We Are A Very Active Division 

As you can see from the menu above, we have many things going on in the division. Some of them are once-a-year, some are once-a-month, and others are continuing programs available to members on an "on call" basis. The common thread among them is that they are focused on allowing our members to enjoy our hobby, to provide opportunities for them to develop new interests and skills, and then share those skills among the membership. This page gives a quick introduction to our major activities, all of which support the real activity, which is the modeling activity of our individual members.

We also support other major railroad-themed community activities such as the North Carolina Transportation Museum and local train shows. Our participation in these events is noted in the section on meetings below.

Railroad Modeling University

Do you want an easy and enjoyable way to discover the fun of model railroading? Master Model Railroaders and just 'Plain Ole Modelers' conduct clinics (short classes in 'university speak') and hold make-and-take sessions (labwork in 'university speak') about the various aspects of model railroading. The curriculum is designed for everyone - from beginning modelers through those with a bit more experience.
We have been holding these events annually since 2004, usually in January of each year, at vaious venues throughout the Charlotte, NC area. They are open to the public and registration is held here on this website in the fall of each year. More information is at this link.

Wade's Train Town

We have adopted a large display layout originally located in Brookford, NC (just outside Hickory, NC) called Wade's Train Town. The layout contains literally hundreds of structures, most with operating lights and other features. However, work needed to be done to clean, repair, restore, refurbish, upgrade, and maintain the layout and keep it presentable for the monthly open houses we host there. The long term goal of the restoration program was to preserve the work of Wade Warren, while upgrading the layout with contemporary electrical equipment and scenery materials. As of October 2, 2021 the layout has been moved from Brookford to its new home at the Newton, NC Depot's Model Railroad Center and is now open to the public each Saturday between 10 am and 4 pm. More information is at this link.

NMRA Achievement Program

The Achievement Program is a voluntary continuing education program in which members learn and demonstrate mastery of the many crafts and skills necessary in the hobby of model railroading. The ultimate honor bestowed by the Achievement Program is the title of MASTER MODEL RAILROADER (MMR). More information is at this link.

Division Meetings

In addition to all of the above, we usually hold monthly meetings or member activities during the year. Examples are our Annual Meeting at which we conduct the main business of the Division, monthly gatherings at which various members present clinics and demonstration on various model railroading topics, visits to home layouts of our members, and trips and visits to various railroad-related sites throughout the region.
Most of these gatherings are "members only" events, but guests of members are always welcome. More information is at this link.