General Information

Our club is an active fellowship of model railroaders with a mutual interest in HO modular railroading. We operate an extensive model railroad system called the Sacramento Central Railroad. This modular railroad is the focal point of the club.

Most of our railroading activity takes place at monthly operating sessions. These operating sessions are all-day events held at a suitable facility on the third Saturday of the month. Our members favor an operational approach to modular railroading, so we operate by dispatching trains with our own computer-generated version of a prototype switch list.

Sacramento Central Railroad operating territory is based on the Sacramento Valley and surrounding foothills. The club owns the yards and other special modules, but individual club members own the majority of the units. The club owns some locomotives and cars, but again, the majority of the engines and cars is member owned. We do not have any restrictions on the type of locomotives or rolling stock used on the railroad. However, we do require that all engines and cars be correctly weighted and equipped with Kadee or compatible couplers.

Trains are controlled by a digital command control system. In order to run a train on the railroad it must have an appropriate DCC decoder installed in the engine. After much research, we decided on the Digitrax DCC system. This system has greatly enhanced our prototypical control of trains.

We are a non-profit historical-educational corporation and as such, the club exhibits at an average of two public shows a year. At shows we like to run trains of different eras and types for the public's entertainment and education. Our premiere public railroading event is International Rallfair. We are one of the sponsors of this annual show and we put a lot of energy into its success. Our other public appearances vary from year to year.

We are not a large group, but we are proud of our club's many achievements over its three decade history. Visitors are always welcome at our operating sessions, and club membership is open to people who are willing to make a small commitment of time, effort, and talent to support our goals. We feel the club has much to offer the member in return.

Applicant Requirements

Member Expectations

• We expect members to support the group with suitable time, effort and talent.
• We expect members to purchase a club vest for public show (cap is optional).
• We expect appropriate and courteous behavior and language.
• We expect suitable grooming and dress (especially at public shows).
• We discourage applicants from building a module prior to becoming a member.
• We can accurately build lightweight modules for members at cost.
• We expect you to check with our module people before developing a theme.
• We expect members to meet our standards for module track and scenery.
• Building a personal module is not a requirement of the club.

Applicant Procedures

1. After your initial visit, you must attend three club operating events within a five month period.
      a. You must attend club meetings from beginning to end.
      b. You must help with set up and/or take down of modules.
      c. Only one meeting a month may count toward the meeting requirement.
      d. A two-day show counts only as one meeting (only one day required).
2. Please notify our Club Secretary at the end of each countable meeting.
3. Yearly dues of $20.00 are due upon completion of meeting requirements.
4. At the meeting following completion of the three required meetings, a vote will be taken of the members in attendance and a 2/3 majority is needed for acceptance as a new member. Upon payment of dues, our Treasurer will issue you a membership card for the calendar year.

Fellowship, Commitment, Education