March/April 2022

President's Message
Gordy Robinson MMR®
March already! For me this month will give me some much needed downtime and an opportunity to get off Island to see the progress on my father's layout. Having started the year by attending 20 Division meetings across 11 of our Regions and also our NMRA Winter Board meeting, I certainly need some time off working on the layout. The pandemic has meant that I have only been able to see my folks once in the last two years. My father has been busy though, and I'll be helping prepare his layout for a visit by the British Region at their convention in the fall.

That means it is time to start planning to attend a convention this year, for you as it is for me. If you have never been to a Regional or National convention you are really missing out. Once described as a University of Model Railroading, attending the clinics at the National convention can be overwhelming but equally rewarding. Even at smaller Regional conventions there is so much to see and do. As we enjoy the ability to return to face to face events, I hope you'll consider registering for our National Convention.

This year the delayed 2020 convention returns to St. Louis, MO. Well, it is "2020 too". Yes, a terrible dad joke, but it's true - we really will be having a National convention this year. The registrations are flying in and the local team is starting to add information to their website. If the National convention is too long for you, or you are still not ready to travel across the country, then try an NMRA Regional convention. To give you a feel for the kind of activities and learning you can get from a Regional convention the NER will be hosting NERx online March 21-24 and you can join in without leaving your home. Go to nerx.org for further information.

This eBulletin contains a lot of information from across the National team, so I don't want to steal anyone else's thunder. I do want to draw attention to the call for volunteers. With lots of activity in new projects and business as usual, we can't do anything without support from our volunteers. We need to grow the number of volunteers we have, so please review the requests for help and offer your time if you feel able.

Thank you for everything you do for the NMRA.

Gordy, MMR
February 25 is a big day for Gateway2022! Our staff and volunteers have been working very hard to bring a major website update to the Model Railroad world on that day. Check Gateway2022.org for lots of new information.

You will find 112 clinic sessions available from 8am until 8pm Monday through Thursday. They range from L-Girder Benchwork to Scenery Techniques and everything you can imagine in between. There is a particularly large and diverse number of clinics featuring Operations. More new offerings are to come.

Speaking of which, the Operations Special Interest Group (OPSIG) will be arranging operating sessions directly through their own website. The layout tour ticket for the Layout Design Special Interest Group (LDSIG) will be available through our website: Gateway2022.org.

Layout tours are available by bus, and there is a self-driving option. In fact with every full fare registration you can select a self-driving layout tour at no charge!  Choose from 55 layouts from N scale to O scale, featuring steam, modern diesel operations, and mountains to humid midwestern cornfields (which you also may experience in real life in August). There is something for you to learn from and admire on every one of these wonderful layouts which the owners have been gracious enough to open to guests. There are 14 bus tours and 12 self-driving tours to choose from.

St. Louis is still the Gateway to the West and features major railfanning opportunities: UP, KCS, CN, BNSF, NS, CSX, Alton and Southern, and Terminal Railroad Association, all in abundance. The National Museum of Transport, Barriger Library, yard tours, model manufacturing and other destinations comprise our Prototype Tours. There are 15 available to choose from.

Attendance prizes are arriving daily and range from a brass locomotive to gift certificates for tourist railroads.

Gateway2022 is shaping up to be an All Time Great Convention - but it will be even better with you! Register today at Gateway2022.org.
Communication Breakdown

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Winter Board Meeting Highlights
Gordy Robinson, MMR
NMRA President
This past weekend the NMRA Board again met virtually for their Winter board meeting, but from this summer they will resume in person meetings once again. The minutes and reports will be posted online in due course. Here are a few highlights. The Head of Publications, Riley Triggs, presented the progress on the implementation of the Digital NMRA Magazine, showing the March edition in the web and mobile app. Our first digital issue will be the May issue, which comes out in April. Christina Zambri, our Marketing Consultant, presented our recruitment & retention toolkit which will soon be going onto the nmra.org website and will contain resources, best practices, and ideas that you can use in your own club or Division. There are many other projects in the works to bring new member benefits especially in the IT, Marketing and Education departments with announcements on these expected soon.

Here are a few of the things that will be happening in the next few months:
  1. Our Digital NMRA Magazine will go live.
  2. The NMRA App will launch and be available for download.
  3. Pre-1978 editions of the NMRA Magazine will be loaded onto NMRA.org in the members area. Some are there already at nmra.org/nmra-digital-magazine
  4. Updated beginner guides, packed with new updated advice for new modelers, will be available on the NMRA.org website.
  5. Volunteer and Author AP SOQ forms and supplementary evidence forms will be simplified to remove repetition, and revised paperwork will be posted on the NMRA.org website.
Volunteers Needed
Several Departments in the NMRA are in need of volunteers. Get involved by contributing your expertise and time.

Fundraising and Membership Growth

We are looking for a few passionate, enthusiastic, and engaged members who want to make a difference – building together a more solid, sustainable, and relevant association through new fundraising and membership growth initiatives. If you have specific expertise and experience with organizational membership and fundraising – or even just ideas and inspiration in this area – we’d like to hear from you. 

Please contact Eastern District Director John Doehring at eastdir@nmra.org.

IT Department

We are urgently looking for two volunteers:

Drupal 9 webmaster: Expected commitment - 4 hours per week
The NMRA needs to upgrade its Drupal CMS (Content Management System) from Drupal 7 to 9 and we need someone to oversee the upgrade project (not necessarily do the upgrade) and then maintain the upgraded version.

PHP master: Expected commitment - 4 hour per week
The NMRA has some custom Drupal modules to present data from the database in different ways than those available in the default Drupal system. We need someone with PHP skills to help create some new features and maintain the current scripts in place.

For either of these positions, please contact itmanager@nmra.org
NMRA Digital Magazine - Arriving at the Station on April 1st!
We hope you are all eagerly anticipating the launch of the NMRA Digital Magazine as much as we are. So far, we have provided the basic information in terms of dues, availability and general benefits. As the NMRA gets closer to the launch date, we are sure you are wondering exactly what this new digital version will look like and how digital will provide additional benefits to our members. We think these are most easily summed up with the images below. But, in case you forgot:

  • On mobile devices, laptops, and desktops, the magazine will be available as full pages as if reading the print version, as well as a special flowable text version. The flowable text makes it easier to read individual articles by enlarging the text and placing it into one continuous column for easy scrolling. It is simple to go back and forth between the versions.
  • The digital NMRA Magazine will be searchable by keywords so it will be easy to find your favorite railroad or topic. You can also bookmark articles for quick access later.
  • Members will be able to save issues offline for viewing when Internet access is not available. This means you can access current and back issues of the NMRA Magazine anytime and anywhere.

Viewed on a Tablet:
Viewed on a Smart Phone:
Viewed on a Laptop or PC:
View with any style on any device any time:
We're looking for a few good layouts - twelve, to be exact!
Mike Brestel
NMRA Calendar Editor
Cover photo and O scale modeling by John Sethian, Exton, Pennsylvania
You're proud of your model railroad. Why not share it by sending us a photo
or two for the 2023 edition of the NMRA Calendar?
The Calendar is distributed to every U.S. member* as a fundraising project. To have your layout photo considered for inclusion, just follow these easy steps:
  • Take a horizontal (landscape) photo of your layout.
  • Submit your photo as a digital file. Files must be at least 300 pixels per inch and 8" x12" (a minimum size of 8.6 megapixels – larger is better.) Accepted file types are tiff (preferred) or jpg (highest quality only).
  • Write a caption describing the action in your shot, the scale, the builder, and the photographer. Include that information on a separate piece of paper or as a text or .doc file on your submission CD, DVD, or thumb drive.
  • Limit your entries to no more than your four best scenes.
  • Be sure to include your name, address, membership number, phone number, and email address with your submissions.
  • By submitting images for the NMRA Calendar, you are giving permission to the editors to alter them as needed (cropping, smoke and lighting effects, etc.)
  • Be sure to indicate specifically if you do not give permission to alter your images.

Send to: NMRA-Attn: Calendar Project
PO Box 1328
Soddy Daisy, TN 37384-1328

or UPS/FedEx address:
8414 Gulf View Dr., Suite A
Soddy Daisy, TN 37379

Questions? Contact Mike Brestel at mbrestel@zoomtown.com.
Sorry, we cannot receive photo files electronically at this time.
  
Photos must be received by July 15, 2022 for consideration.
 
*Extra copies of the NMRA Calendar are available to all members while supplies last. Check with HQ for details.
Division Retention Events:
Larger Matching Funds Available
Frank Koch
NMRA Treasurer
The NMRA Board of Directors made a big change to the Division Retention Event Matching Fund Program for the USA and Canada Divisions at the 2022 Winter meeting. The BOD voted to increase the matching grant to $200.00 per Division per year, up to a maximum of 50 events each year on a first approved basis. The application form is on the NMRA website in the Regions and Divisions section. We believe this change will encourage more Divisions to take advantage of this benefit to bolster member retention events.

If your Division is looking to retain more of its members, then you might be planning a special Division event like a hands-on clinic, a Division picnic, maybe a Division tour to a railroad facility, or other event that will help all your members understand what's so great about the NMRA. If you are, National NMRA would like to help defer some of your expenses with our Division Retention Event Matching Fund Program. Just fill out the simple application form for approval, hold the event, then turn in some receipts and a description of the event, and the Division will be reimbursed up to $200! This is an ongoing program so your Division can take advantage of it every year.
Please Keep in Touch
Please make sure the NMRA has your current contact information. You will not be able to access the full range of NMRA benefits unless we can reach you.
  • Please visit nmra.org/members
  • Use your email address and password to log in.
  • If you have not yet registered, or forgot your password, there are buttons for that. Take a moment to easily correct any problems.
  • Once logged in, click on Member Info (top right corner).
  • Make sure your information is correct.
  • If not, please go to nmra.org/request-membership-info-changes to submit a request for changes to be made.
Upcoming 2022 Conventions
Upcoming NMRA Magazine
-Kurt Stroer's Kansas City Southern
-PRR F7B Kitbash
-Spreadsheet for Weighing Cars
-Building a Fleet of WM Hoppers
-Texas Welcomes UP's 4014
Partnership Program - One more new company
The companies listed below give discounts to NMRA members when orders are placed using a special discount code. You can find descriptions of these companies and their products, links to their websites, and the discount codes on our Partnership Page at  nmra.org/partnerships . Remember you need to be logged into our site as a member to see the codes! Go to nmra.org/user/register to register your name on the website. New additions are shown in red. Visit the Partnership Page to find out about them.
Bear Creek Model Railroad
CatzPaw Innovations
Clever Models LLC
CMR Products
Daylight Sales
Deepwoods Software
Deluxe Materials
Digikeijs
Dwarvin
East Coast Circuits
Feight Studios
Gatorfoam
Great Decals!
Green Frog Productions
HobbyWorx Tools and Supplies
Hot Wire Foam Factory
K.I.S.S. Method
LaBelle Woodworking
LARC Products
Logic Rail Technologies
MAC Rail
Micro-Mark
Mine Mount Models
Miniprints
MinuteMan Scale Models
Model Railroad Benchwork
Model Train Catalogue
Modelers Decals & Paint
Motrak Models
MRC (Model Rectifier Corp)
Nick and Nora Designs
Northlandz
NScaleWorks
Old West Scenery
Ram Track
RR-CirKits
Rusty Stumps
Scale Model Plans
Scalecoat Paint
Scenery Solutions
Showcase Miniatures
Team Track Models
The N Scale Architect
The Old Depot Gallery
Tichy Train Group
Touch of the Brush
Train Installations
Train Show, Inc.
TRAINZ
Trainmasters TV/MRH Store
TSG Multimedia
UGEARS
Unreal Details
USA Airbrush Supply
WiFi Model Railroad
Did you miss?
Thanks to volunteer Tom Bensberg, all NMRA eBulletins and NMRA Dispatches are archived on the NMRA website. Here are a few links to items you may have missed.

eBulletin articles
Dispatches
Newest Master Model Railroader® recipients
697. Tom Crosthwait (LSR)

"Master Model Railroader" and "MMR" are registered trademarks of the NMRA. A list of all MMRs can be found at nmra.org/master-model-railroaders

The NMRA eBulletin is an official bi-monthly production of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. Publishing Department (Riley Triggs, Manager). Its purpose is to keep every NMRA member informed about organization news and events. If you know of an NMRA member who is not receiving this mailing, please direct them to nmra.org/members to update their email address. If you no longer wish to receive these mailings, please don't mark them as spam. Instead, click the safe Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. ©2021 National Model Railroad Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1328, Soddy Daisy TN 37384.
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