Is anyone here an NMRA member? I’m intrigued by the offer of access to the Kalmbach Memorial Library collection of 100,000+ photos and other items, more than any other aspect of membership. Has anyone had experience with this digital library?
Really depends on where you live, Some regions are great and others are not. Would not join for the library, the internet has killed those.
That’s kind of what I’m wondering. When I first started reasearching a layout from square one last year I thought 100,000 images sounded like a lot. It is, but I’ve since found many more than that on the photo sites frequented by many here. Presumably the quality of the images would be better in the KML than just the random photos uploaded on many sharing sites, but who knows. Maybe they aren’t any “better” on average… There is so much out there already on the internet. NMRA should provide some samples of content or give a 24hr window of trial access for interested parties.
This has been a hotly debated issue on this forum before. If the search function was working you could read some of it…
I’m a member, have been since 1968.
Never been to an event, that stuff is not really my thing.
But everything they have done for the hobby over these many years deserves my support, so I still belong.
I don’t have the time or the temperament for the public side of the hobby, but I can pitch in a few dollars for those who are so inclined…
Sheldon
I sent Bob Bast a $100 check in mid 1974 for a life membership, but it was returned because the fee had been doubled about the time I sent it in. I gulped (because of the “outrageous” increase), but sent in the $200. In the long run, it’s been well worth it.
As I have goten older (OLD!), my days of the socializing have largely disappeared, and my health has had a number of issues. Thirteen years ago, when we last moved, I finally had a large basement room to build, except that it largely filled with all those “indispensable” things. After my wife passed, physical exhaustion made it difficult to start. So here I still sit. The room is cleared, but my stamina and drive has disappeared (at least for the time being).
Gary
I was a NMRA member and didn’t see the value. Between the Internet and a local club, you probably can find more than enough material. Way too many choices can easily create analysis paralysis.
I have been a member since 1972. I haven’t used the library.
But if you’re interested in a particular railroad, I would check out the Historical Society (if any) for that road first.
Many localities have an historical society if you’re interested in a particular place.
Paul
NMRA member since 1981. I have been to exactly three national conventions, and two of those were right here in Milwaukee (while the other was in nearby Madison WI) so as you can see I do not go far afield to go to a national. Moreover I worked the registration desk for the entire 2010 Convention so I got to no clinics, no tours, no nothing. Just the train show, contest room (which was awe inspiring), banquet, 75th anniversary display and that was about it. I knew I’d miss out by being in charge of registration. But I did get to meet and talk to some great modelers.
I have however been to (and given clinics at) a number of NMRA regional conventions (Midwest Region; this May will be in Peoria and I’ll be there), and am active in my own Division in Milwaukee including Trainfest which it sponsors and operates. I’ve given clinics for my Division and for other Divisions in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.
The regional conventions, rather like the railroad historical society meets that I attend, have the advantage that once you have a critical mass of people attending, and a varied and experienced set of folks running it, you have opportunities for prototype tours, excursions, layout tours, operating sessions, and clinics that would not be practical or possible for a person trying to arrange such opportunities on their own. The same is true for the Nationals that I attended, with the added feature of the big train show (which admittedly is nothing special for those of us who have Trainfest right here every year, but is nonetheless quite a show).
My experience with the Kalmbach library of images is limited to the monthly feature in the NMRA magazine which selects an image and then Thornton Waite does the research and writes up a brief but meaty article about it. I have saved several of them because the collections came from railfan/modelers of wide experience some of whom were shooting color rather early in the colo
Yep! So for me I’ve spent a lot of time on the Milw Rd Hist Soc web site, various Flickr and Pinterest sites, the Hist Soc for the C&NW, the various State Hist Soc web sites around the midwest, individual web sites dedicated to the Milw Rd, and the Milw Rd archives. I’ve purchased four books on the Milw Rd from Morning Sun. Until the Milwaukee Public Library gets the Milw Rd archives collection digitized, I feel like I’ve found much of the information there is to find currently. That’s why I’m intrigued by the Kalmbach Library. It’s based in the Milwaukee area so I wonder if the collection might lean more heavily towards the Milw Rd or possibly the C&NW; I wonder if it has info on either line that I’ve yet to find anywhere else…
They have a trial membership they call the US Railpass: 9 months for $19.95. In terms I can understand, that is less than a case of craft beer, that wouldn’t last me 9 months.
Hello All,
I have been a member of the National Model Railroad Association since getting back into this hobby in 2014.
Even though I have access to the Kalmbach Memorial Library I rarely use it.
I find more value in the monthly magazine that is an option when you join.
Hope this helps.
The NMRA’s A.C. Kalmbach Memorial Library is not based out of the Milwaukee area (it’s not at the Model Railroader mag/Kalmbach Media offices in Waukesha, if that’s what you were thinking). Rather, it is/was based out of the NMRA HQ in Chattanooga, Tennessee…and according to their website, they are in the process of merging with the California State Railroad Museum Library. They will have stuff about railroads–prototype and model–from all over the place.
As for Milwaukee Road and C&NW stuff, you seem to already have a good start with the various historical societies online. Have you considered joining those organizations? You might have even better luck finding specific info, or making requests for such info that way.
Since you seem to be from the Milwaukee area, I’ll give you an extra pointer: the Central Library in Downtown Milwaukee has most (possibly all) back issues of the magazines/newsletters of “The Milwaukee Railroader” (MRHS), “North Western Lines” (C&NWHS), and “The Soo” (SLH&TS), as well as many shelves worth of railroad book
You can browse over to the NMRA site to check out some samples at this link:
http://archive.nmra.org/Photographs.aspx
There are lots of pics online, but the NMRA archive. collection has a couple of things going for it that make it stand out. First, it’s not something that just started with the internet. It’s been growing since the 1930s. Second, many of the pics were taken and/or added to the collection in part due to the subject having appeal to modelers.
Seems logical enough, but so far I’ve not been convinced of a reason to put something into it, which would be $$ at the start - after that … ?
From what I’ve read over the years, it’s somewhat pot luck as to where you live will often shape the experience you may have with the NMRA.
Ah ok… I let myself get thrown by the Kalmbach name.
I am considering it. Just waiting for my wife to get over the hyperventilating that came when she realized the expense of this hobby haha.
I was born and raised on the north side, but have been out of State for some years and it isn’t practical for me to try to access anything stored brick-and-mortar style in Milwaukee.
Agreed, not every region, or area has the same quality of activities. But it also depends on your needs and expectations.
For me the original data sheets, and now the upgraded versions on line have been a very important resource for 50 years.
And I have always found the magazine/publication worth while.
I don’t have the desire or time for the social activities, as a volunteer or as a participant, so I will not criticize or praise them…
Sheldon
I was going for life way back when and they sat on it till they discontinued life memberships, very sneeky.