Train Sets – Clubs in Louisiana, Maine & Maryland

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Thanks for continuing to follow us as we list clubs in all of the states for model railroad enthusiasts. The goal of this and all of the previous posts on clubs for those who love to collect lionel trains as well as all of the numerous other types of train sets that can be found in the market. Here is the latest list of clubs:

Louisiana

Midsouth Railroad Club - They are an HO scale club with approximately 8 members. They meet every Tuesday and operate at least once a quarter. They are 98% complete on their existing 1000 sq ft layout and have completed our expansion of 850 sq ft.

Crescent City Model Railroad Club - The Crescent City Model Railroad Club, (C.C.M.R.C.) dates back to the mid 1950s when a small group of teenagers began meeting in each other's homes to operate model trains in a realistic manner. The group expanded over the years and built several layouts based on prototypical operations.

Cresent City S-Gaugers - They are New Orleans, Louisiana based club focused on all aspects of S-Gauge modeling including S-Scale, Hi-Rail and American Flyer.

Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders - The world of model railroading is a fascinating and fun place. Millions of people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds feel camaraderie in watching and running these remembrances of earlier times. The non-profit greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders have been in existence for over two decades. Their mission is sharing the joy of trains with the community.

Maine

Great Falls Model Railroad Club - Their purpose is to help promote both the club's efforts and model railroading in general. The club's main focus is to help educate, not only from the members' knowledge of model railroading but also for the public's safety at railroad crossings and on railroad right-of-way areas through their involvement in Operation Lifesaver.

Eastern Maine Model Railroad Club - The EMMRC is a Non-Profit organization with 30+ members. Located in East Orland Maine in a building which they own. Visitors and new members are always welcome. Their layout is in the early scenery stage, and has elected to use DCC as our operating system. For further information about the club, and their unique collection of custom decorated freight cars, check out their website.

Maryland

Four County Society of Model Engineers - The Four County Society of Model Engineers is a not-for-profit HO scale modular railroad club dedicated to advancing our skills and enjoyment of the hobby.

Mason Dixon Large Scale Railroad Society - They are a group of G Scale model railroaders located in and around Harford County, Maryland. They usually meet every month at a library or a member's home.

Sykesville and Patapsco Railway - The Sykesville and Patapsco Railway, inc. is a non-profit organization made up of members who operate in various scales. The organization maintains models in G, O, HO and N-Scales.

Baltimore Society of Model Engineers - The Baltimore Society of Model Engineers is a model railroad club, that was formed by a group of local modelers in March 1932. The BSME is the oldest exclusively model railroad club in the United States, it is the second oldest modeling club after the New York Society of Model Engineers.

Rockville Model Railroad Society - The Rockville Model Railroad Society (RMRS) was founded in 2004 in Rockville, MD by the merging of the Gaithersburg Model Railroad Society and the Maryland Central Model Railroad club. They are currently occupying space in the King Farm area of Rockville, in the old King Farm Homestead.

Up next will be the clubs in Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota.

Related Posts

Model Train Sets Clubs - Alabama to Arkansas

Model Train Sets Clubs - The California List

Model Train Sets Clubs - Colorado to D.C.

Model Train Sets Clubs – Florida to Hawaii

Model Train Sets – Clubs in Idaho, Illinois & Indiana

Model Train Sets – Iowa, Kansas & Kentucky

Collecting Model Train Sets As A Hobby

Collecting model train sets is a hobby enjoyed by people of all ages and from all walks of life. This is a hobby which leaves a lot of room for creativity, with landscapes of all sorts available and many different sizes of trains to choose from. Model train hobbyists can create a nearly limitless number of different environments for their trains to travel through.

Different hobbyists go for different sizes of trains. Some like the very small N-scale model trains, others go for the large G-scale trains and others favor everything in between. With so many different choices, it's no wonder that the hobby attracts so many people. We'll cover five of the things which draw people to this hobby below.

Model Train Sets - A look into History

Model train sets offer an entertaining way to learn about history. Almost every model train set collection includes a few model steam engines. The hobby is tremendously popular; there's just something intrinsically appealing about trains. There have been model trains almost as long as trains themselves have been around. As early as 1940, there were an estimated 100,000 model train collectors. There are groups dedicated to historical model railroads in nearly every country in the world, most of which also have websites which are great sources for information about both real and scale model trains.

History is always more interesting when it comes from our own relatives; model railroading is a hobby which helps to connect the generations of your family. Children enjoy taking part in the hobby along with their parents and grandparents and model trains make for a great teaching opportunity.

Model Train Layouts

Of course, model train layouts are themselves often exceptional pieces of art. A large part of what makes this hobby so fascinating is being able to constantly change the landscape for your trains. An artistically designed model train layout is like its own tiny world and is a fertile ground for the imagination.

Individual artistic expression is something which model trains offer plenty of to enthusiasts. There are model train hobbyists who like rural settings for their trains and those who prefer cityscapes with streets, skyscrapers and other elements of city life. One particularly popular model train layout feature is mountain tunnels.

Choices and Variety of Model Train Sets

One of the best thing about collecting model trains as a hobby is this: you can decide what you like best, so there's no one to tell you what the right and wrong ways are of doing anything. Model railroad collectors enjoy seeing the variety of designs created by other hobbyists. Some buy pieces to incorporate into their layouts, while others like to build everything themselves; of course, you can buy some pieces and make others yourself; it's your choice!

Whether you like the large G-scale train layouts or the very small N-scale trains, you'll have plenty of company; every variety of model train has a large following of collectors. People of every age from the very young to the very old enjoy collecting model train sets and regardless of where you want your trains to go, you can create the landscapes of your choice using the model trains you prefer to make your creative ideas a reality.

Model Railroad Clubs – Alabama to Arkansas

Ok, we have begun our posting series on a number of model railroad clubs that are in the US. This is by no means an exclusive list and I'm sure I've missed some really great model train clubs; however this blog was setup to allow the beginner get started and find a support group. This first post in the series will be focusing on the clubs in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas. When I've been able to find a working website for the model railroad club I will include it.

So here goes nothing!!

Alabama

Redstone Model Railroad Club – This model railroad club has been a fixture in the model train club experience in Huntsville, Alabama for fifty or more years; hosting many South Eastern region conventions.

The Wrecking Crew – The wrecking crew model railroad club was established back in 1989 and has members who are knowledgeable in many of the model railroad scales, including HO, N, and G scale. They are also a club that adheres to the standards set forth by the NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) a governing association established back in 1935.

Alaska

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with any model railroad clubs that have been established in Alaska.

Arizona

Since Arizona has a larger population there is no shortage of clubs to join and learn about model railroading

Arizona Model Railroading Society – Is located at the Adobe Mountain Railroad Park in northwest Phoenix. The 3000 square foot AMRS clubhouse financed and built by its members opened in the fall of 2004.

Grand Canyon State Model Railroaders – This club prides itself on being a HO scale modular model railroad club based in Phoenix, Arizona. Our goal is to promote modular model railroading concepts: design, construction, operations, and standards.

Ponderosa North Model Railroad Club - The purpose of this site is to help promote the great hobby of model railroading as well as highlight the real railroad in a fun and informative forum.

Thunderbird Model Railroad Club - The Thunderbird Model Railroad Club is located in Phoenix, Arizona, on the Arizona State Fair Grounds. The club operates the Phoenix Turnbow and Apache HO Scale standard gauge railroad, as well as the Mogollon and Western HOn3 scale narrow gauge railroad.

Arkansas

Central Arkansas Model Railroad Club – They are train hobbyists dedicated to the advancement of the world's greatest hobby of model railroading through designing, constructing, and demonstrating train layouts at public sites and events, building local community awareness of the railroad history of this area, and sponsoring educational activities about railroading.

Northwest Arkansas Garden Railway Society - Garden railroading is one of the fastest growing hobbies

Stay tuned as we go through the list of states and provide some of the model railroad clubs that are in them. As I mentioned before this is by no means an exhaustive list so if you have or know of any clubs that may have been missed just list them in the comments!