I have been a member of the NMRA for over 50 years and it urkes me to see comments like, what is there for me!! The whole model industry as we know it today is there for you and most of it is thanks to the NMRA. Everything we do in our model empires, has a root in the organization. I was there in the Mantua horn-hook days and beleive me the NMRA has made a diference and is continuing to do so. Their power is solely with the vounteers, so dont knok it, join it. John Pollard # 033870
I reaped the benefits of the NMRA’s efforts for almost 20 years before joining. I have kids so I do not attend conventions anly local events and meets.
Meeting people and supporting efforts at standardizing product is worth the cost. It’s wonderful to purchase and item and know that it will mesh with material you already have. Let’s face it, buying a $100 engine and finding that it will not fit on your track after you get it home SUCKS.
As mush as the dues cost, for the aformentioned reason alone it is money well spent. Getting to meet new people and learn not only new tecniques and information but also where your skills stand makes it a bargain.
I’ve twice belonged, but I found there was no value in it for me: . The web site is free, and it isn’t too bad. The library is accessable for a fee, so when I need to do research, I can still use that. (But interlibrary loan sure works well; the one book I couldn’t get through ILL, the NMRA library didn’t have either.) There are a lot of other so-called benefits, but discounts on things I don’t want don’t count for much in my book. Only two benefits come to mind that are worth paying for year in, year out: the meets/convetions and the Bulletin.
I can’t afford the time (or the money) to go to the meets. Besides, the meets are filled with ‘good ole boys’ groups that I haven’t got the 40 years of seniority to crash. I might be able to find more time to go if the events were more kid friendly, but I don’t want to subject mine to the language and dirty looks that I’ve seen other peoples (good) kids subjected to.
That leaves the Bulleten. However, the commercial press does a much better job of covering new products and even their own conventions. The editorial content is a repetitive snooze: (“we are going to spend umpteen dollars to benefit these three members who actually live close enough to use it”, “we need more money”, “why are we losing members”, and, in July “welcome new member(s)”. ) The remaining few articles are OK, but I’d rather spend the money on scale-specific magazines (The ‘N’ in NMRA, does not stand for N-scale…)
Yes, everything the NMRA has done for standards in the past was wonderful. But it isn’t doing anything new for me today. (Let’s see, weights and wheel countours were defined around 1935. DCC was defined around 1995. Hmmm… OK, I’ll join again a little before 2055 and support the next big thing!)
I belonged for a couple of years about 15 years ago. They were the biggest bunch of snobbish, uninformed, nit-picking “vesties” that I’d ever seen. I finally met some “real” modellers and I haven’t looked back since.
Yes, and proud to be a life member.
I live so far out of the way I doubt I would be able to benefit from very many activities the association has to offer. Also, I very much dislike being a shadow member of any ortganization. If a person joins, then one must be active, and help build rather than nitpick and destroy. Billeubank posted the type of message I could live with! If I move to an area with an active group of participants, I will certainly consider joining.
In the 1980’s I joined the national nmra… I thought in my uninformed way that I had joined the NMRA. I hadn’t. Arriving at a local NMRA gathering I discovered that to be a LOCAL NMRA member I needed to fork out again. I didnt. I’m sure that the year’s dues to the national NMRA helped and contributed to it’s functioining. In retrospect I consider the money spent to have been in hobby terms “completely wasted”. While after having the kids grow up and move away has allowed me a more substancial budget for the hobby I still see no good reason to “buy in” to a national organization and a regional and a local.
There MUST be a better way of handling this!
Doug, in Utah
The NMRA is for all modelers. Even now they are recognizing the O scale modelers. At one time ,if you would say O scale to a NMRA or any “Scale” modeler, they would look down their nose at you. Times change as does people. We are all in it for modeling, the enjoyment of running your trains,and, to watch those little pair of eyes on the other side of the layout, just Gleeming to see that diesel or steam engine coming straight at them. Then they ask, “How many cars do you have on there?” We are in this hobby ,either to,promote the hobby, in local areas as I do,or go to the national level. Go to your swap meets or to GATS, and you’ll see Dad’s, Son’s, and Grandpa’s and yes,the Women are just as much Lovers of trains as we are! It is our job as NMRA members to keep the hobby progressing with the new technology as it arises. As V-P of our MVRR club in Ft. Wayne, I have only been active in “model” railroading for 3 yrs. I have benn running trains for enjoyment since I’ve been old enough to move a throttle into “Run-8!” I enjoy our hobby and am PROUD to be a NMRA member!!!
I build to satisfy myself, I’m not going to compete with world of modelers, therefore I avoid the “contests”. Supporting the hobby, and the standards which make it more enjoyable is important to all of us. For this reason, and thier publications, are the best reasons to fund the NMRA by membership.
I don’t belong to the NMRA. I have no intention of joining. I simply don’t have the time right now to invest the time needed to get my money’s worth out of it.
Gordon
Yes I am a member and enjoy the local clinics put on by our division,I have considered dropping my membership but have decided to wait and see what happens with the new changes, I hope for the better!.I dont like the Bulletin it has to much in ads and not enough meat,they dont have to compete with MR and RMC.I prefer the old black and white bulletin,does that date me?. as for the rivit counters let them, as for me and my RR. I will run what I want and like,I just assume the prototype did not have the time and money to do the things I have done with my equipment, It is what I feel they would have done if possible, and I am happy with it, is not that the reason we are in this hobby anyway,so just do your own thing and let other people do theirs and we will all have a great time in this Great Hobby.One other thing since I have your eyes on this letter how about some conventions that are not so expensive, by the time you take a few tours you are tapped out of a months retirement check,how about some help for the retired and also the disabled railroaders,it is just a thought,and a discount at the local hobby shop would sure help,maybe just maybe we would shop local more often and shy away from Ebay and internet stores.Just remember Model RR is fun…
Must getting on for 20 or so years since I joined and I have not regretted one minute of it. I was in the UK when I joined the NMRA and attended a few of the UK conventions. I have learned a lot thru the association. Since moving to NewZealand and living in the deep south I am unable to attend the conventions or meets, but I still retain my membership.I live in Riverton NZ which is a small town near Invercargill. Are there any members this far south in the who lives there permanantly. Not like Mc Murdo in the Antarctic who are not permanant. Also are their any members in my vacinity. South of Dunedin
I have been a member for 30 years and while I have attended only a couple of Division meets I feel that the overall program especially the standards are worthwhile.
Enjoy
Paul
Well, I am somewhat more than a few hundred miles/kilometres away from just all of you, but I’ve found a local branch/chapter/hood/whatever it sieves out to here in S.E. Queensland. I’m not a member as yet as I’m waiting for some more train finances to be appropriated… But I’m interested in joining as I’m a lone wolf at my end of Brisbane and have some skills to share and have seen some of others I could learn from.
Most of these guys are moving into On30 as it happens and logging at that. (Many of them in the same loop as Geoff Knot et al). I’m keen to pick up more skills even though I’m doing HO Urban branch and 1:20.3 in the garden…
It takes ,I’m told, about 2-3 hours for a meeting and official business 5-10 minutes of that usually… so that works for me.
I have been an NMRA member 30+ yrs, life member 20+ yrs & became an MMR 3yrs ago. I have much enjoyed the commodrie & meeting others in the hobby through the years. I have learned a lot from being an NMRA member. The dues may seem to be pricey, however if you can afford to be in the Model RRing hobby, the dues are insignificant. The standards from way back to the new ones for DCC are very worthwhile. This organization is like most other organizations, you get out what you put in. For what its worth, Larry Wolohon
Those of you that don’t see the benifit of belonging to the NMRA, you’d better look again. All you DCC users can thank the NMRA for you being able to operate on different layouts, with possobly only changing the address of your loco. Do you really think the manufacturers really settled on standards for your gauge all by themselves? If you operate in HO, you can operate on ANY HO layout in the world, thanks to the NMRA. O scale, N scale? all work the same, thanks to the NMRA. The NMRA diserves your support. I became a Life member a long time ago, and tho not currently active in my division, I intend to again soon. As for the Bulletin, it’s a good publication, as with all the publications, some are more interesting to me than others, but overall a good magazine.
I am thinking about joining. Support organizations are important for overall positive growth in any industry; it should apply to hobbies also…I think. What is IMHO?
I am a member
Where I live (Milwaukee WI) the NMRA Division is really central to the hobby. I am aware that in some places the Division is all but invisible. Of course having Walthers and Kalmbach and Maerklin and Brio in town helps make the local hobby scene active.
I would belong to the NMRA regardless of the bulletin. This is my hobby, it is important to me, and that is the one national organization devoted to the hobby.
Dave Nelson
At one time I was a strong member of the NMRA…That all changed when the local division became a good old boys club with buddy-buddy groups that was stand offi***oward each other because of their modeling styles.
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Don’t see value for cost. And I damn sure will not forgive them for letting the insurance agents control them - cancelling the Toronto show. I smell an overhaul in the wind - that or sagebrush drifting aimlessly . . . .[xx(]