Jan 20 2009
How To - Find Model Railroad Open House Displays to Visit
How To - Find Model Railroad Open House Displays to Visit
Winter months are the peak season to visit model railroad displays. The next question is: How to find Model Railroad open house displays to visit? Here are some tips that have worked for me:
Check Event Listings
Many museums, gardens, and some parks have model railroad displays for the holidays. Check your local newspaper and online sources for event listings. Many of these displays are open for a small donation to a local charity or the sponsoring museum, garden, or park. These events are annual favorites and are often listed in annual tourism calendars and guides. CitiGroup in New York City has a display in the lobby of on of their buildings in Manhatten. Call ahead for hours, ticket prices, and directions.
Model Railroad Clubs
Many model railroad clubs open their displays for the holidays or to help local causes. Check online lists of clubs in your area. Contact the club by e-mail. Use e-mail, most loosely organized, volunteer clubs, are slow to respond to mail or phone calls. There are national model railroad associations serving the popular scales. Check them too.
Internet Listings
Some model railroaders have banded together to hold open house displays of their railroads. They skip the rest of what comes with clubs and formal organizations and go directly from modeling to showing their displays to the public. You can find listings for open houses in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and southern New Jersey at http://modelrropenhouse.com/
Have fun!
Trainguy
