PCMRC General Information

PCMRC is based in Salem, Oregon. Although we were started by members primarily interested in large scale model railroads (predominately G scale), our club was founded and designed to appeal to all scales of model railroading. We have members with G, O, HO, and N scales both indoor and garden railroads and some with seasonal only railroads. A few members do not have model railroads. Our only prerequisite for being a member is a passion for trains and a desire to associate and share this passion with other members.We believe our charter calls for us to work toward accomplishing he following goals:
1. promote the hobby of model railroading in our community.
2. educate each other about model railroading and trains in general..
3. exchange information with other members.
4. assist other members with their modeling.
5. teach what we’ve learned about model railroading using a hands on approach as much as possible.
6. respect every member’s diversity.
7. develop friendships with other members.
8. protect the integrity of the club and the privacy of its members.Our formula for accomplishing these goals has been successful. Activities such as member open houses to showcase each other’s railroads, periodic ‘hands-on’ construction workshops, and information classes taught by members are examples of how we help each other learn and cultivate the hobby. Camaraderie is also an important component of PCMRC, so we try to have yearly events such as train excursions and visits to other area train clubs. Helping each other is paramount, and work sessions are scheduled to help members build their railroads as needed. Meetings are monthly, sometimes incorporating these into work sessions or open houses. We believe this keeps members informed, bonds club members, updates and obtains project commitments, and helps facilitate accomplishments of yearly priorities. Our members have a wide range of talents and modeling skills varying from doll house and model boat builders, to crafts, electrical, radio control, metal work, and woodworking. We have members who are attorneys, engineers, and small business owners as well as those with financial, personnel, public planning, project management, picture/sound, and information technology backgrounds. PCMRC realizes that model railroading can be expensive, so we strive to help our members control their hobby budgets and we keep club expenses low. We accomplish this by requiring no more than nominal yearly dues used to help the club accomplish its yearly goals, combining orders for volume purchases among members, and sharing information about products and sources available. We encourage our members to use our website to obtain information thus reducing administrative costs and saving time. However, owning a computer is not mandatory to join our club. Acting responsibly while conducting club events, we are committed to protecting the interests of PCMRC and its members.

There is no obligation to attend or participate in all club activities but an expectation of assisting in accomplishing our club goals is placed on our members. With active participation we believe we will grow as a club, save our members heartache and money by sharing information, provide awareness of model railroading to others, and develop friendships outside of our normal everyday circles.