My membership materials arrived this week. I am about to convert to DCC as I build my second layout. Track is all down and running well and I have my feeder wires in and I am about to get the DCC System (hopefully my 50th birthday present!). So I guess I am just excited and wanted to announce my new evolution. I am trying to learn more and more about the hobby and I really enjoy this forum, the magazine, and all of the advise and info here. So thank you all!
I had a layout 2 years ago and rushed it and bought a lot of cheap items… I took it all down and have been going slow this time as I am builidng a new layout, taking my time, studying, reading, and learning from my past mistakes, and from some NEW mistakes.
I thought maybe now by joing the NMRA I can move on to new areas of growth in the hobby. I am looking into joining a club in the Phoenix area as well.
So again, thank you all for indirectly helping me over the past few years, especially in the past few months.
Do the editors ever post on here like Cody and David?
Congrats on joining the NMRA. Over the years and from a select few people I USED to model with the NMRA got a bad rap. These particular naysayers said it’s noting but a group of old gray haired men set in their ways, and if you don’t do things exactly their way they’ll chastise you to no end.
Well guess what I’m an old gray hair old fart set in his ways too and I do like to do things my way but that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to listening and learning from guys who have been in the hobby for years and know what their talking about. Since joining I have made a lot of good friendship and yes there are some who think it should only be done their way but that goes with any organization. You should have been a fly on the wall at some of our old car club meetings Geese you want to talk about opinionated.
I have had great experiences, met a lot of nice guys, seen some fantastic layout, learned a lot and taught some new tricks to some old dogs too believe it or not. I guess once you have enough of the prerequisite gray hair they take you a little more seriously…lol
Congrats also on building your new layout the right way> I got back into model railroading after a long layoff and went gang busters at my LHS bought every new thing in sight and started building with no sense of direction or purpose. This coming from someone who had a 50’x100’ DC layout a while back. So learning to do things the right way and planning and researching like your doing is exactly the way one should approach the hobby.
lol, well I am 3/4 grey hair now and my 50th birthday is just in a few days. Over the years in my career, I found I was mostly self taught in many aspects of that career, but I relied heavily on the advise of mentors. I find that is the way it is with trains. I in no way know anything near what I should know…and when I learn something new, I found out there is even more to learn. I also have found out there is more than one way to do the same thing… I find this hobby to be an art… Art is never perceived or appreciated the same by all viewers. So I just sit back and tak it all in.
One of the things I did wrong on my last layout is I think I spent toooo much time on it all at once… like 4 months almost non stop, every weekend, most week nights, etc… then it kind of wore me out. So now, I just do a little on the weekends, only for a few hours. Even if I am really enjoying myself… I find little short spurts have made it more enjoyable and when I am away from the layout, I think of things I want to do…or change, etc.
Chuck,I urge you to set some time aside for attending your division’s meets and be sure to take any and all home and club layout tours…That’s one advantage of being a NMRA member…You get to see home and club layouts that you may never seen other wise.
Congrats on becoming a NMRA member, I’ve been a member since I first got into the hobby. Take advantage of the work shops your Division has, you would be amazed just how much you can learn from them.
I also support your decision to join. I have been in HO since 1960, so I am not so much gray as bald, but the NMRA has been a source of information and friendships for me since 1970. I went through the achievement program and earned my Master Model Railroader certificate in the early 1980’s. That program taught me/made me learn a lot more than I ever thought I would about the hobby. My current layout was started in 1984, is “complete” and a source of enjoyment with operating sessions, and I do go back and make changes when they strike me. I also belong to the Santa Fe Modelers since I am modeling Santa Fe, grew up in a Santa Fe family, etc.
There are those who don’t like the organization, but the NMRA, like every other organization, has its weaknesses and strengths, it has members who are old crudmugeons, grumps, whatever, and a lot more members who really enjoy the hobby. So enjoy your membership, make the most of it.
Pastorbob summed it up very well. I can tell you from my personal experience that you will meet every kind of Model Railroader out there and most of them will be very quick to help you along the way and very, very quick to say that there is no one right way to do much of anything in the hobby. I have had the pleasure of meeting three Master Model Railroaders since I joined and can say I consider each of them a friend! Every time I start getting overly hard on myself or start “rivet counting…” one will grin at me and say, “but are you having fun Ray?”
The NMRA at its best is about sharing and learning and having fun with other people who share the same interests. I always make a note to myself every time I see the “Member’s Statement and Agreement” in the AP Statement of Qualifications forms: “… I will agree to assit other members in this subject whever possible…”!
Good luck and have fun!
Ray Howard, Superintendent, Lakeshores Division, NFR, NMRA
Thank you all for the welcome and encouraging words! I just might have to make that meet, since it is so close…what happens at the meet? Is it like a swap meet? As to the clubs, it looks like there are a bunch here in town. I am going to have to look into them. I have been a bit timid as I feel so green…I hate being the new guy lol.
Welcome to the NMRA. I hope your local Division and your Region have activities that you can attend. While the Scale Rails magazine is much improved and well worth reading, I happen to think the greatest value of the NMRA for the modeler member lies in the strength of the Division and Region.
www.azdiv-nmra.org will provide you with a map and a flyer pertaining to the Tucson meet on the 14th.
Two things: you will notice that they have a Railette program for the ladies; it is not mentioned that there are always other layouts open for visitation on Sunday–of course that requires staying overnight. As much as I would like to do that I’m afraid I have a restricted budget this year so will probably have to forestall that until next year. Tucson–don’t ask me why since Tucson is only about a quarter the size of Metro Phoenix-- is the hotbed of model railroad activity in Arizona and has some real Jim Dandy layouts. Tucson hosted the 2007 PSR convention; Phoenix is due to host the 2011 one.
I will draw your attention to the Swap Meet–tables are free–you do, however, have to be a PSR/AZ-DIV to sell. These swap meets are not, of course, as elaborate as you will find at a regional or at the national convention, nevertheless bargains are to be had.
