Here are some of the many benefits of being a member of the NMRA:
The NMRA Partnership Program is a member benefit that truly has a tangible payback.
Several dozen model railroad manufacturers of all sizes offer 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.
Of course, our members appreciate the extra savings...savings that can actually pay the cost of NMRA membership!
A text, talk, and video forum to communicate with model railroaders all over the world.
In simple terms, the Achievement Program (AP) is a travel guide, to help you on your journey through the world of model railroading.
The AP also provides incentive to learn and master the many crafts and skills necessary in the hobby of model railroading.
With the completion of each category, you will be issued a certificate acknowledging your achievement.
An NMRA Special Interest Group (SIG) is an independent, non-profit, membership group organized to provide a forum for the exchange and collection of railroad prototype and/or model railroad information about specific topics. There are over two dozen SIGs to choose from.
Before the 1930s, there were no common standards pertaining to model railroad equipment. One manufacturer's equipment would not necessarily work with another manufacturer's or even run on someone else's track. Many modelers built to their own standard or from their own designs and ideas. In many cases it was difficult, if not impossible, to take your cars or locomotives to another modeler's railroad and expect them to run without problems. There were nearly as many couplers as there were manufacturers. This situation could only work to the detriment of the hobby as a whole.
The NMRA came into being in 1935 with a gathering of model railroaders, manufacturer's, and publishers, in response to the need to bring order out of chaos. The NMRA Standards were developed as a way to help insure that equipment could be interchanged between one model railroad and another and that cars and locomotives of one manufacturer could run on the track of another manufacturer together with cars and equipment of still other manufacturers and modelers.
Since 1936, many of these basic Standards have remained virtually unchanged from the time of their original publication. They have been added to and refined, but they have stood the test of time and have proven to have been of great benefit to the hobby of model railroading and have contributed greatly to allowing the hobby to develop to the point where it is today.
NMRA Magazine:
Access to the digital version of the monthly magazine (print version upgrade available) as well as the library of past issues from many years ago.
Regional benefits:
Annual regional conventions with clinics, layout tours, operating sessions, off-site rail and non-rail related tours and events
NERx Virtual Convention with clinics, layout tours, helpful tips & tricks, and prize drawings
Quarterly regional newsletter The NER Coupler (print version upgrade available)
Division Benefits:
In-person meets with clinics, contests, raffles, layout tours, and more
Donuts On The Deck free-form meets
Round Robin operating sessions
Lakeshores Limited - our bi-monthly newsletter
Op Around The Clock operations weekend
Ops Squad layout design and building assistance
Lakeshores Builds - layout construction and consulting assistance
Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet
Lakeshores Division's own Discord server
Member Marketplace (A place to sell your no longer needed items or ask for items needed to complete a project)
Tool LIbrary (Need a specialized tool, but don't want to buy a low-use item, one may be available to borrow)
3D3Rx (Annual 3 division, 3 region virtual meet)
T-Trak Who says "I don't have any space to do a model railroad?"
Build-It Series scratchbuilding sessions
Close working relationships with neighboring divisions, area clubs, and prototypes
