NMRA AP Program

T-Trakker Has Thoughts About the Modular Railroading AP

The National Model Railroading Association just did something I didn’t expect: it created a brand-new Achievement Program certificate for modular railroading. It’s a tacit admission, at the very least, that modular isn’t just the ugly stepchild of more serious hobby activities, but a legitimate expression unto itself.

It feels like somebody in NMRA leadership has been reading my blog posts a little too carefully. I’m not sure how to feel about that.

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The MMR Certificate, and Why I Won’t be Earning One
An NMRA medallion on an award plaque.

When the superintendent of my NMRA division suggested, at a gathering a few years ago, that I work to earn a Master Model Railroader (MMR) certificate, I recognized the gleam in his eye. Decades earlier, my scoutmaster had the same gleam when suggesting I go for the Eagle badge. It awakened some surprisingly complex feelings from deep inside myself.

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