Hobby Information

Model Railroading Information Clearinghouse

Purpose: To Provide links for information for modelers at all levels of knowledge and experience, but especially for people fairly new to the hobby.

Disclaimer: Information is provided in the “Hobby Information” / “Clearinghouse” as a service to help people interested in the hobby to learn more. The NMRA and the Western Ontario Division (WOD) do not intend this section of our web site to be comprehensive. Each topical area listed provides a ‘selected’ list of information sources in the internet. Each listed source was checked at the time it was included, but the WOD is unable to check regularly whether any of the provided links are still working or being hosted by its website. The WOD is not responsible for the accuracy of the information content provided by any of the listed sources or content providers.

Blogs

Definition:   A blog is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries. Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page.

The best model railroad blogs offer hints and tips that will improve the reader’s modelling skills.

Go to Blogs page: Blogs

Clubs

Definition: A club is a group of two or more people with a shared interest who agree to meet regularly and often to share costs. Some model railroading clubs have very formal rules and constitutions.

Many model railroading clubs across North America (as well as in the UK, Europe and Australia) lease space to build, operate and store a shared train layout. A few other clubs are focused on specific aspects of the hobby, such as operations.

Go to Clubs page: Clubs

Associations

DefinitionA historical society (sometimes also preservation society) is an organization dedicated to preserving, collecting, researching, and interpreting historical information or items.

The Association Information is broken into the following sub-categories:

  • Historical
  • Modelling
  • Railway / Railroad (Prototype)

Historical

Go to Historical Associations Information: Historical

Modelling

Go to Modelling Associations: Modelling

… Railway / Railroad (Prototype)

Go to Railway Prototype Associations: Railway

Special Interest Groups (SIG)

DefinitionA special interest group (SIG) is a community within a larger organization with a shared interest in advancing a specific area of knowledge, learning or technology where members cooperate to affect or to produce solutions within their particular field, and may communicate, meet, and organize conferences. 

Go to Special Interest Groups page: SIG

Forums

Definition: A place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.

Go to Forums: Forums