Membership in the NMRA verses the Number of Model Railroaders in the U.S.

[BMMECNYC]

I rather thought non-members would not be able to access. Thanks Dave!

Correct, this is a member benefit. It is only useful for getting direct answers from the leadership, raise questions about policies and get answer's from people who know, instead of people who are just guessing. It really shouldn't be a and I don't think it is intended to be a repository of general knowledge about model railroading. That doesn't really make sense. There is this forum and Model Railroader forums, and Model Railroad Hobbyist. Anything more than to ask specific NMRA questions is a duplication of efforts. And remember, when you post on there, there are 5 employees in the whole organization, everyone else is a volunteer. It may take some time for posts to get answered.

That all being said, as of recently the NMRA forums have had more traffic.

 

[BMMECNYC]

Kevin,

It's been a while, it seems, since you last saw the NMRA magazine. The latest issue has 61 pages, a number that's been quite consistent in recent years. But the percentage of association-related content is is way less than what you had seen previously. It's the near-ceaseless promotion of the convention and its followup. however, that's a big turnoff.

I get that they do promote the convention every month. The article in February's issue is about places to railfan and eat in Kansas City, which is quite useful if you were to make trip out that way for rail fanning. I don't find that objectionable. The article every month may be a bit broken-recordy.

 

[NP2626]

I saw someone came up with the total number of model railroaders as 175,000. I suppose that is a pretty good estimate, but I think defining who is a "model railroader" is problematic. No doubt we can agree that someone with an large HO basement railroad is an MR. Is the guy down the street with a Lionel set he gets out at Christmas an MR? How about the guy who collects pre-was toy trains? Does Brio count? (Yes, that was a little over the top, but you get what I am saying?). How do you define an MR? I think the 175,000 number was pretty all-inclusive.

The model airplane guys have much the same identification and participation issues. I think their national organization has about the same level of participation - 10% - depending on how you count the total population. Is the guy who buys an airplane kit and never builds it counted? How about the guy/girl who buys a plane from the hobby shop, and never flies it, or flies it once? As I understand it, many model airplane fly only once, but that's a different issue.

The model airplane guys, model ship builders, etc. all have the same participation percentage calculation challenge. They also share with the NMRA the very real challenge of potential members located in areas where there are few other like minded individuals that make an organization like the NMRA viable. The poster here who lives in Montana has few activities around them, so I am not surprised he found very little benefit in the NMRA, at least direct personal benefit. I live in a large metropolitan area, so the NMRA has been a wonderful source of friends and activities.

The estimated number of 175,000 model railroaders, I would think would come from subscriptions and purchases of model railroading magazines. I have been the provider of these numbers to this forum. The numbers where taken from Mike Brestel's reply to my quarry on these numbers in my thread at the NMRA's forum entitled: Percentage of Model Railroaders in the United States as opposed to membership in the NMRA.
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[BCK RR]

At one point I was a member of the nmra, they became too rich for my blood! I think they don't realize that their $ are hurting the Beginner, Intermediate to the Moderate Model Railroader.


BCK RR

 

[BMMECNYC]

At one point I was a member of the nmra, they became too rich for my blood! I think they don't realize that their $ are hurting the Beginner, Intermediate to the Moderate Model Railroader.


BCK RR

What would you consider to be affordable dues? What benefits would you expect for that new dues rate?

 

[montanan]

For me it isn't a matter of money, Where I live, transit to most of the conventions and venues would be quite a distance away. I have seen the NMRA magazine as a really good friend was a member. Living in Grants Pass, OR. Wasn't really impressed with the magazine, but where he lived, it was easy for him to travel to many of the events.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Kinda like the way y'all are judging the NMRA?

Not really, the majority, if not all, issues people have with the nmra are justified and not something they/we have created.

 

[Boris]

Not for nothing, maybe those fellows who have never belonged to the NMRA, should take the "Trial" Membership, and make their own decisions when it comes time to re-up. Nothing like first hand experience to firm up an opinion of an organization.

Actually, with the internet, it's easy to obtain free stuff, and that is really not fair to the dues paying member. PRR, B&O, SAL/ACL and NYC Societies among others offer free downloadable modeling magazines that probably should be members only. I don't have a problem with Member Only Content, but if it's free to all comers...

Much conventioneering is boring. Clinics are informative, and the National Train show is the ultimate shopping bazaar for model railroaders. I belong to three Railroad Historical Societies, and have for years, yet I have never been to one of their conventions. My Loss. BTW: TCA has two annual events in York PA, the train shows connected with the events, are member only.

I personally regard anyone who replicates railroads in miniature as Model Railroaders. Doesn't matter to me if they use Brio, Strombecker, Lionel, Flyer, Lego or Scale. There is a place for everyone. Some techniques are shared by all.

Boris

 

[BMMECNYC]

For me it isn't a matter of money, Where I live, transit to most of the conventions and venues would be quite a distance away. I have seen the NMRA magazine as a really good friend was a member. Living in Grants Pass, OR. Wasn't really impressed with the magazine, but where he lived, it was easy for him to travel to many of the events.

That is a problem with any club with local chapters. If the population density isn't there, it is hard have groups local to everyone. You are not alone in this problem. If you accept the assumption that model railroaders are evenly distributed throughout the population (for argument's sake), you come up with 175,000/326,766,748= .00053626. Multiply that number by the local population. The number I came out with for my town is 8. My wife, my neighbor, and a friend and his wife down the street are model railroaders. That accounts for 5 of the 8. If your area is not densely populated, this becomes a problem for you being in clubs that dont have venues that are local to you.

My goal for my NMRA division is to move at least two of the meetings each year towards the opposite edges of our geographical area, so that those members for whom long distance travel to even our central location are not left out. I have found that our meetings have been well attended, no matter the location.

 

[BMMECNYC]

Lego

There is a place for everyone. Some techniques are shared by all.

Boris

I forgot Lego! Those guys actually placed in one of the modular contests at the National Train Show, and rightfully so. Those layouts are amazing, and look better than anything I ever did with Legos.

 

[montanan]

Population density is exactly my problem. For the most part, I am a lone operator. I model HO scale, but there is a small group of N scalers who have a traveling modular layout to various locations in the area. I do belong to a model Railroad club, but it is over a 50 mile trip for me to get there, over a mountain pass which I do not care to travel over in the winter. Haven't been able to go there for months. No hobby shops at all where I live. My layout sat dormant for long periods of time because of this.

Still, I grew up with relatives working for the railroad and even managed to spend time riding with them, so trains are in my blood and I enjoy model railroading and running trains.

 

[NP2626]

There is another benefit to being a member which I think is quite new. It is a Partnership Program. Twenty Eight businesses have joined this program and they allow up to a 20% discount on their items. This potentially can give you enough savings to pay for your membership. As an example, Micro-Mark is among the vendors involved.

 

[BMMECNYC]

Not really, the majority, if not all, issues people have with the nmra are justified and not something they/we have created.

Please list those that you believe are justified, and your detailed justification for those complaints. I would be interested in hearing a detailed description of complaints that are based in facts and current data. I will give you some are justified, or at least understandable. I'm a reasonable person, convince me of all.

I'll start by being self critical.

The NMRA website is not great. It is a great improvement over what was available when I joined in 2014. I feel that the forums could be better, and the membership page bar should not disappear when in the NMRA forums section, or from any page in the NMRA website when logged in. There should be a membership benefits button on the membership home page. The mobile version/small screen version hides almost all of the drop down menu options, placing them into one or two categories and makes the site very difficult to navigate.

My supervisor's definition of a problem is anything that could be done better. The website could be better => its a problem. This is being worked on, I am told.

 

[NP2626]

In the simplest terms, I think if you live close to where divisional activity takes place and that activity regularly occurs, you will likely feel the $75.00 membership fee to be worth while! If not, probably not!

BMMECNYC, I will agree with you that the website is not great and even go farther and state that the website is horrible and I would hate to think of my membership fees going to pay for such a CRAPPY website!

 

[NP2626]

The Partnership Program's 28 businesses which provide discounts are providers of many-many different types of products. At a 15% discount, it will take a $500.00 investment to pay back a $75.00 Membership Fee in the NMRA. So far, with the NMRA discount at Micro-Mark, I purchase a $25.95 item and saved $3.89. It's unlikely that I would ever receive discounts enough to consider that my Membership Fees in the NMRA have been compensated, as the Partnership Program's businesses don't provide products I purchase regularly enough. However, every little bit is helpful, so I think this NMRA Idea is a good one!

However, next your it is likely I will save myself $75.00 plus by not joining the NMRA.

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Mark:

Many hobby shops in my area offer a discount of 10-15% to customers who belong to a local club or the NMRA. Walther's has a punch card for walk-in customers when the card it is filled is worth $50 in products.

Thanks.

Greg

Greg

 

[NP2626]

Greg, Yes they do.

 

[Panhandle Hogger]

The estimated number of 175,000 model railroaders, I would think would come from subscriptions and purchases of model railroading magazines. I have been the provider of these numbers to this forum. The numbers where taken from Mike Brestel's reply to my quarry on these numbers in my thread at the NMRA's forum entitled: Percentage of Model Railroaders in the United States as opposed to membership in the NMRA.
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I don't think the circulation of Model Railroader is that high. I will check around and see if I can find out, and post what I find here.

 

[Panhandle Hogger]

I forgot Lego! Those guys actually placed in one of the modular contests at the National Train Show, and rightfully so. Those layouts are amazing, and look better than anything I ever did with Legos.

Those Lego layouts were incredible. Yes, the trains are not scale, but the building... Damn! There is every bit the creativity and energy in one of those Lego layouts as there is in any scale model railroad. On top of that, they are just fun to look at!

 

[Panhandle Hogger]

Not really, the majority, if not all, issues people have with the nmra are justified and not something they/we have created.

Unfortunately, you are probably right about some of this. The NMRA is run by your fellow model railroaders, and not some mystical group of executives-for-life. The national organization seems to turn over every 3-5 years, with many of the officers having term limits. Most of them are volunteers, unpaid, that work to help all of us enjoy the hobby. I see problems, but I don't see any evil intent.

I can see why some folks see limited benefits to the NMRA. Heck, if I was out in the middle of Montana, I would have second thoughts too. The big change I see is this partnership program. You can easily make up the cost of your dues by the discounts you get. I think I have already paid for about 50% of my dues. Of course, it depends on what you buy and from whom.