Welcome
If you are looking for an active model railroad organization where you can learn about the model train hobby, share your modeling tips, meet other model railroaders, start new friendships and have fun, we invite you to join the San Diego Division of the National Model Railroad Association. 

If you are not a member and would like to join, and attend our next meeting or event, please call Rudy Spano, Member Services, at (858) 761-1424. A list of this years events are here online. 

Next Event:

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Layout Tour: David Lancaster will be presenting his Z scale (1:220) modules, model trains, buildings and other Z scale electronics and equipment for this model railroad layout tour. This is the first time David has hosted a model railroad layout tour and we are grateful for his generosity for hosting this event.

David is part of the ZoCal Southern California Z-Scale Model Railroading Group. ZoCal comprises of Z scale module model railroaders throughout San Diego County and the Great Los Angeles area. There are many interesting facets about Z scale module railroading that are not immediately apparent to the eye. This will be a fascinating model railroad layout tour. Be sure to bring lots of questions and your cameras for this model railroad layout tour.

• Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025.
  
• Time: 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
• Location: San Diego County. The address will be emailed to you.
  
• Parking: There is on street parking.
• Accessible: Unfortunately, the model railroad layout is not accessible.
  
• Masks: Not required.
  
• Note: ZoCal is also the group of model railroaders who are building a model railroad layout in the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. It will be the first Z scale model railroad layout to be on permanent display.
• Operations Sessions: For the group's model railroad layout at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the majority of the model railroad layout has been designed similar to a real railroad with main track, railroad yards, sidings, spurs, towns and more. While Operation Sessions have not been created on paper, in the future, Operation Sessions can be developed for the railroad for future enjoyment of the members.
• Carpooling: Help take the sting out of high gas prices and carpool with a friend.

For more details about all our 2025 events, please see our Meets/Events web page here.

September 2025 - PSR 2025 Convention - Pacific Southwest Express

PSR 2025 Convention: This is the Pacific Southwest Region (PSR) 2025 Convention, the Pacific Southwest Express. Details are listed on the convention's website listed just below.

• Date: September 3–6, 2025.
  
• Location: Ivine Hilton, 18800 MacArthur Blvd, Irvine, California, 92612. The Irvine Hilton is located next to the John Wayne Airport which is located in Santa Ana in Orange County, California, USA
  
• Website: www.pacificswexpress.org
• Accessible: Yes, the facility is accessible.
• Masks: Not required.
• Activities Will Include:
  • Welcome Reception, Pacific Southwest Region Board of Directors Reception, Pacific Southwest Region Members Meeting, Hobo Breakfast, Celebration of Models, Clinics, General Interest Clinics, Model railroad layout tours, Operation Sessions, Prototype tours, General Interest Tours and Vacation Tips, Model Railroad Swap Meet, Silent Auction, Hobo Auction and the Awards Banquet and Raffle Prizes

More About the San Diego Division
The San Diego Division holds in-person meetings every second Saturday of the month, which include members showcasing their own modeling work, layout tours, and modeling clinics. (A clinic is where one of our members demonstrates techniques or skills needed for modeling, for example, an electronics clinic, how to solder, how to weather rolling stock, understanding decoders, or techniques to improve rolling stock standards.) We have quarterly meetings (which includes a luncheon), an annual swap meet, annual picnic and other activities for our members. The Division newsletter, "The Mail Hook", is published quarterly by email and is sent to our Division members.

The San Diego Division (California, USA) includes the Southern California counties of Imperial and San Diego with a population of over three million, and is one of four divisions in the Pacific Southwest Region (PSR) of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). The other PSR Divisions are the Arizona Division, Cajon Division and the Los Angeles Division. Please find links to the National Model Railroad Association membership rates on our website. 

San Diego Division Facebook Page, Facebook Group & YouTube Channel 

• San Diego Division Facebook Page (Anyone can "Like" this Facebook Page.)
• San Diego Division Facebook Group (Private Facebook Group for our members, new as of April 2020.)
• San Diego Division YouTube Channel (Our YouTube Channel is new as of the Summer of 2020.

Model railroading is also quite active in San Diego County, with multiple model railroad clubs (including the four clubs at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park), there are many home layouts (of which a number of have active regular operating sessions), a very active Garden Railway Society, three model train stores, and several other general hobby stores that have model railroading supplies.

About the National Model Railroad Association
The National Model Railroad Association, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) not for profit educational organization that advances the global scale model railroading community through education, advocacy, standards, and social interaction. The NMRA is a three-tiered organization. The National Organization is sub-divided into Regions (18 worldwide), and those Regions are in turn sub-divided into Divisions. It is at the Division level that interactions take place between an individual member and the entire NMRA organization.

What's in a Name? 
The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) has named all the local NMRA groups, "Divisions". While it is tempting to call our NMRA group in San Diego, a model railroad club, or just the club, that terminology doesn't quite fit. The reason is, a model railroad club is where their organization has its own a permanent model train layout, usually in a rented or owned public business-type building. NMRA local Divisions usually do not own permanent layouts. NMRA Divisions hold meetings and events throughout the year. The San Diego Division is a very active NMRA Division and holds monthly meetings. It is our members who typically own their own private model railroad layouts. We hope this explains why the San Diego Division is referred to as a Division and not a model railroad club (or a club)! 

San Diego Division Model Railroader Members
Our members are very active in the model train hobby in San Diego. Some of our members belong to model train clubs, some have their own model railroads and some do both. There are three types of model railroaders in this scale train hobby. People who like to run model trains, model train modelers and model train collectors. Many model railroaders participate in all of these activities. There is a wide range of model train skill levels in the San Diego Division.

In addition, many of our members participate in Operations Sessions here in San Diego. Many of our members have their own Operations Sessions at their home model train layout and many participate in their club's Operations Sessions. Operations Sessions are when you operate your model train layout like a real railroad. Operations Sessions keeps the interest and fun in the model train hobby for your entire life. If you are looking to meet and be part of an organization with active and experienced model railroaders, the San Diego Division might be the right place for you to join.

Please note: The San Diego Division does not have a dedicated physical meeting place or office. Each month, we meet at various locations throughout San Diego County. With the exception of during a pandemic, we hold virtual meetings. All photos on our website credit: The San Diego Division, National Model Railroad Association.