About Us

 WHO WE ARE:
 

We are a dedicated group of model railroaders from the greater Birmingham metropolitan area who attempt to promote the hobby of model railroad trains and HO model railroad layouts. We are incorporated in the state of Alabama and are recognized by the federal government as a section 501(c)(3) organization, a charitable non-profit organization.
 

OUR GOALS:
 

Our main goal is to establish a permanent location for an operating HO scale model railroad in the greater Birmingham metropolitan area. Our other goals include promoting the hobby of model railroading, promoting fellowship among all model railroaders and providing information to all model railroaders. We promote the hobby by displaying and operating our HO scale model railroad layout; sponsoring model railroad trade shows; displaying exhibits; having tours of private model railroad layouts and having clinics at our meetings.
 

WHAT WE DO:
 

We promote the hobby of model railroading by displaying and operating our 16’ by 34’ HO scale model railroad layout most Saturdays and Sundays at the Shops of GrandRiver in Leeds Alabama (see our schedule on our Home page). We were at the National Model Railroad Association Show in Birmingham in 1988. We have had our layout in Albertville, Bessemer, Gadsden, Haleyville, Huntsville, Irondale, Leeds, Montgomery, Oxford and Tuscaloosa in Alabama and in Meridian in Mississippi. We were at the Festival of Trees and the Cerebral Palsy Telethon in Birmingham for many years. We have been invited to cities as far away as Chattanooga, Tennessee and Mobile, Alabama. Perhaps, some day we will be able to go to shows that far away.
 

WHAT WE DO AT SHOWS THAT ARE OUT OF TOWN:
 

When we have an out-of-town show, we each travel individually to the place where the show is to be held and set up our layout, which usually takes 2-3 hours to set up. Some members will spend the night before the day of the show near where the show will be held. We, then, operate our trains for the duration of the show and afterwards pack our things back in our vehicles. Some members stay overnight after the show, while other members return home immediately after the show.
 

OUR PORTABLE HO SCALE LAYOUT:
 

Our portable layout is regularly used at Train Shows along with local charity and community events.  Our members look forward to working these events and running their trains for the public.  Great conversations about trains and the Model Train hobby are always had and enjoyed.