North Raleigh Model Railroad Club

Locomotives for Use at Train Shows

This publication was authorized by the Standards Committee on September 2, 1992, and proposed to the general membership. It was ratified by the Club on October 7, 1992, and is updated from time-to-time.

Since the intent of operations at Train Shows is to run trains in an orderly, professional manner, the smooth operation of trains is of high priority, and thus smooth running locomotives are highly important to achieving this purpose. This publication lists locomotives acceptable for use at Shows.

Only those locomotives listed in this publication will be permitted on the Club layout at Train Shows.

Any corrections or suggestions for changes or improvements to this Standard should be directed to the Chairman, Standards Committee, North Raleigh Model Railroad Club.

Diesel Locomotives:
All "second generation" diesels are acceptable for use at Shows. "Second generation" is defined to mean any Kato-manufactured diesel, whether sold under the Kato, Atlas, Con-Cor or another name, plus contemporary diesels of other manufacturers. These include, among others:

• Athearn: All
• Atlas: All locomotives starting with RS-3 and GP30/35, and later
• Bachmann: All Spectrum
• Con-Cor: All
• E-R Models: All
• InterMountain: All
• Kato: All
• Micro-Trains: All
• Precision Craft Models: All
• Walthers/Life-Like: All

All brass diesels (Key, Hallmark, Oriental; Overland, etc.), once they have been demonstrated to be smooth runners. Such demonstration can be done on the Club layout or a personal layout, or in the yard at a Show. The Show Superintendent will keep a record of such "approved" brass diesel locomotives, then forward to the Club Secretary for recording.

The above diesels are only permitted on Show layouts if "stock," ie the mechanisms have not been modified. Any re-motoring or other modification of these diesels removes the blanket approval for operation at shows.

Steam Locomotives:
The following steam locomotives are considered acceptable for operation at shows:

• Athearn/Roundhouse: All
• Atlas: 2-8-8-2
• Bachmann: All Spectrum
• Con-Cor: 4-6-4, 4-6-6-4, 4-8-8-4, 2-8-4, 4-8-4, 2-8-8-2, 2-8-8-0
• Kato: 2-8-2
• Minitrix: 4-6-2, 2-10-0
• Model Power: All
• Walthers/Life-Like: All

All brass steam locomotives, once they have been demonstrated to be smooth runners. Such demonstration can be done on the Club layout or a personal layout, or in the yard at a Show. The Show Superintendent will keep a record of such "approved" brass steam locomotives, then forward to the Club Secretary for recording.

Any re-motoring or other alteration to the mechanisms of these locomotives removes the blanket approval.

Any approved locomotives listed above that have been re-motored, or had their mechanisms modified lose their blanket approval. Such locomotives must be demonstrated to be good performers through controlled operation on a Show or other layout prior to being approved for continued use at Shows.

"First generation" locomotives whose performance has been upgraded to the level of "second generation" locomotives must be demonstrated to be good performers, as above.

The Show Superintendent has final authority over approval for locomotives to be run at the Show.

"Proven" locomotives only are to be used at Shows. The running in or breaking in of new locomotives during shows is not permitted.

Any locomotive, also meeting the above requirements, that is equipped with a Command Control decoder meeting the NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices for Digital Command Control, is permitted on the Club layout at Train Shows.

Cosmetic flaws in locomotives are cause for prohibition from the Club layout at Shows. This includes damaged bodies, misaligned bodies, badly damaged paint (not to be confused with legitimate weathering effects), and missing parts.