Are you an NMRA Member?

[NP2626]

I recently joined the NMRA, through their "Rail Pass" (New Member 6 month trial membership) for $9.95 to finally see what the NMRA is all about. I've been involved in Model Railroading off and on since 6-8 years old and hard core since 1988.

I was astounded by the fact that as popular as Model Railroading is, total membership in the NMRA is only 19,782 members as of October 2011!

I also build and fly Model Airplanes and am a member of the AMA (the national model airplane organization) which has a membership of close to 150,000 members! Membership in the NMRA appears to be a very-very-very small portion of the people involved in Model Railroading, why is this?

So:
1). Are you a member of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) and if so, why?
2). If your not a member, why aren't you?

 

[kc5gxl]

I am a member, albeit like you, I joined last year via the rail pass, then in Jan of this year joined for a year.

Some of the reasons I joined are:

1. I like their magazine
2. I want to work towards becoming a MMR
3. National organization to help keep standards up to par
4. I have a sense of belonging to organizations in the hobbies I enjoy

These are not all of the reasons, but just what can think of this early in the morning.

Will I renew my membership next year? Probably so. Just depends on the financial situation.

Have a great day,

Dan Harriman
modeling the GTW circa 1976ish in
Orange Texas

 

[Rico]

I'm not a member, can't see any reason to join even tho people I know are members.

 

[Larry]

NO, Not a Member anymore. I was for years & years & then for about 3 or 4 months I didn't receive a magazine from them. So, I emailed the Staff(woman) & she told me I wasn't a member after I had just sent them a check for 3 years. I emailed them back & forth for about a week w/the ck. number, etc. I finally called them on the phone. She said she was sorry & had found my check. I said could she send me the 3 months worth of magazines that I missed. She told me they didn't keep any xtra's & I would receive this months issue. Well, another 2 months went by & nothing. So, I called them again & told them to send back my check because they hadn't sent me a magazine or a member card or anything else. They sent me a check for 2 months & kept the rest. I called them again & never got a return call. So, I'll never-ever join the NMRA again. The Club in Ft.Myers told me about a year ago if I wanted to join their Club I would have to be an NMRA member. Not happening.
I still get updates from the Southern Div. of the NMRA about meets & they let me in when I go because they know the problems I had.
A Buddy of mine in NY sends me a NMRA calendar every year. He's a Life member & has been since the 70's.

 

[Pete V]

That's a really unfortunate experience Larry. I have joined recently as a railpass member to see how it goes. I do think it's underfunded and understaffed but the overall goal is admirable. I will see how mailing, etc go. I received a membership card right away so they at least know I'm here. Beyond that nothing yet but it's early.

 

[NH Mike]

I was astounded by the fact that as popular as Model Railroading is, total membership in the NMRA is only 19,782 members as of October 2011!

I also buid and fly Model Airplanes and am a member of the AMA (the national model airplane organization) which has a membership of close to 150,000 members! Membership in the NMRA appears to be a very-very-very small portion of the people involved in Model Railroading, why is this?

I belonged to the Hub Division of the NMRA for a number of years but not the main NMRA. When I put the hobby aside I never kept up the membership and still don't belong.

I was also a member of the AMA when I was into R/C planes. Unless you own a lot of open land you usually will need to join a club to have a field to fly from. Liability from an accident with a flying model is far far greater than somebody being hurt by a scale model train so clubs require you are an AMA member because of the limited insurance that is part of your membership.

When people start getting maimed or killed from a runaway N scale GP38-2 then you'll see the NMRA include insurance and the membership numbers climb.

 

[Pete V]

well, from what little I've seen, it does seem to be quite enthusiastic about counting rivets and by the cover letter I go pre-apologizing for taking forever to do anything, they must be somewhat sensitive to repeat criticism.

I am at a curious level in the hobby where I know quite a bit but I'm still an idiot. I am asking way more questions than I'm answering.

I am always open to trying anything once so I will give an honest assessment in six months. If I still don't know, I'll go it a year.

 

[NYW&B]

The value of membership in the NMRA is highly dependent on (1) if the local and regional organization is highly active, or not, and (2) just how much YOU are willing to get involved in their functions. There are areas of the country where the organization is very active and it is fun; others where little or nothing goes on.

I was a member of an active region for about twenty years, held office, wrote the local newsletter, entered the model contests, even wrote articles for the regional magazine, but over time I found I got less and less out of the NMRA. Toward the end I saw the price of national membership go up quite dramatically while they offered nothing for me beyond a mediocre magazine and annual conventions that cost as much as a trip to the Caribbean. I dropped out about a decade ago and haven't lost any sleep over it.

NYW&B

 

[cuyama]

well, from what little I've seen, it does seem to be quite enthusiastic about counting rivets .

That's certainly not true in my region (one of the most active).

NMRA members around here have layouts and interests of all types, from fairly whimsical to strictly prototypical.

One gets more out of NMRA membership when one puts something in, in my experience.

Now if you are talking about setting standards, yes, the organization is pretty precise. Which is good, because it's the reason that models from many manufacturers work together and that DCC exists as a standard.

 

[nwdrummer379]

I thought about joining, then wondered what I would get out of it. I figured I could pay for a membership, or buy the trains. So, I bought the trains

 

[cuyama]

I thought about joining, then wondered what I would get out of it. I figured I could pay for a membership, or buy the trains. So, I bought the trains

A six-month RailPass membership to try out the NMRA (including local, regional, and national activities) is $9.95.

 

[cuyama]

annual conventions that cost as much as a trip to the Caribbean.

John, you've posted this on other forums and it certainly gives people the wrong impression. Registration for the upcoming Grand Rapids 2012 NMRA Convention is $150. Most clinics and the National Train show are free to paid attendees. NMRA membership is required, which could be a $9.95 RailPass, if one times it right.

So $160 would give one access to literally hundreds of clinics, panels, and other events over a week. There are cheaper options for fewer days.

Layout tours with bus transportation run about $25 to $85 each day, depending on distance. Self-drive layout tours are only $30 total for six days.

Just like any trip out of town, there are travel and hotel expenses. I haven't been to the Caribbean in quite a while, but I'm confident that a week in Grand Rapids will be a lot cheaper than "a trip to the Caribbean".

Look, nobody must join the NMRA. But there's no value to anyone in posting hyperbole.

 

[Pete V]

One gets more out of NMRA membership when one puts something in, in my experience.

********
Amen to that. It's true in any organization. I didn't make it clear why I said that about rivet counting , so I will now. It was in response to the fact that the comment was made that there are only 19,000 members. My gut feeling when reading the journals is that they do indeed focus on standards and prototype accuracy which I have no problem with. I'll run my layout the way I want to anyway. I am simply saying that rivet counting may intimidate a lot of people and keep them away. I don't like to post photographs because I don't think my work meets acceptable competence levels.

I think the standards issued through the NMRA have been critical to all of us being able to speak the same language.

 

[Gannet]

No, not a member. I looked into it and I couldn't see the value to me. I'm pretty much a loner, so the social aspects wouldn't do anything for me. Membership is not cheap. If they had something like a $10/yr membership with no magazine I'd be fine with that. I do support and appreciate the standards efforts, and I wish there was a cheaper way to support that.

As to the AMA, if it wasn't for the need for insurance they'd have a lot fewer members as well.

 

[diburning]

I'm not a member because I don't see the value in becoming one. The club I belong to is a member of the NMRA, and I read the magazine whenever they send us a new one. Frankly, I don't find it too interesting.... Half of it is pretty much a Walthers News flyer.

Now if the NMRA held things like annual auctions, swap meets, etc, I may be inclined to join.

 

[RexHea]

.....One gets more out of NMRA membership when one puts something in, in my experience.

Again: Very well said!
If you sit back and wait for something to happen...it ain't! If a magazine is all you want, then you are better off subscribing to a publication. In NMRA, there are many programs you can participate in without getting involved in a club; the Achievement Program is only one. The AP program helps us work toward a higher level of modeling and increase our awareness of the finer details in our hobby. If you are not interested in club membership, how about the Division or the Region? Contact your Division, if you haven't a club nearby and want to participate in NMRA activites.

By joining you help keep NMRA alive and an organization that helps keep our hobby from becoming a mix of incompatible parts and gizzies that can only be used with the same brand name. When we talk about NMRA setting standards, it is the standards recommended to manufactures for use in producing a product that is compatible to all manufactures' products. Standards are also developed on what the modelers want for improvement to the operations and enjoyment of our hobby.

Their aren't any "layout standards". The photos we see are the results of someone's hard work and attention to detail using their very best skills and knowledge. NMRA's photos are not any different than other publications. They are not meant to intimidate, but to show what can be done and recognize someone's hard work and skills. We can only hope to achieve these levels and use them as a goal for our own layouts. My layout is not anywhere near "magazine quality", but I enjoy using my skills to try and achieve this goal...or come close.

BTW: Many do not know that most of those working for NMRA are volunteers...without pay.

 

[cuyama]

Now if the NMRA held things like annual auctions, swap meets, etc, I may be inclined to join.

Many regions and divisions do have auctions at their local meetings. Most regions hold an annual convention with contests, auctions, etc., etc.

NER is one of the largest regions (if not the largest) and includes Boston. You might check their website to see what's going on locally.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

When I started to grow my layout back in the 90s, I joined the James River Division of the NMRA. I had to travel half way across the state of Virginia to attend most of the functions, which turned out to be really not worth the trip.
The NMRA newsletter contained a lot of sniping back and forth between the leadership about who was in charge. I tried to get things going within the division but it seems that most of the membership would rather just stand around and look. There were a couple other members who tried to stimulate stuff but pretty much the same. Sorta like trying to get non-interested people to do something.
Then there was some issue about having to pay dues at each level of the NMRA in order to do some event or maybe it was host an event. That's were I called it quits. I had a full basement layout and had mastered just about everything in the hobby from benchwork construction to kitbashing to building decoder boards from breadboards. I find what I need and enjoy watching the modular setups at the train shows and have enough associates in the area to play trains with. I enjoy the monthly magazines and the stuff I find on the forums. When I get my new full basement layout up and running, I should have more than enough to keep me busy without the NMRA.

 

[Pete V]

When I look at the local division which is Green Mountain, the website has not been updated since Dec 15th which is discouraging. The infighting sounds unfortunate but not atypical of volunteer groups. We shall see. I continue to appreciate the input.

 

[cuyama]

When I look at the local division which is Green Mountain, the website has not been updated since Dec 15th which is discouraging.

These are all volunteers -- perhaps they update it quarterly. Don't know what your expectation of a volunteer newsletter/website might be ...

The infighting sounds unfortunate but not atypical of volunteer groups.

Note also that the report of trouble is from a decade or so ago. Things may have changed within that Division and may not be reflective of your Division/Region.

Folks seem to always generalize the bad stuff about the NMRA, but not the good stuff. Human nature, I guess.

There are a few yayhoos and pinheads in every organization or group. There was a food fight on this forum just a couple of days ago, for example. But does that behavior characterize everyone on this forum?