The NMRA Michiana Division serves northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. We meet the 3rd Friday of each month starting at 7:30 PM at the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. Meetings consist of open discussion followed by a program designed to assist model railroaders in becoming better modelers, layout builders, and operators. The programs range from hands-on workshops on weathering, painting, installing DCC, programming decoders, creating backdrops, model photography etc. to clinics put on by some of the hobby's best model railroaders. Like all NMRA division activities around the world, all Michiana Division meetings and other activities are open to all NMRA members, regardless of where the member’s “home” region and division may be. Guests and visitors are welcome.

  In addition to the monthly meeting, the NMRA Michiana Division also hosts regular model railroad operating sessions at members home layouts. We host "photo safaris" where division members go on trips around the area to photograph railroad equipment, structures (particularly older structures), and infrastructure, along with modelable scenes. We also have a social aspect where we get together for holiday and other events.

The NMRA Michiana Division's mission statement is: To promote the hobby of model railroading through sharing, education, operation, photography, socializing, and having fun in general.

  Joining the NMRA Michiana Division: Membership to the NMRA Michiana Division is open to all NMRA members. We maintain a Yahoogroup for communication and discussion. Our very detailed division news periodical is published to and distributed through our Yahoogroup. The division calendar is located on the home page of this Yahoogroup. To join the NMRA Michiana Division you only need to be a NMRA member and join our Yahoogroup. Send an email message to this address: NMRA_Michiana_Division-subscribe@yahoogroups.com stating that you wish to join the division. You must provide your NMRA# along with your US Postal zip code in this message. Also note that division communication is via the Yahoogroup. We do not communicate or distribute via the US Mail. Communication is one hundred percent digital media, via telephone, or face-to-face.

Great Lakes Model Railroad Symposium (GLMRS):

The Michiana Division in conjunction with the St. Jo Valley Model Railroad Club hosts the GLMRS on Friday and Saturday of the 3rd weekend of April every year. The Symposium is held at the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Indiana and is open to all model railroaders. Model railroaders from around the Great Lakes region and from around the country and Canada attend and participate in the GLMRS.

Pictured is the NMRA Michiana Division "weathering workshop" being conducted at the 2010 GLMRS. Participants experience hands-on practice at weathering their models led by the division's very capable workshop instructors.

Michiana Division Officers