08/10/2025
Dont miss out on our combined meet!! Running Trains, Swap meet Clinics See you all on Sunday!!
Event: BBMRA & Sunshine Region NMRA Combined Division Meet
Where: Miccosukee Community Center 15011 Cromartie Road, Tallahassee, Fl.
Date: Sunday, August 17, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Setup & Breakfast Meet-and-Greet at 9:00 AM, Lunch on site from 12:00–1:00 PM)
Join the Big Bend Model Railroad Association and the NMRA Sunshine Region for a full day of trains, modeling, and fellowship at our combined division meet!
Highlights include:
• Operating Layouts – HO and N-scale layouts running throughout the day
• All-Scale Swap Meet – Buy, sell, and trade locomotives, rolling stock, scenery, tools, and more
• Informative Clinics:
o Creating Pine Trees from Scratch – A Cost-Saving Solution for Dioramas & Modules
o Adding SwitchKats to Your T-TRAK Modules – It’s the Little Things That Get You Every Time
o Interchanges and Junctions – Where the Rails Connect
o So You Want to Model Logging… Logging and Lumber for Model Railroaders
Enjoy breakfast during our morning meet-and-greet, take in great clinics, run trains, browse the swap tables, and catch up with fellow modelers. Lunch available on-site from 12:00–1:00 PM.
Donations to help cover event costs are appreciated
Clinic Title: Creating Pine Trees from Scratch – A Cost-Saving Solution for Dioramas & Modules
Description:
Realistic scenery can bring any model railroad or diorama to life—but with commercial trees costing $1 or more each, filling a forest can quickly drain your hobby budget. In this clinic, you’ll learn how to create realistic N-scale pine trees from scratch for just pennies apiece, using simple, readily available materials.
Presenter Andy Zimmerman, will walk you through the step-by-step process, from materials selection (including an unexpected product from the hardware store) to shaping, painting, and detailing your trees for maximum realism. With just about $27 in supplies, you can produce up to 1,000 trees—enough to cover entire modules or create sweeping forest scenes without breaking the bank.
Whether you model in N, HO, or larger scales, this technique can be adapted to suit your needs. Join us and discover how to turn everyday items into beautiful, budget-friendly pines that rival store-bought models at a fraction of the cost.
Key Takeaways:
• Learn how to make durable, realistic pine trees for just pennies each
• Step-by-step demonstration of shaping, painting, and finishing
• How to adapt the method for different scales and scenery styles
• Tips for mass-producing trees for large layouts or modules
Clinic Title: Adding SwitchKats to Your T-TRAK Modules – It’s the Little Things That Get You Every Time
Description:
Take your T-TRAK modules to the next level by adding DCC control to your Kato Unitrack or LGB remote turnouts with the NCE Switch-Kat. This stationary decoder is purpose-built for Kato and LGB turnouts, allowing full DCC operation, optional switch position indicator lights, and even local pushbutton control—all in a compact, easy-to-install package.
In this clinic, you’ll learn:
• How the Switch-Kat works and why it’s perfect for T-TRAK modules
• Step-by-step installation: two wires to the track, two to the switch—it’s that simple
• How to wire consistently for trouble-free operation
• Addressing (1–2044) and the differences between accessory and locomotive decoder programming
• Adding LEDs for turnout position indicators
• Integrating with JMRI for on-screen control
• Running turnouts from Engine Driver or WiThrottle apps
Whether you’re looking to simplify operations, add visual indicators, or bring wireless turnout control to your layout, this session will show you how to get it done with confidence.
Clinic Title: Interchanges and Junctions – Where the Rails Connect
Description:
Interchanges and junctions are the crossroads of the railroad world—critical points where routes meet, diverge, and goods or passengers transfer between lines. This clinic will explore the definitions, purposes, and real-world examples of both, helping you understand how they function in prototype railroading and how to model them effectively.
Presenter Andy Millott, will walk you through
• Interchanges – Tracks linking two different railroads, from simple connectors to small yards, and how they facilitate the transfer of cars or people between lines.
• Junctions – Locations where two or more rail routes converge or diverge, whether through a diamond crossing, an overpass, or a simple turnout connection.
• Types of interchanges, including parallel connections, end-to-end links, overpass diamonds, and belt lines.
• Track design considerations, rail size differences, and traffic control at these critical locations.
• How abandoned crossings, freight handling, and operational challenges shape the design and use of these connections.
Whether you’re a prototype enthusiast or a modeler looking to add operational interest to your layout, this clinic will give you the knowledge and inspiration to create realistic, operationally rich interchange and junction scenes.
Clinic Title: So You Want to Model Logging… Logging and Lumber for Model Railroaders
Description:
From the thunder of “Timberrrr!” in the forest to the hum of a busy sawmill, the logging industry offers model railroaders a wealth of operational, scenic, and historical possibilities. This clinic takes you deep into the world of logging and lumber, blending prototype knowledge with practical modeling tips.
We’ll explore:
• Primary Logging Industries & Regions – Where and how the industry thrived
• The Logging Process – Felling, yarding/forwarding, loading, and transporting logs to the mill
• Key Facts & Figures – Like why a single 40-foot, 30-inch log weighs about 4,000 pounds and how a modern sawmill can process up to 200 truckloads a day
• Steam vs. Diesel Eras – Why your chosen time period shapes your equipment, scenery, and operations
• Logging Railroads – Pre-WWII and post-WWII practices, equipment, and track design
• Modeling Tips – From log trucks to specialized railcars, sawmills to skid trails, and scenery that tells the story of the industry
Whether you’re building a full logging-themed layout or adding a small lumber operation to your railroad, you’ll leave with inspiration, prototype details, and practical advice to bring this rugged industry to life in miniature.
