Youth Program

San Diego Model Railroad Association Youth Program

The purpose of the San Diego Model Railroad Association Youth Program is to attract youngsters – teens and pre-teens – to the hobby of model railroading.

Requirements of the program are relatively simple –

  1. Youngsters must be less than 18 years of age, and a parent must accompany each child at each session;
  2.  Program participants are expected to complete the program in nine months;
  3.  In the fourth month of training each participant must bring a DCC-equipped                      locomotive and caboose (or other piece of rolling stock with some type of end-of train device) to each Program session; and
  4.  In the sixth month of training each participant must bring a DCC controller to each Program session to operate trains on the layout.

After six months of training, participants will be evaluated for three months, then either serve on a weekend day crew or be placed on the waiting list for the next available nine-month training Program.  Participants assigned to weekend crews will serve for a minimum of three hours, once each month.

Each session will span a three-hour period, starting one hour before the Museum opens – 10 a.m. to Noon – on the first Saturday of each month except for December and January.   Featured activities during each monthly session will include

  • An educational program on selected program days lasting 35-40 minutes;
  • A short break for refreshments; and 
  • An opportunity to run digital equipment on the SDMRRA layout by both panel and engineer-style operations.

The educational part of the Program will provide a hands-on introduction to the basic elements of HO-scale and O-Scale model railroading.  It will examine the different types of model railroad equipment available today, and give instruction about how to weigh cars, and change both wheels and couplers to meet Association standards.   

Space in the program will be limited to no more than four new participants.   Pre-registration is required.  Once the Program fills up, a waiting list will be maintained to fill vacancies as openings become available.

Please email sdmrcyouthprog@gmail.com or call (619) 534-6270 for more information.