RPM meet – Page 7 – Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads

Participation, motivation, and RPM meets

An idle freight yard before an operating session.

I’ve had random hobby thoughts recently that seem to be related. Over the course of the last month, I’ve hosted an operating session, attended another operating session, and attended an NMRA division meeting. I intentionally altered my schedule to participate in these events. Why? I guess I would have just thrown out a simple, “Because it’s fun,” response in the past. But I’ve become keenly aware that personal participation in activities with other hobbyists directly effects my hobby enjoyment. It’s not just about listening to others talk about a specific subject but taking part in a conversational process that gives me a good feeling.

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Catching up from winter

RPMVF_salotti_cnj_gb — An HO scale CNJ gondola on Steve Salotti’s model railroad. Seeing this at an operating session reminds me of one I’ve built and not painted yet.

We all experience ebbs and flows in our hobby activities. We can make furious progress on several tasks over the course of a few weeks then two months may slip by with hardly any activity. Tasks from beyond our hobby world can dominate the spare time, especially with spring weather blowing away the grit and cold of winter. I’ve been working on several different tasks, but few are far enough along or very photogenic to share here. The death of a friend has also weighed heavily on my mind. Less busy days are coming back around for the hobby tasks and I hope to share updates soon. Let’s recap a few model railroad events from the last couple of months. Click on any image here to review a larger version.

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RPM Meet season!

While it is not Spring yet, we did reset the clocks for Daylight Savings Time over the weekend and that adds anticipation for the upcoming season change. There are several Railroad Prototype Modeler events in the next few months for modelers to become inspired to move your model efforts forward. Here are the events!

Railroad Prototype Modelers Valley Forge – March 28-30 in Malvern, PA (metro-Philadelphia)
Western Prototype Modelers Meet – March 29 in San Bernadino, CA
Central Ohio RPM Meet – April 24-26 in Marion, Ohio
New England/Northeast RPM Meet – May 30 & 31 in Collinsville, CT
Bay Area Prototype Modelers Meet – June 21 in Richmond, CA
St. Louis RPM Meet – August 8 & 9 in Collinsville, IL

I strongly recommend attending one of these events to learn more about the prototype and new techniques to use on your model building. I’ll be attending the Valley Forge event and giving a presentation on the B&O Wheeling Freight Terminal prototype and layout update. I hope to see you there!

Blog Update

All of the blog posts here have been updated so all images appear again. There was a small coding problem that occurred with a software upgrade. It took a little while to figure out the problem and then some extra time to make the individual corrections, but that work has been completed and new posts are on the way soon!

Upcoming New Jersey Model Railroad meet

New Jersey Model Railroad Layout Design and Operations Event

Summer is rapidly disappearing as the days shorten and the leaves begin to fall. A fabulous model railroad meet is taking shape that will inspire you to design, build, and/or operate your model railroad. The New Jersey Model Railroad Layout Design and Operations Event will take place November 2 & 3, 2013 at the Union County VoTech School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. So far, this meet includes:

Eight Presentations
Model Railroad Design Panel Discussion
A Model Railroad Design and Operations Help Desk
Many tables of railroad models on display
Eleven open layouts to visit!

It’s quite a bundle for a registration of $10 (until October 26th).

Yup, only Ten Dollars. Can you believe it?!?! This is one of the best hobby bargains around so make your plans to join in on the fun. More detail and a registration form can be found at the website.

Come on out and join the discussions on model railroad layout design and layout operations. Bring along some completed models or works in progress to display with other railroad prototype modelers. You will come home with new ideas for your layout and models. Don’t miss it!

Upcoming Prototype Modeler Events

It’s been a busy start to a new year as a new job has kept me busy and has slowed progress on the layout project. I’m also helping to spread the word for an upcoming prototype modeler meet. RPM-East will be held March 22 & 23, 2013 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. I’ve been attending RPM-East events since the first one in 2001. These are wonderful events packed with many interesting prototype and model presentations. The setting is informal and it’s easy to get into a discussion with others. I think I’ve learned just as much in the model display room as I have in the presentations!

Speaking of models, there will be a few hundred on display. I captured many of the 2011 display models as digital images and I’m looking forward to seeing more in just a few weeks.

If you have the time and some extra hobby funds, I encourage you to spend a few days in Greensburg, PA at RPM-East. It’s a great way to recharge your model railroad inspiration. I’ll be coming in from Texas to soak it all in and give a presentation. If you go, flag me down and say hello.

If you can’t get to RPM-East, there are a number of these events held around the country. The Western Prototype Modeler meet is April 13. The New England and Northeast meet is May 31 and June 1. The Northeastern Fallen Flags meet will be held in late September.