Welcome to the Coast Division of the NMRA/Pacific Coast Region.
The Coast Division covers the Bay Area, including the Pacific coast down to the Monterey Peninsula, as well as Hawaii.
The Coast Division is an exciting group to engage to become a better model railroader and extend your group of friends and model railroad contacts. The Coast Division is an active group that sponsors participation and growth with virtual, local, and regional model railroading activities.
Become inspired by visiting legendary model railroads.
The SF Bay Area and the Coast Division are home to some of the most amazing layouts in the world.
The Coast Division holds events that include layout tours multiple times a year, and feature over 30 layouts, including such icons as Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley, Bob Brown, Dave Adams and many more.
Learn everything from basics of soldering to building buildings to scenery to trackwork to operations from those who have blazed the trail before. Use technology to improve your modeling. Learn from modeling luminaries and MMRs, including Earl Girbovan, Jack Burgess, Dave Adams, Seth Neumann, and many more. Someone in Coast Division is an expert at whatever you need to learn.
Attend clinics by Zoom during bi-weekly Coast Division calls, and by Zoom or in person at conventions and special events.
Don’t forget to check out our Clinics from within our Coast Division YouTube Channel
The Coast Division hosts multiple prototype excursions every year so you can get visit and participate with those 1:1 modelers.
We include major railroad sites include Niles Canyon Railroad, the the Society for the Preservation for Carter Railroad Resources, Inc. (SPCRR) at Ardenwood Park, and others.
See our Excursions Page or watch the news feed for announcements.
The Bay Area OPSIG coordinates Operating Sessions throughout the year. Operating is one of the most social and team-focused part of railroading that many model railroaders never experience.
Come to watch! Come to learn! Come to participate!
Many sessions can be casual – some are focused and intense operating sessions designed to challenge attendees.
See our Operations Page or watch the news feed for announcements.
The Achievement Program is a system of requirements for demonstrating a superior level of skill in various aspects of our hobby, and Contests are the way we share with, teach and inspire each other.
AP covers not only building locomotives and rolling stock, but also scenery, structures, track work, and wiring. It covers modules and even has a one square foot challenge. It covers engineering and design and civil projects just as Dispatching and Volunteering. The Achievement Program is also a personal commitment to share one’s knowledge with others and to encourage them as they also make the AP journey.
The Achievement Program is not about world-class models competing for perfection. It’s about each of us, modeling what we love, advancing our art a step at a time.
The Contest page will include rules and forms, but more than that, intends to help modelers understand how models are judged to inspire participation. Many modelers think AP contest entries must be scratchbuilt from iron ore or hewn from a single piece of first generation redwood – the truth is that scratchbuilding is only part of the score, and you can get scratchbuild partial points for adding details like interiors or clutter.
A well-fleshed out Contest page will be up shortly. In the meantime, please consult the PCR 2024 Convention Contest Page for rules and forms