On Saturday April 18^th I had the honor of representing both the NMRA and Seacoast Division at the Southern Maine Model Railroad Club (SMMRC) spring show in Westbrook, ME.  Although it’s a relatively small show, I found myself almost continuously engaged in one conversation or another.  I met and interacted with a diverse set of people.  Given the wide scope of our hobby, it’s no great surprise that this was the case.  Below is a sampling of the discussions I had at the Westbrook show.

In no particular order:

• One lady inquired about the proper technique for lubrication of her son’s Thomas the Tank Engine. Having no great knowledge, I suggested that all knowing source of information YouTube.  I did go so far as to suggest she forgo the grease she had purchased in favor of oil and assured her that less is more when it comes to lubricant.
• I had an extended discussion on 3D printing with a young gentleman who informed me that in addition to being a model railroader he is also a “Furry”. I’m not quite sure what that is.  However, he was genial and knowledgeable on the topic at hand.
• I got to settle an argument between two friends on the topic of interchangeability of the terms scale and gauge.
• Two Boy Scouts and one of their leaders were interested on where to start their model railroad journey. I found this one particularly gratifying because I felt I was actually mentoring these budding hobbyists.  I tried to impress them that there really is no wrong answer to that question.  I endeavored to paint the picture of what a diverse hobby we have and to pursue what strikes their fancy.  And once again I suggested YouTube.  There is a lot of junk out there but there are also quite a few gems.  Back in the day I would have told them to grab a copy of Model Railroader.  Today YouTube is more accessible.
• I had several conversations on variations of how to dispose of a model railroad collection. One that struck a real chord was with the daughter of a man who had recently entered memory care.  She wasn’t looking to cash in.  She and her siblings didn’t want to see what their father had such a passion for end on the scrap heap.
• The display of BAR State of Maine box cars in scales from G to T (1:22.5 to 1:450) is always guaranteed to start many people talking. The T scale, if you haven’t seen one, is absurdly tiny and amazes everyone, including me.

  

Truly the highlight of my day came when an older gentleman approached me and somewhat gruffly inquired “are you part of this Great Falls Model Railroad Club that’s posting videos of me on YouTube?”  His manner placed me slightly on guard.  I informed him that no I wasn’t with the Great Falls club but rather with the NMRA.  He then whipped out his phone and showed me a video clip of himself at the throttle of a Guilford/MEC GP40 in the mill yard at Rumford.  He softened a little and went on to tell me that he had hired on as a Maine Central brakeman in 1961 and became an engineer several years later.  He and his brother were the third generation of engineers on the MEC.  He spent years making runs on the Mountain Division between Portland and St Johnsbury, up to Mattawamkeag, and all points in between.  When he mentioned he had also taken turns on the Portland Terminal Railroad, I countered that my wife had two uncles who worked on the PTR.  One a conductor the other a brakeman.  He recognized the names and knew them both quite well.  He went so far as to claim that the one who was the conductor was his cousin.  If that’s true he would also be a distant cousin of my wife.  He retired in 2000 after 39 years on the railroad.  I had a great time listening to his stories.  I hope to track him down and invite him to attend one of our events and/or sit down to be interviewed for a Switch Tower article.

Although I was thoroughly entertained by these conversations, I didn’t forget my purpose for being at the show.  I had numerous opportunities to explain what the NMRA is, a little of our history, and most importantly our mission.  I always made the point that the Seacoast Division is the local face of the NMRA and the hub of all our activities.  I counted at least a half dozen seemingly serious inquiries on how to join.  If that delivers one new member, it’s time well spent.

If this sounds to you like a pleasant way to spend a Saturday, we can always use help manning these shows.  The Division participates in eight to ten such shows each year about evenly spread between Maine and New Hampshire.  We’re always able to accommodate anyone who’d like to volunteer to staff the table.  There are no prerequisites, qualifications, or training involved.  Just a willingness to engage with people and share your enthusiasm for our hobby and our organization.  I’d especially like to encourage new modelers and new members.  Many people relate well to someone in a similar stage of the model railroading journey as theirs.  Locations and time commitments are flexible.  You don’t have to work the entire show.  And as a reward you get into the show for free!  If you would like to volunteer or just find out more about it, email John McHugh at president@seacoastnmra.org.