Once more area’s open up and more decisions are made about the status of shows, this page will be updated. Expect to see some Fall shows posted soon.
The NMRA Partnership Program is a member benefit that truly has a tangible payback. The NMRA has partnered with model railroad manufacturers of all sizes, giving them exposure on The NMRA website in return for receiving generous discounts for NMRA members all year long. Some provide members with special codes, others prefer a phone or email order, but all appreciate the additional business from our members. And of course, our members appreciate the extra savings…savings that can actually pay the cost of NMRA membership!
For complete descriptions of the partners, the discount they offer, and instructions on applying the discount on your order visit the NMRA Partnership Program web page. If you are not signed in as a member, you will only see a list of the partners offering the discounts. To see the instructions on how to apply the discounts you need to register or log in as a registered member. If you have not registered, here is a FAQ with instructions for how to register at the NMRA website.
Bill has scheduled an op-session on his railroad in Cambridge Springs for the afternoon after our August 11 membership meeting and would like to open it to members of Division 12. For those participating, he suggests going to the new general store in Venango for lunch (excellent sandwiches and craft beers) and then coming over to run some trains.
The railroad runs best with seven operators (it’s the number of throttles available as well). It’s an NCE DCC system with a strong coal hauling flavor of eastern PA in the late 1940s. Mostly early diesel, some steam on occasion. If anyone wanted to get more of a sense of the railroad they could also look at the video that’s listed on the “Links and Layouts” page of the website.
He has three or four positions open, one of which is a smaller yard. The other two or three positions are running trains on the mainline, using switch lists rather than car cards. He will fill the call board on a first contact/best chance basis. He can be contacted at opshost1@div12mcr.org. All positions are now full for August 11.
Division 12’s June Membership Meeting will be followed by a picnic lunch, meeting other railroaders, and train watching.
A short membership meeting will be held on June 9th at 11:00 AM at the North Gale Street picnic area in Westfield, NY. After the meeting, we will sponsor a picnic and train watching, joining with other railroad groups in our division’s area: the Conewango Switch Tenders and the Independent Railroaders. We will have information about our new NMRA Division 12 and a donation jar. We look forward to meeting with new folks who are not yet part of the Alleghany Western Division, but who share an interest in model or prototype railroads.
Food service will be at 12:30 PM. Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, and condiments will be provided. Please bring a dish to share, table service and drinks for yourself and guests, and outdoor chairs if you have them. Please consider carpooling.
Please RSVP to Dave Ellis clerk@div12mcr.org or 206-310-1453 by June 2nd with the number of people attending, so we can estimate the food purchases.
Membership Meeting at the Trolley Station
Division 12 held a membership meeting on Saturday, April 14th at the Cambridge Springs Trolley Station. The minutes of the meeting are available on the Documents page.
During the business segment of the meeting, the three appointed officers were elected by an election of acclimation, keeping us in alignment with our even-year election cycle. Also, a motion to amend the Regulations put forth by the clerk and recommended by the board of directors passed unanimously. The amended Regulations and the minutes explaining the rationale for the amendments are both available on the Documents page.
One of the ongoing features of our membership meetings is the Bring and Brag segment. Five members (including a brand new member) shared a variety of structures, rolling stock, and plans that they have been working on recently:
Photographs of the Bring and Brag projects are on our Facebook page.
Blaine Hays
Our presentation, by Blaine Hays, got us off to a great start for having interesting and informative presentations at our membership meetings. He presented information, great photographs, and even some personal stories of his researching trolleys and interurban systems of the Erie area over the years. Despite our having to troubleshoot dimming the light in the trolley station for our presentations, the topic and quality of his presentation couldn’t have been more appropriate.
Division 12 will have an information table at Railfest, an NMRA sponsored show presented by Division 5 of the Mid Central Region. It is one of the largest train shows in Ohio including dealers, operating layouts, and displays. Railfest is held at Lakeland Community College, 7700 Clocktower Drive, Kirtland, Ohio 44094. It is open on both Saturday the 17th of March and Sunday the 18th of March from 10 AM until 4 PM.
The Allegheny Western Board of Directors plan to meet on Saturday, March 10th at 10:00 AM at the Cambridge Springs Trolley Station. The agenda will include reports from the officers and planning for upcoming membership meetings and Division 12 activities.
Division 12 had a table at the March 4th, Erie Train show displaying our new signs and banner. Several visitors with interest in the NMRA, or our local division, stopped by and took hand-outs such as brochures and applications. The regular NMRA application and the RailPass (9 month discount application) are always available online at the NMRA website.
As several members gaining an interest in T-Trak were gathered together, we started discussion on “guidelines” for our modules. Members of the I-80 group visited our table to share their insights into building and operating T-Trak. Having some trains running on T-Trak modules could add another layer of interest for visitors at future events.