Upcoming Events
2023-2024 RRVD Schedule
New meet location! Starting this season, RRVD meets (when held on site, check below) will be at
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle, 6950 Belvidere Rd, Caledonia, IL 61011 [MAP].
We are providing two versions of the Events pamphlet. If you simply want a listing of the events, you can print it out using this version:
Spring 2023 Events Linear Version
If you wish to print out a "booklet" similar to the hard copies we have provided to our members, you can print it out here using this version. NOTE: You have to print it "double-sided," then you can fold it in half and have a booklet. You may have to re-order the pages depending on your printer settings.
Spring 2023 Events Booklet Version
August 16, 2023 - Potluck Picnic
Time: 5-7 PM
Meet Location: Tullocks Woods Pow Wow Club, 4525 Stagecoach Trail, Rockford, IL. [MAP]
Event: This is a potluck picnic for NMRA members only and a guest. Bring two dishes to pass and tableware. The RRVD will provide beverage and meat. RSVP Ken Mosny with number attending to registrar@rrvd-nmra.com so we can plan food.
September 10, 2023
Monthly Meet
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle
1pm-3pm
Clinics: TBD
Presentation: Featuring longtime NMRA [1950] [Life] member Clarence H. Welte. Clarence is a Rockford Native who was "Born on the 'HORN', the local East side C&NW industrial spur through Churchill Park alongside Keith Creek and Eastward along Charles St. thence South between 22nd. & 23rd. Streets to Broadway. Clarence was at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) in Union Illinois during the 80's and 90's when major expansion of the trackwork mainline and yards were constructed. His presentation will relate the challenges and accomplishments achieved during those years.
Contest: Gondola Models Loaded or not, here they come. Bring a model of your favorite gondola. This is a contest about the car, not the load.
Layout Tour: Ron Johnson will have his 1950’s-1960’s Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railroad open for business. Come see the northwest scenery.
October 1, 2023
Monthly Meet
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle
1pm-3pm
Clinics: TBD
Contest: On Line Structures Railroads have huge numbers of structures on their property and privately owned along the tracks needed for business. Bring one you have built.
Layout Tour: Barry Betts models a proto-freelanced version of Rockford, Illinois depicting the Illinois Central and Chicago and North Western as they meander through the city. He has added lots of new details and some new track since last visited in 2020.
October 19-22, 2023 - Fort Wayne Rails 2023 Convention
Holiday Inn Purdue-Fort Wayne
For more information please visit here: [LINK]
November 5, 2023
Monthly Meet
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle
1pm-3pm
Clinics: TBD
Contest: Model Railroad Photos Take a good photo of a model Railroad and bring it. If you haven’t documented your layout with a set of photos, now is the time to do it.
Layout Tour: TBD
Illinois Railway Museum will have its annual Santa Train on Friday 11/24, Saturday, 11/25, Sunday 11/26, and every weekend in December through the 11/17. Go to IRM.org for ticket information.
December 3, 2023
Monthly Meet
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle
1pm-3pm
Clinics: TBD
Contest: Holiday Displays Once again it is time to bring that favorite model train holiday display.
Layout Tour: TBD
January 7, 2024
Monthly Meet
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle
1pm-3pm
Clinics: TBD
Contest: Boxcars The railroads loved boxcars because they could be filled with just about anything from merchandise, grain and coal, to hides and automobiles. Bring one of your boxcar models.
Layout Tour: TBD
February 4, 2024
Monthly Meet
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle
1pm-3pm
Clinics: TBD
Contest: Offline Structures Not all structures on our layouts are directly related to the railroad’s business. An offline structure could be a residence, retail business, hotel, manufacturer without a siding or even a highway bridge.
Layout Tour: TBD
February 17-18, 2024
Mad City Model Railroad Show & Sale - See Facebook post here for more detail.
March 3, 2024
Monthly Meet
Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle
1pm-3pm
Clinics: TBD
Contest: Locomotives Railroads had a huge variety of motive power to suit every task. There will be three model categories: steam, diesel and other.
Layout Tour: TBD
March 16-17, 2024 - Rock River Valley Train Show
Time: 10am-5pm Saturday, 10am-3pm Sunday
Harlem High School,
9229 North Alpine Road, Machesney Park, IL
Find more info on our facebook page [LINK] or see the flyer [HERE] April 7, 2024
1pm-3pm
Annual Meeting: The RRVD Annual meeting will be held at 1pm at the Paulson's Agriculture Museum of Argyle, 6950 Belvidere Rd, Caledonia, IL 61011 for RRVD business and election of officers for the coming year. NMRA non-members will be excluded from the room during the meeting, but are welcome to attend the rest of the meet activities when the meeting is over. The Annual Meeting should be over by 1:30pm to continue with the monthly meet.
Clinics: TBD
Contest: Flatcars This is a contest about the car, so leave the load off.
Layout Tour: TBD
May 5, 2024
Monthly Meet
Joint meet in the Madison, WI area with SCWD
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