RAILROAD MODELING UNIVERSITY    ::::    SEPTEMBER 20^TH, 2008

            The Carolina Southern Division will hold RMU III on Saturday, September 20^th, 2008. We will use the facilities of First Baptist Church in Uptown Charlotte. It is a large facility; signs will direct you to the entrance.

            Registration will take place beginning at 8:30 am. A $5.00 admission fee will be collected at registration. There will be a deadline for registration in order to plan for adequate facilities: September 8^th, 2008.

            Classes/Clinics will begin at 9:00 am and run in half-hour segments. Depending on the subject matter and the instructor, some clinics/classes may run for more than one half-hour period. Topics covered in past sessions have included:

            Layout 101: where do I start?

            Building Modules: from the ground up

            Light, Sound and Motion: bringing your layout to life

            Creating an Operation Session

            How to use Panel Pro

            How to Tune Up a basic Train Set

            Building Model Railroad Crossings

            Using Digitrax Sound Decoders

            The PC as a model railroad tool

            We would like to offer as many clinics/classes as possible. The only requirement for being an instructor is that you know something about the subject and have a desire to share your knowledge. (The sessions will also qualify for credit in the Author category of the Achievement Program if the presenter has a handout for all participants.) In the ideal world, there will be three clinics/classes running simultaneously, and there will be a series of courses for the Beginner, the Intermediate and the Advanced Modeler. Please consider joining “the faculty” of RMU III and sharing your passion with other modelers.

            There will be NMRA Judges present if modelers wish to bring rolling stock / locomotives / structures / whatever to be judged for Achievement Program certificates.

            Following RMU III we will travel to Jack Parker’s legendary Piedmont & Western Railroad (www.pandw.org). The railroad will be open for tours – and an Operating Session if there is interest. Jack’s home is located on Mountain Island Lake and we’ll settle in on the front lawn for some fellowship (please bring a lawn chair!) and a picnic in the late afternoon. (Members of the Carolina Southern Division are asked to bring a ‘covered dish’ – non-members will be asked for a $5.00 contribution to the vittles.)

            Our website (www.bytedesign.com/CSDiv) will have all of the details, directions, registration forms and class schedules.