Open Invitation
Anyone is welcome to attend our events. If you are not a member of the NMRA, we invite you to attend up to three of them. We believe that three visits provide the opportunity to evaluate our organization and decide to become a member and enjoy its benefits. You can click on the button to read more about the three visit policy for non-members.
2024 Fall Meet
The Garden State Division fall event will be on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at the Ted Blum 4-H center in Bridgewater, NJ.
We plan for two clinics in the morning followed by afternoon layout tours.
Date, Time, and Location
October 26, 2024
Ted Blum 4-H Center
at 9:00 AM
310 Milltown Road
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Clinic 1:
Hand Laying Track on the Richmond Harbor
By Ciro Compagno
In 2022, Ciro presented how he used CADRAIL 10.3 to redesign his layout, Richmond Harbor. In this clinic, he will share his experience in hand laying track. From ideas, to reviewing best practices by other modelers and to learning by trial and error. This will all come together in building the first area - a classification yard. He will also share some common trouble areas and ways to minimize them. Trackwork is only as good as it works regardless of how great it may look. Lastly, he will share installation of manual versus slow-motion turnout control.
Clinic 2:
A Railroad Signaling Primer for Modelers, Part 3:
Route-Based Signaling and Interlockings – You Can Get There From Here
By Scott A. Gothe, Ph.D.
Historically, railroad signals have been, for many modelers, one of the more challenging “aspects” to incorporate on a layout for a wide variety of reasons. Regardless of size, complexity, era, or level of sophistication desired, there are very few model railroads (or model railroaders) that would not benefit from adding at least some part of this very important operation of the prototype. This clinic continues the series (Parts 1 and 2 covered Definitions and Basic Fixed and Non-Fixed Signals operation) by focusing on more complex signal aspects which are available using route-based signaling, and introduces the concepts of common interlocking plant modeling as applied to typical model railroad track elements.
Layout Tours
Following the meeting, we will have the opportunity to visit model railroad layouts in the area.