rails on wheels
Washtenaw County, Michigan's HO modular model railroad club.

Updated: 31-DEC-2007

About Rails on Wheels

Rails on Wheels was formed in 1988 by a group of model railroaders interested in constructing, displaying and operating a high-performance HO scale model railroad. At the time, only one of the members had the space available for a permanent layout, so we each began to build small, portable sections that could be joined together, incorporating the specifications that would eventually become the Rails on Wheels Module Standards. This layout is usually stored dismantled between public showings.

To promote our goals of educating our members and the public about railroading and the hobby of model railroading, our activities have included monthly meetings and workshops, layout setups at over 40 train shows and the NMRA National Conventions in 1992 and 1997, private layout setups, railfanning outings and trips to train shows and swap meets.

In 1998, several Rails on Wheels members who had developed an interest in prototypical operation branched out and began to develop the Operations Road Show. These members constructed a second dedicated layout which resides in a member's basement and is used to hold operating sessions using timetable and train order operating rules. This layout was publicly unveiled at the Maple Leaf 2003 NMRA National Convention in Toronto, where 135 attendees participated in operating sessions. Our success in Toronto was repeated at the Cincinnati Limited 2005 NMRA National Convention. Our plan is to take this layout out for public operations demonstrations far less frequently than we show the display layout, probably no more often than once every two or three years, as the design of this layout does not lend itself to easy viewing by large numbers of people.

Rails on Wheels provides a forum through which members can learn techniques and get help from persons experienced in layout design, benchwork, scenery, electronics and wiring, rolling stock construction and structure building. We have developed new approaches and techniques to meet our specific construction needs, techniques which we feel have in some small way contributed to the advancement of the hobby.

We are continually expanding and upgrading our HO scale modular display layout, and welcome new members, regardless of their level of experience. Our members range from beginners to people with over 40 years' experience in the hobby.

Anyone interested in HO model railroading, from beginners to experienced craftsmen, is welcome to join. Rails on Wheels is an independent club not formally affiliated with any other organization. Membership is always open. You need not own or build a module to participate.

Rails on Wheels is a founding member of the Michigan Modular Alliance.

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Club News

The Club Trailer

On the trip back from the set-up for the Mid-Michigan Train show on April 1, the club trailer suffered a serious failure of the external sheathing. Further examination of the trailer revealed other significant structural problems due to its age. As a result, we decided at the April and May Business Meetings that we would pursue purchasing a replacement trailer.

At the May business meeting, specifications and pricing were approved, so we placed an order for a new trailer built to those specifications. The new trailer is longer than the old one and incorporates several features, including load restraining rails, which will make it easier to load and will offer us more versatility.

Jeff Fryman picked up the trailer and brought it home for us. It acquitted itself well on our trip to the National Train Show, carrying all of the modules for the layout, including six that we'd always carried in other vehicles. While the new racks we'd put together worked reasonably well, we unanimously feel that we need to improve the racking to make better use of vertical space and to permit us to get all of the assorted cartons and tubs we usually need into the trailer as well.

Club Activities

Our next activities will be:

10-JAN-2008		Business Meeting, Saline Depot Museum, 7:30pm
24-JAN-2008		Social Meeting, Saline Depot Museum, 7:30pm

Activities related to the Operations Road Show layout are listed on the Operations Road Show section of this site.

We usually meet at the Saline Historical Society's ex-NYC depot at Ann Arbor and Bennett Streets in Saline. Our meetings at the depot are open to members and non-members alike. Click here for a map.

 

2007 NMRA National Convention

The Great Lakes Express 2007 NMRA National Convention was held July 22-28, 2007 in Detroit, Michigan. While Rails on Wheels as an organization was only formally involved in the National Train Show (see below), several Rails on Wheels members assisted with this event by serving on various committees. John Young has been serving as Clinic Chairman and Al Robertson and Jeff Fryman arranged Layout Design Special Interest Group and the Operations Special Interest Group activities. In addition to this, the Operations Road Show team made its Wabash layout available for operating sessions during the first few days of the Convention.

 

2007 National Train Show

Our set-up and operation of the display layout at the National Train Show at Cobo Hall Convention Center in Detroit, July 27-29 was a success! This large train show held in conjunction with the Great Lakes Express 2007 NMRA National Convention. We set up an L-shaped layout which ran quite well. Over 20,000 attended the Train Show.

 

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2007 Train Show

Rails on Wheels' ninth annual Southeast Michigan Train Show and Sale was held on Sunday, November 25 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, at 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road in Saline, Michigan.

This year was be our biggest show, yet! Our family-friendly event had over 175 tables of model trains and railroadiana for sale, five operating layouts, and trains for kinds to run.

Our 2008 show will be held on Sunday, November 30 from 10am to 4pm at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, at 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road in Saline, Michigan.

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Upcoming Exhibitions

We will be displaying our layout at the following upcoming events:

06-APR-2008

Mid-Michigan Model Train Show & Flea Market, Finch Fieldhouse, Mount Pleasant, 11am to 4pm.

Do you have questions or comments regarding this Web site? E-mail to railsonwheels@yahoo.com
All original contents of this Web site are Copyright © 2008, John F. ("Fritz") Milhaupt on behalf of Rails on Wheels,, All Rights Reserved.