Eastern Iowa Division of National Model Railroad to meet at Dover Museum

The Eastern Iowa Division of the Mid-Continent Region of the National Model Railroad Association will hold its Spring quarterly meeting at the Dover Museum in New London on April 26 from 9 a.m. until noon.

Tom Persoon will present his new program on Caterpillar flatcar loads. This program will be presented at the national convention in Michigan later this summer. The group will also tour the Pilot Grove depot.

Lee, Des Moines, Henry, Louisa and Washington counties in Iowa and Henderson and Hancock counties in Illinois were formerly part of the Illowa Rails Division, Illowa Rails merged with the Eastern Iowa Division last year. The quarterly division rotates across the area, Last year meetings were held in Wilton, Davenport, Coralville and Cedar Rapids. April 26 will be the first time the merged groups will meet. A business meeting is on the agenda and lunch will be served.

The Illowa group has reached out to known model railroaders in the area who are not NMRA members and invited them to attend. One of the most popular activities of New London’s Holiday Stroll is the model railroad running in the Pilot Grove Depot at the Dover Museum. Lunch will be provided.

Are you planning a vacation to Northern California this year? After much hard work by former NMRA President Charlie Getz and Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette editor Bob Brown, and many delays by the California State Parks Commission, “The Magic of Scale Model Railroading” exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento is open! The exhibit is literally Smithsonian quality, and traces the history of model railroading from its inception to today, as well as showing non-modelers how a train layout is built, pieces of several finished layouts, and the various tools and models of this great hobby. Children of all ages will enjoy these displays.

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