Page 14 - September October 2015

NMRA-BR @ 70 USA
Mike Hughes profiles the long-established group which caters for those modelling American railroads.
The National Model Railroad Association – British Region reaches
Milepost 70
On September 2nd 1945, on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Douglas MacArthur and Mamoru Shigemitsu were signing the instrument of surrender, bring- ing the Second World War in the Pacific officially to an end.
On the same day, the President of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), Ed Ravenscroft, and Secretary, Bernard Gottlieb, were signing another momentous piece of paper granting the British Region its charter.
The NMRA had itself been formed just ten years earlier when a group of modellers found their models were incompatible with others. Each manufacturer had its own standards but interoperability of equipment was lacking. The principal objective of the NMRA then was to establish standards so that one manufacturer’s equip- ment would run with the products of others. These basic standards included the scales, track gauges, wheel contours, operating voltage, and even which direction the loco will go for a partic- ular polarity. Today NMRA standards are adhered to by most
of the model railroading industry.
Above
Sharing skills: Ron Gager explains a feature of his layout to Cliff South.
Below
Encouraging new fans: Steve Quick gets his granddaughter
Tayla to operate the layout.
Photos: Mike Hughes.
Below
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CONTINENTAL MODELLER
Typical of American railroading – a massive steam locomotive and a multiple lash-up of classic bulldog-nose diesels, seen on the extensive Green River HO layout built by long-time NMRA-BR member Bob Phelps.
Photo: Steve Flint.