Division 12, Mid Central Region, NMRA, Inc., also known as the Alleghany Western Division, is a recently formed division of the National Model Railroad Association, located in Northwestern Pennsylvania and Southwestern New York.
For the most up-to-date information about our organization, membership meetings, or public events please use the News/Events page or search button at the bottom of this page.
Next Membership Meeting Event:
Saturday October 5th, 2024. 10 AM. (Note date change from our regular meeting!) In-person meeting at the restored B&LE freight depot, 136 Mead Avenue, Meadville, PA. Program: Short presentation by Matt Goodman on the 2025 Mid Central Region convention “The Buckeye Express”, 15-18 May 2025, Dublin, OH., followed by Part 2 of Vince Skibo’s Bridges and Tunnels of the Jamestown, Franklin & Clearfield Railroad.
Superintendent’s Letter for October 2024
Model Railroading is fun!! Vs. Model Railroading is Fun!?
Both statements can be true, though often not at the same time, and often the second statement may seem to be true more often than the first…
Recent email exchanges with some of our fellow division members bears this out: Difficulties with decoders, problems with mysterious electrical problems, issues with factory-new locomotives, absent or conflicting research data, intermittent derailments, crumbly decals… the list of hurdles faced by participants in our little hobby can seem endless. I personally can attest that if there is blood on your scenery, you’re doing it wrong…
Even the most experienced of us are not immune. In this month’s newsletter, member Dick Bradley, a long-time MMR, outlines how he scratchbuilt an HO scale station that turned out to be too large for the space available. Ooops!
However, instead of junking the entire project, Dick took a deep breath and calmly set out to scratchbuild another entirely new station that would fit the space!
And here we see the advantage of long experience. Veteran modelers know that things like this will happen from time to time, and the best response is to acknowledge these mishaps are just another puzzle to solve, another obstacle to overcome.
But that avoids the question of why we continue to pursue this hobby despite the mishaps and blind alleys. I think part of the answer is that overcoming roadblocks and solving problems is the entire point of a hobby. The deep satisfaction of solving the seemingly insoluble, and the personal growth thereby, is what keeps us working away at our projects, both large and small. Otherwise, what’s the point, if everything is easy?
I will close with this quote from the Stoic philosopher Seneca – “No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.”
Mike Hauk
Superintendent, Division 12, MCR
Current Builder’s Plate newsletter available here.
Current Mid-Central Region Kingpin newsletter available here.
Know of any train shows in Western Pennsylvania, Western New York, or North East Ohio? Please send them to me at webeditor@div12mcr.org
Allegheny Western Facebook Page or Facebook Group
National Model Railroad Association
Mid Central Region