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.
2025 Spring Meet
The Garden State Division will host a joint meet with the New Jersey Division on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company in Kingston, NJ.
We plan for two clinics in the morning followed by afternoon layout tours.
Date, Time, and Location
May 10, 2025 9:00 AM
Kingston Volunteer Fire Company
8 Heathcote Road
Kingston, NJ 08528
Clinic 1:
A Successful 2nd Layout
By Richard Newmiller, MMR
Richard will discuss how a second layout provides many opportunities to make trackwork/layout improvements based on lessons-learned, and to hone your modeling skills. If you include the possibility of future operations, the life of the layout can be extended by creating multiple, varied switching assignments. This will be a PowerPoint slide presentation with two performance videos that document the 7-year journey from design to completion of a 14’ X 20’ DCC layout where derailments are the exception. The scenery and structures are 100% complete.
Clinic 2:
Applying Prototype Operations to an American Civil War Model Railroad
By Thom Radice of the New Jersey Division
Thom’s layout simulates what we call today a “supply chain” to support military operations of the Civil War. He will describe how he runs operating sessions to meet those objectives. An army needs assets to conduct warfare, to include personnel, machines, and the equipment of war (such as artillery, boats, wagons, etc.), supplies, horses and other animals, tents, equipment, and the list goes on. The railroad provided a quicker means to move military assets and personnel.
Layout Tours
Following the meeting, we will have the opportunity to visit model railroad layouts in the area.