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Welcome Beginners

Free booklet
This booklet can only offer a glimpse into the exciting world of model trains. A lifetime of joys and challenges lies ahead. We hope you decide to join us on this magical journey. All aboard!  Click here to download this booklet.


Building Your First Model Railroad -DVD
Free on line video
The Building your first model railroad video is now available on line via You Tube. Click on the scene you want to view: 
Free Information available on this web site:


Monkeysee.com The World's Greatest Hobby has partnered with Monkeysee to create an introduction to model railroading and how to select a train set video series. Click here to see the video
WORLD'S GREATEST HOBBY upcoming featured events:
     
Pasadena Model Railroad Club Fall 2009 Open House
November 7th,8th,10th, 14th and 15th
Saturdays 1-5pm and 7-10pm
Sundays 1-5pm
Tuesday 7:30pm-10pm

Donation $3.00 for adults, $1.00 for children

The club has one of the largest layouts in the country  and is over 5,000 sqft. in size .

The club is located at 5458 Alhambra Ave. Los Angeles, CA  visit their web site www.prRRc.org for more information.

   
Patcong Model Railroad open house
Saturday and Sunday November 14 & 15, 2009 from 10am to 4pm

The Patcong Valley Model Railroad is an HO scale layout operating 6-8 trains using full sound and DCC.

The open house has no admission fee and the club is located in Richland, NJ. For directions and more information visit their web site: www.patcongvalley.com

     
Planes and Trains exhibit at the Museum of Aviation
Nov 21-25 & 27-29, 2009;
The Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club will be part of the 'Planes and Trains Exhibit' at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, located at Highway 247 and Russell Parkway. For more information visit:
www.museumofaviation.org/planestrains.php
Attractions to include multiple layouts and static train displays among 120 military aircraft.
Admission: Free    Hours: 9-5
       
The Twin City Model Railroad Museum kicks off Night Trains on November 28th, 2009
Visit the Museum's web site www.tcmrm.org for infomration about Night Trains and many of the museum's other special events.
       
Mon Valley Model Railroad Club open house
The Mon Valley Railroad Club of Morgantown, West Virginia will be holding an Open House on December 5 and 6, 2009 at  123 Pleasant Street, Morgantown, WV  26505.  There is no admission, but donations are welcome. The event is open from 10-4 on Saturday and 12-4 on Sunday.
     
Great Train Extravaganza
The Great Train Extravaganza will be on          Sunday, December 6th 2009 at the New York State Convention Center, Albany, NY
This year will be the 34th year of the show!   > This year the event will be jointly hosted by Upstate Train Associates (UTA) and the Hudson Berkshire Division (HBD) of the Northeast Region of the NMRA.   Admission Fees:   $5 for adults, children under 12 free when accompanied . For more information visit:  http://www.gtealbany.com
       
LOOKING FOR MORE
MODEL RAILROAD
SHOWS and EVENTS?


Visit this link:
http://www.trains.com/trc/community/events/
        
News about the World's Greatest Hobby Program:
The World's Greatest Hobby Program wants to help local model railroad clubs promote their open houses and club events.

We can help you with public relations and advertising materials. We need at least 8 weeks notice. If you would like our help, please send an E-mail to info@greatesthobby.com and include the following information:
  • Name of club/event
  • Date  of event
  • contact person
  • contact person's e-mail address
  • past history of event
  • capacity of the club/event
  • Admission and parking considerations
  • What items you would like help doing
We have a limited capacity to help with these events, so we do need at least 8 weeks notice and we can only assist a limited number of events which we will do on a first come first served basis
               
More news about the World's Greatest Hobby Program:

We have some exciting news for the World’s Greatest Hobby program.  The program has received a commitment of an additional 3 years of support from some of the hobby’s most influential companies. The following companies have agreed to sponsor the program for another three years:

-          Atlas Model Railroad Co.

-          Bachmann Industries Inc.

-          Caboose Industries

-          Digitrax Inc.

-          Kalmbach Publishing Co.

-          Kato U.S.A.

-          Wm. K. Walthers Inc.

The significant financial contribution each of these companies is making to the program is a clear indication of the importance of the program. 

Another important change for the long term viability of the program is that it has become a non profit educational corporation. This will allow for additional public relations benefits for the program when dealing with the news media. This new non profit corporation’s board of director’s is comprised of some of the most important executives in the model railroad industry and include:  Thomas Haedrich - Atlas Model Railroad, Hiroshi Kato - Kato USA, Bud Reece - Bachmann Industries,  Terry Thompson - Kalmbach Publishing and Phillip Walthers - WM. K. Walthers Inc.

The World’s Greatest Hobby Board of Directors has engaged Competitive Intelligence Advertsing Incorporated to provide administration and promotion assistance for the program.  Competitive Intelligence Adverting Incorporated is well known in the industry as a successful marketing and promotion company.  They managed the very successful World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour shows since 2004.  They will continue to use their expertise in marketing and public relations to take the program to another level.  Their President, Dave Swanson, will serve as executive director for the World’s Greatest Hobby program.

Because of these changes there is new contact information for the program. The Website address will remain the same www.greatesthobby.com and it will be updated over the next few months. The new mailing address is World’s Greatest Hobby - PO Box 11, Elmhurst, IL 60126. The new e-mail address for the administration of  the World’s Greatest Hobby is info@greatesthobby.com. The new phone number is 630-592-1894 and the new FAX number is 630-214-4113

Please send any updates for the club, model railroad, or hobby shop directory to info@greatesthobby.com.










   
Model Trains in the news:
     
   

Changing trains in the mall

Charleston Post Courier - Ken Burger - ‎Sep 26, 2009‎
Richard Ketcham uses a radio control to operate a model train along tracks inside the building where the Charleston Area Model Railroad ...

Gulf Coast Model Railroad reopens at Shell Point

Cape Coral Daily Breeze - ‎Sep 24, 2009‎
The Gulf Coast Model Railroad at Shell Point Retirement Community will re-open Friday Oct. 2, after a summer hiatus to complete maintenance and upgrades to ...

A Visit to San Diego's Model Railroad Museum

SanDiego.com - Jolene Kearns - ‎Sep 21, 2009‎
Nestled beneath the impressive architecture along Balboa Park's famous El Prado sits a world-class model railroad museum promising to ...

Lynden Lions' train show marks 25th year

Bellingham Herald - Michelle Nolan - ‎Sep 24, 2009‎
If it's model railroad-related, it's here. If you have kids and you've never been to our show, you really ought to give it a try. Kids and adults alike love ...

Working on the (smaller) railroad

Omaha World-Herald - Diane Wetzel - ‎Sep 18, 2009‎
“G” scale models, Nichols said, are the largest of the model railroads. The “G” comes from “garden railroading,” and are popular with model rail enthusiasts ...

Train (show) arrives Saturday at fairgrounds

Hutchinson Leader - Terry Davis - ‎Sep 24, 2009‎
To prove that model railroading isn't just for kids, LLRC's 20 members, all of whom belong to the National Model Railroad Association, have invited other ...

Belen model railroad club chugs along

Valencia County News Bulletin - Julia M. Dendinger - ‎Sep 16, 2009‎
Sprawled over 20 feet by 39 feet in the main display space of the former railroad boarding house is the Belen Model Railroad Club's annual exhibit. ...

Train enthusiast pays tribute to Pennsylvania Railroad

Dothan Eagle - Jay Hare - ‎Sep 16, 2009‎
Train enthusiasts like Summers will likely be out at this weekend's Wiregrass Model Railroad Show and Sale. It's a hobby that combines painting, ...

Wiregrass Model Railroad Show set for Sept. 19-20

Dothan Eagle - ‎Sep 9, 2009‎
The 19th annual Wiregrass Model Railroad Show and Sale will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday, Sept. 20, from 10 am to 4 pm in Dothan ...

Hub Division plans New England Model Train Expo

Amesbury News - ‎Sep 1, 2009‎
Model railroading is a fantastic hobby,” says Tim Garner, the volunteer public relations director of the Expo, and a model train enthusiast for over 40 ...

 

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