About the Club
The NSMRC is an HO and HOn3 model railroad club located in Wakefield, Massachusetts, USA (about 15 minutes north of Boston). We have been together since about 1977, and at our current location since 1979, After almost 40 years, our layout has grown to fill almost all of our 95 X 40 (foot) space. We have committed a lot of time and effort to the layout, and enjoy sharing the layout as much as we do building it.
Our layout is the Chesapeake System; a fictitious railroad based on the 'merger' of the Chesapeake and Lake Erie, the Cumberland Western and the Chesapeake and Hudson railroads. The layout is set in the Virginia/West Virginia area of the US, set in the 1950's. Operations include 'classic' operations where trains of the 1950's are run, and 'modern' ops where trains and freight from the 1980's-2000's are run.
We are open to the general public every Thursday evening from 7PM until around 10. Details are under The Club:Visit Us menu item above. (There is no charge for visiting)
If you live in the area, you can join us as well as visit. Model railroading is a great hobby, a great way to meet new people, and if you have older children, sharing the hobby with them is a great family activity. You can find out more about NSMRC membership here, or under the Membership menu item.
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Philosophy
The first clause in our bylaws is "The purpose of the North Shore Model Railroad Club, Inc. shall be to promote and encourage participation in the hobby of model railroading and to foster social and recreational fellowship."
And the members couldn't do more to make this statement true:
There is no 'pecking order' in the club. All members are equal; from the founding members to the person just voted in. Subsequently, everyones' input counts equally. This applies both to day to day operations, to the design of the layout itself.
Members are encouraged, but not required to participate in the club. If you want to join a railroad club, but don't feel like getting down and dirty and working on one, you are not forced to. As long as you pay your dues regularly, you are a member in good standing at the club (of course, helping out is always fun :)
No skills are required to join the club. Many people interested in model railroading can look at a club's layout and find it daunting. They may feel that they don't have enough skills to contribute to such a large system. Here at the NSMRC, learning is high on the club priority list. If a member has a desire to learn a modeling skill, there are people at the club ready and willing to teach. So if your an operator who wants to lay track, a scenery maker who wants to learn how to do wiring, or a novice who wants to learn a little bit of everything. All club members are friendly, open and approachable,and will share knowledge and experience with anyone who asks.
Whatever your skill level or model interest, from expert to complete novice, all are welcome at the NSMRC.