2020

Program Topics

Each meeting of the Division features a Program Topic of interest to Members and guests.
Please see the Announcements page for the next Division meeting.
Details of each monthly topic follow:

 Month  Topic
 January  Railcar Cleaning Industries by Randy Foulke
 February Cricut Laser Cutting Clinic by Steve Benezra
 March Cancelled due to Covid19
 April Cancelled due to Covid19
 May Cancelled due to Covid19
 June Cancelled due to Covid19
 July Cancelled due to Covid19
 August Cancelled due to Covid19
 September Virtual Zoom Meeting - Layout Tour by Charlie Rausch
 October Zoom Meeting - 3D Printing by Dan Fisher - VIDEO
 November Zoom Meeting - Sheet Metal Backdrops by Marty Steele - VIDEO
 December Virtual Yankee Swap Meet

Popular Vote Contest

To encourage Members of the Division, Region, or NMRA to display models or scenery they have constructed and/or modified/super-detailed from a kit, a Popular Vote Contest is held at each Division meeting, or elsewhere as directed by the Superintendent.

 Month  Topic
 January  Anything Goes
 February Freight car that needs cleaning
 March Online Voting: Covid19 projects
 April Online Voting: Rolling stock that features LEDs
 May Industrial/Urban setting
 June Favorite loco model of railroad you don't model
 July Retail store front, big city or small town, no matter
 August "Love those Loads" unusual open load in flat car, gondola, etc.
 September Baggage and/or Railway Post Office or any Head-End car
 October Trackside shed, shanty, you name it
 November End of Train, Caboose, Observation Car, FRED, etc.  
 December N/A due to Holiday Potluck & Yankee Swap

Popular Vote Contest Rules

  • Contests will occur at each scheduled monthly meeting of the Carolina Piedmont Division or as directed by the Superintendent. Only Carolina Piedmont Division Members, visiting NMRA, Regional or Division Members may participate.

  • The Contest Coordinator will decide contest ideas, but suggestions will be accepted from the membership. A list of upcoming contest ideas will be periodically published in the newsletter. This is to give ample time to prepare for the upcoming contests and show any changes to the original schedule.

  • In order to encourage participation, any model owned by the member may be entered in an appropriate contest, with two exceptions:
    1) Scenery Items: This category requires members to assemble, detail, scratch-build, and/or weather any item entered for contest.
    2) Additional requirements (ie, scratch-built, kit-bashed , etc), determined by the contest coordinator as required for a specific contest.
    All other category items may be new, out-of-the-box, kit-bashed, weathered, scratch-built, purchased, etc. Items may be any scale or gauge. A brief description will be allowed on a 3"x5" card. This description card may contain product information (detail parts, building materials, etc), the name of your item (ie, Thompson Mill), and/or what the item represents (ie, a northeastern Pennsylvania coal mine). No visible owner names are to be placed anywhere on the contest table. Model submitters will remain anonymous to the voters. Members may enter up to two (2) items per contest. In the event there are several models in different scales, the Contest Coordinator may split the votes into scale categories.

  • Contest items will be placed on the designated table. Items are requested to be on display 15 minutes prior to the meeting being called to order. Each contestant will be assigned a number. Each item will have the appropriate contestant's number posted near the item. Every member will be given a ballot slip. Members are to cast their vote and place the ballot slip in the designated container. Only one vote per Member is allowed! Voting will end 15 minutes into the break. This is to give latecomers a chance to participate and vote. Awards will be given out immediately after the program topic or as directed by the Superintendent.