending the protocol ? The NMRA eventually licensed the protocol from Lenz and extended it. i take most of what i read with several grains of salt. just trying to get my facts straight
The DCC protocols were developed by the NMRA independently of Lenz. There are no Lenz technologies present, as the NMRA will not endorse a commercial product as a standard. They don't want patents or licensing interfering with adoption.
The NMRA does not claim to fund the operations of regions and divisions. As to my own division, each year's Trainfest basically provides what we need here in Milwaukee. Other divisions have modest dues, or a fee per meet, or have auctions, swap meets, and the like.
I am an avid model railroader and thus figure I should belong to the one national organization that is connected to that interest, without any real regard as to whether I am getting my money's worth (whatever that means these days!). The railroad that is most interesting to me is the Chicago & North Western and for the very same reasons I belong to the C&NW Historical Society. I know plenty of modelers who do not belong to the NMRA and some CNW fans who do not belong to the society. To each his own.
Dave Nelson
betamax gregc rogerhensleySome common questions: Q) I know about the history of the NMRA, but what has the NMRA done for the hobby lately? A) DCC Standards and RPs you're referring to the extending the protocol ? The NMRA eventually licensed the protocol from Lenz and extended it. i take most of what i read with several grains of salt. just trying to get my facts straight The DCC protocols were developed by the NMRA independently of Lenz. There are no Lenz technologies present, as the NMRA will not endorse a commercial product as a standard. They don't want patents or licensing interfering with adoption.
Actually, Lenz donated their DCC protocols to the NMRA, who then adopted them as standards, and yes, over the years has extended them.
The important thing is that the NMRA did adopt a standard. Think back to the pre-DCC-as-a-standard days, when there were a number of competing command control protocols. You literally couldn't run your locos on your neighbor's layout unless you both used the same manufacturer's control system.
The adoption and acceptance throughout the hobby of the NMRA's DCC standards, no matter where they originated, has pretty much put an end to those incompatibilities.
I think the NMRA is the single most important organization in our hobby and should be supported for a variety of reasons, most if not all already mentioned. I personally have learned a lot from and through events sponsored by the organization as well as meeting other modelers, etc.