JOIN the NMRA* for FREE#!
with the help of the Potomac Division and the Mid-Eastern Region
* National Model Railroad Association # Free Rail Pass for 6 months

Monroe Stewart's
Hooch Junction 		No kidding! No gimmicks!
Absolutely nothing to pay.
Three ways to apply.
Brian Sheron's
Long Island Rail Road
Just meet the following three qualifications, and we'll make you an NMRA Rail Pass member
  • You must reside in Washington DC, Northern Virginia (Arlington , Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, and Rappahannock counties), or suburban Maryland (Calvert, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George and St Mary's counties).
  • You must let the Potomac Division file your application with the NMRA.
  • You must not have been a member of the NMRA in the last two years

What does the NMRA do for me  by  John Griffith

The NMRA has a great library, a great website, and represents you, the member, to the industry. The NMRA is made up of Divisions and Regions. The Potomac Division has no match for our layout tours (monthly), our Mini Conventions, and our tours.  And it's all in a 50 mile radius of the Washington Monument.

The Division gives access, though our layout tours, to layouts of the quality that otherwise people can only see in the magazines and then only in small parts. The guest can ask "how did you do that" of the great, the not so great, and those who struggle. All have something to offer, even if it's "I don't want to do it that way." Participate and you get a resource and a friend.

At least once a year we assemble and provide info on a wide range of subjects. You may not care this year, but next year you may be ready to hear what the instructor was trying to say. He/she isn't giving that clinic this year, but they are probably there and will be willing to answer all your questions. All you have to do is ask. Participate and you get a resource and a friend.

Our tours put those who are experienced with those who have never seen say a steam locomotive except in a western movie. What a great way to learn. Standing at Horseshoe curve and watching trains go by is an experience. To have someone tell you about the train going by or the history is priceless. Or going to places you can't get into on your own like the shops at Strasburg PA. Participate and you get a resource and a friend.

Another benefit is friends. I have a lot of friends that I didn't have seven years ago when I went to my first Mini Convention. Some have left and some are still close. Trains are no longer as available as when we grew up. The NMRA however, allows us to introduce a new generation to the pleasures of sharing history, our accomplishments, and a love of railroading.

I started with the question "what's the NMRA do for me?" I believe the answer may be nothing. It's what you put into the NMRA that you get back. If you don't participate, the NMRA can't do much for you. Just a thought.


Benefits and opportunities abound when you join the Potomac Division:
  • Family-intergenerational bonding while sharing a common interest
  • Recreate a (animated) slice of history
  • Join a club
  • Join a "round robin" group that meets at multiple layouts
  • Build new friendships and earn peer recognition
  • Build a module and join with others to set up a large public exhibition
  • The chance to discover and develop skills you may not have known you had in ways you have not yet considered - with friends you have not yet made.






Here's what you get with your Free 6-month Rail Pass Membership:
  • Access to one of the world's largest railroad libraries
  • Fellowship and fun with other members in your area
  • Participate in Divisional, Regional and National modeling contests
  • Receive 6 monthly issues of Scale Rails magazine
  • Receive 3 bi-monthly issues of the MER Local newsletter
  • Receive 2 quarterly issues of Potomac Division Flyer newsletter
  • Participate in Achievement Program 
  • Be part of programs like Modeling with the Masters
  • Low rates on special insurance for your layout or collection
Here's What You Do: Pick the methed you're most comfortable with.
  • Fill out on-line form and send by email click here
  • Print form and send by postal mail click here
  • Telephone
    • Brian Sheron:  7 - 10 pm weekdays, 10 am - 10 pm weekends ? 301-349-5754
    • Mark Andersen:  3 - 10 pm weekdays, 10 am - 10 pm weekends ? 703-625-1272
P.S.  Click here to print a version of this information on 2 sheets of paper to give to a friend