NMRA E-Bulletin News November-December 2017

NMRA E-Bulletin News 

November & December 2017

A few words from the President

Model railroading is fun!

Back in the day, Model Railroader magazine used that motto above on their cover.  Around 1965, they tried "For Enjoyment with Everlasting Challenge," which always struck me as a little pretentious, albeit accurate.

Well, guess what... model railroading is fun!  Few things are more satisfying than accomplishing some goal or finishing a modeling project. For me, and I suspect you, this hobby serves as a great source of enjoyment and requires a knowledge on a variety of subjects.  Just consider the skills you need to build a model railroad.  That is the basis of the Achievement Program leading to the Master Model Railroader award.  Now, one can build a respectable model railroad without becoming an MMR but admittedly, building a model railroad can form the basis and encourage the skills needed to become an MMR.

Similarly, one can build a model railroad without being a member of the NMRA.  Yet, the NMRA is crucial to the success of that effort.  Without the NMRA, that layout and its components would not work together.  Our standards ensure that the products you select will work with each other on the model railroad you build.  That is why Hasea, the Chinese model railroad enthusiast network, partnered with the NMRA: to ensure our standards would be employed in Chinese manufacturing of model railroad components.

The NMRA assists with your education also.  Did you know we have over 100 clinics from national conventions on our Member's Only pages to help you on a wide range of model railroading topics?  Did you know that attending the upcoming National Convention in Kansas City is akin to attending a college-level course on model railroading?  Or if Kansas City is too far to go, that there will be model railroad conventions and clinics nearer you sponsored by your Region or Division?

These Conventions, our Partnership/Discount program, the Model Railroad Registry, the NMRA Turntable, NMRA Magazine and yes, this NMRA eBulletin, are all part of our effort to make model railroading more fun!  We have been doing so for over 80 years now and never has this hobby been more enjoyable, rewarding and challenging.  So maybe it is "enjoyment with everlasting challenge."  But for me, heck, model railroading is fun!

Let me also take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season.  Fall marks for many the start of the model railroading season. At least in the Northern Hemisphere, the days grow shorter while the air grows crisper.  The end of the year brings Christmas, the holiday most associated with our hobby, and the year's end, a good time to reflect.  Thanks for being a member and thanks for being the NMRA.

Whether you agree or disagree with me, we always welcome your thoughts, insights and comments.  As I always say.....those are my thoughts.....what are yours?

Charlie

Winter Board Meeting to be held in Atlanta

The Winter Board of Directors meeting will once again be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 10, and 11 at the Drury Inn & Suites. The Budget and Operations meeting will begin at 3:00 PM on Friday, February 9, and the Board will be in caucus that evening. Both of those meetings are only open to invited guests.

The regular, open session of the BOD meeting begins at 9:00 AM on Saturday, February 10. Because the agenda is not yet finalized, there's no way to tell if the meeting will continue on Sunday. All members are invited to attend the open sessions. Watch www.nmra.org for details.  

2018 Election Slate of Candidates and Nominations by Petition

By Rick Coble

Assistant NMRA Secretary

The following are the candidates for NMRA offices in the 2018 election:

President:

Pete Magoun

Vice President-Special Projects:

Gerry Leone

Vice President-Administration:

John Stevens

At-large Director North America:

Jim Gore

Mike Mackey

Eastern District Director:

Bob Hamm

Walton Liles

Pacific District Director:

Peter Burrows

Dion Koch

Robert Peterson

 2018 Election Nominations By Petition

There were no nominations by petition received by the Assistant Secretary or the Headquarters office.

31 Orlando Convention clinic videos have been

added to www.nmra.org !

You say you couldn't make it to the Orlando "Orange Blossom Special" convention and you feel you missed out on some great clinics?  Now you have a second chance.  You can see 31 of the clinics offered in Orlando right on our website.  That's about 1/4 of all the clinics presented!

Four videographers -- John Crellin, Bob Shreve, David Williams, and Gerry Leone -- gave up part of their convention time to drag video equipment from clinic to clinic to make this possible.   Leone then brought home the raw footage, edited it, and uploaded it to www.nmra.org .  

The guys recorded some great clinics from all aspects of model railroading.  From "Arduinos: The Very, Very Basics" to "Layouts: U.S. vs U.K.," from "CTC Demystified" to "Railfanning Your Model Railroad," from "Remote Dispatching" to "Steam Locomotive Parts," you'll be able to see some of the highlights of the Orlando clinics presented this year.

All together, the NMRA website now has 115 clinics from a dozen conventions, all free, and all of which can be streamed by NMRA members.  (Sorry, no downloading!)

To get to the Convention Clinic video page, log in to www.nmra.org as a member (see the article in the left column), click on "Membership" and then "Member Home."  You'll see a giant red button next to the photograph that says "Watch Clinic Videos."  Click on that, sit back, and get ready to learn. 

The Clinic Video page is already sorted by the date they were uploaded, so all the Orlando clinics will appear at the top of the list in alphabetical order.

Four hours of "how-to" videos from Model Railroad Academy and Model Railroader Video Plus are now on our website

As you know, last year we entered into partnerships with three professional model railroading video production companies: Model Railroad Academy, Model Railroader Video Plus, and Trainmasters TV.  

The 2017/2018 batch of Model Railroad Academy and Model Railroader Video Plus videos just arrived and are now posted to www.nmra.org.  In total, it's well over four hours of great "how-to" instructional videos. (TrainmasterTV videos will arrive later this year.)

To see these videos, or any of the other professional videos from our partner production companies, make sure you're logged in to our website as a member, click on "Membership," then "Member Home," then "Benefits."  Click on "Member Video Library" and use the "Posted Date" search bar on the page, just below where it says "NMRA Video Library." Type in "October 1, 2017" and you'll see all the new partner videos!

Add your layout to the Model Railroad Directory and you could win a free year of NMRA membership!

By Phil Piet

Model Railroad Directory Moderator

Are you an active NMRA member with a layout to show off?  Here's your chance!  Last July we introduced an exciting new member benefit: the Model Railroad Directory.  Our Directory gives all NMRA members a chance to connect with and visit others with similar interests.

Add your qualifying layout to the Directory by January 15th and you'll be eligible to win one of two $75 one-year NMRA membership extensions (or equivalent credit for merchandise in the Members' Company Store). Already listed?  No problem!  All previous listings will also be included in the drawing.

To enter, log into www.nmra.org as a member, go to Member Home, then click on the Model RR Directory link in the red bar.  Or go directly to https://www.nmra.org/members/layout-directory.  Then simply click on the "Add Your Layout" button near the top, and you're on your way. Data entry is straight-forward, and you can always contact me, your Moderator, for help.

LISTING REQUIREMENTS

A qualifying layout must be a physical layout, indoor or outdoor, of any type, in any stage of completion, owned by you, and must be currently running trains.  It may be a module if it can be operated independently for guests.  Don't be bashful!  We have listings for very modest efforts under construction as well as completed model railroad empires.  You also need to include a valid email address and a street address searchable by Google Maps in your listing.  Club layouts are not included at this time.

PRIVACY NOTES

Only NMRA members can access the Directory.  The only address information viewable by members is your city, state, and country. If you click on a map pin, you'll only see name of the model railroad and its owner.

Region and National Conventions 

(Only those Regional conventions occurring in the next three months are listed)

Nov 9-12: Northeastern Region, Newport, RI

Aug 5-12, 2018:  National Convention, Kansas City, MO

Newest Master Model Railroaders

Gary Lee - #598

Warner Swarner - #599

Sam Swanson - #600

John Siegle - #601

John Hemsath - #602

Mike O'Connell - #603

In an upcoming issue of NMRA Magazine

Coverage of the 37th Narrow Gauge Convention

Everything you need to know about the new Model Railroad Directory 

A Slow Approach to the End of the Line 

Let's Build a Layout Room - Part 3