The calendar swings around and several Railroad Prototype Modeler meets are on the horizon. Regular readers know I bang the drum for these events. Each meet offers a winning combination of prototype information, modeling techniques, and networking among other prototype modelers. I look forward to attending an RPM meet each year.
Here are the upcoming events for the next few months. I will be a speaker at the Valley Forge RPM event and look forward to seeing many friends.
- Railroad Modeler’s Retreat in Plymouth, MN (metro-Minneapolis) – February 26 & 27, 2016
- RPM Valley Forge in Malvern, PA – March 18 – 20, 2016
- Savannah Prototype Modeler’s Meet in Savannah, GA – April 1 & 2, 2016
- Toronto Railway Prototype Modellers in Toronto, Canada – April 9, 2016
- Central Ohio RPM in Marion, OH – April 28 – 30, 2016
- Western Prototype Modelers in San Bernadino, CA – April 30, 2016
- New England/Northeast RPM in Enfield, CT – June 3 & 4, 2016
- Bay Area Prototype Modelers in Richmond, CA – June 18, 2016
Another event of note is not strictly an RPM event but has many common elements. There will be a couple of prototype presentations and many of the operating layouts follow prototype practices at this Oklahoma event.
2016 Layout Design and Operations Weekend in Tulsa, OK – March 18-20, 2016
Start marking up your calendar and choosing the models you want to take along for the display rooms. These RPM meets will inspire you and recharge your batteries to tackle new projects. I hope to see a few readers at the Valley Forge event!
St. Louis RPM is 12-13 August. John
I am curious to know if any RPM meets focus on earlier time periods. I have found the ones I have attended to focus primarily on the 1950’s and later. I have now shifted my focus to 1926 and so am going to be more particular about choosing an RPM meet to attend. I would like to see spoke RPM meets focus on specific eras. It would allow more in depth seminars on non railroad specific topics.
Jon
Thanks for your comment, Jon. RPM events rely on speakers and their presentations to draw attendance so the program schedule covers a variety of model and prototype topics. There are no RPM events dedicated to a specific era but presentations can span a time period and offer info for your specific era. I am often attracted to presentations on specific freight car designs or freight car fleets. In many cases, information from the Teens and Twenties are a part of the discussion. Industries are another example as many evolved from earlier operations. I usually see a few models on display that reflect Pre-Depression Era prototypes. A card typically is placed beside these models with the modeler’s name. I often seek them out to discuss their work.
I hope you can attend an upcoming RPM and take a few models to display. I encourage you to create a presentation to share your 1926 layout dreams, or your specific 1926 prototype, or a few rail served industries from your era focus. RPM coordinators are always looking for new presentations and a program with an earlier focus offers something different for their event. Get involved and you will meet others who have interests in earlier eras. If you attend the upcoming Valley Forge meet, please look me up. – Eric
Mid-Atlantic RPM Meet, 30 September – 01 October 2016, Fredericksburg VA.
http://www.marpm.org/
I’m planning an RPM event review for the last half of 2016 in late June. – Eric