New Jersey Division MER-NMRA
Welcome to the National Model Railroad Association’s New Jersey Division
Last Update: June 26, 2009
The New Jersey Division's purpose is to share the excitement of model railroading throughout central and southern New Jersey. For over 35 years, the New Jersey Division has promoted the hobby of model railroading through one day meets and other special events for NMRA members and guests.
We schedule meets in September, November, January, March and May. These meets feature clinics, items for sale, model displays and contests, home layout tours and general model railroading camaraderie. Clinics range from photo presentations on prototype railroading to how-to-do-it model railroad demonstrations. We also occasionally feature trips to see the prototype railroads, with train rides, shop tours and equipment inspections when possible.
We truly strive to offer something for everyone, from the beginner to the experienced and from the casual train enthusiast to the serious hobbyist.
Latest News
Due to a ballot issue, we needed to declare the recent Board of Directors election invalid. A new election will take place. Click on the link above to go to the web page for the Annual Elections to get more information.
In September we plan to visit northern Monmouth County, at a new location. See the Timetable page. Two clinics are on tap, one is a look at the Lehigh Valley in northern NJ, and the other is creating a railroad schedule using MS Excel.
In November 2009 we plan to return to Delanco. We’ll be back in Haddon Twp. in January ’10 and Hamilton Twp. in March ’10. We plan to close out next May ’10 in Deptford.
The NJ Division is always looking for donations to our popular raffle. Please take a moment to look through your shelves and find a car, locomotive or structure you do not plan to use. Your donations help keep the costs down for all members, so please do what you can!
More layouts have been added to our Layouts page. To get your layout listed, send in your photos and a brief layout description.
The MER still has a limited number of free 6 month NMRA Railpass memberships for those who want to “test drive” the NMRA. If you are interested, please come out to our January Meet and ask about this program at the registration desk. All active participants in NJ Division activities must be NMRA members to continue enjoying the benefits of the NJ Division.
The NJ Division video clinic is now available on DVD as well as VHS tape. Please see Bill Howard at any Division Meet to check out discs or tapes.
The New Jersey Division's goal is to not only serve the NMRA members in our geographical area, but to also introduce new people to the hobby model railroading and the benefits of the NMRA.
The New Jersey Division of the Mid-Eastern Region of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. covers central and southern New Jersey including the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem (Shaded green in the map below). For information on other parts of the state and the country, see the NMRA's Regions and Divisions page.
Participation with the NJ Division will give you access to over 100 videotapes/DVDs of past Division clinics and a subscription to our newsletter, Clinkers. The newsletter keeps you up-to-date on Division Meets, Division news and other railroad related information. Your NMRA membership card will also provide you with discounts at area hobby shops.
For more information on the NJ Division, use the links at the top of the page. And if your ready to join in on the fun, see the membership information page. If you have any questions whatsoever, please e-mail one of the Crew members (go to the Contacts page).
The New Jersey Division of the MER-NMRA, Inc. is a New Jersey Non-Profit Tax Exempt Organization
Top photo: A pair of Lehigh Valley Alco RS-11s sit in Phillipsburg, NJ. The first clinic at our September Meet will feature the Lehigh Valley in NJ, presented by author Ralph Heiss.
Bottom photo: Jimmy Judge will present our second clinic about creating timetables for your layout.
