Welcome

Welcome to the Piedmont Pilgrimage Open House layout tour program for 2010! As Chairperson of this event it is gratifying to see the great number of visitors it draws from year to year. Many are from out of state and sometimes from out of the United States. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm of the model railroad layout owners who spend so much time and money to present their hobby to you for enjoyment.

The Pilgrimage is presented during November of each year in celebration of Model Railroad month. Traditionally one thinks of a model train running around the Christmas tree. That seems to be more in our memory than in actuality with so many of our children playing computer games, texting, and listening to music on iPods. What you may or not know is there are thousands of model layouts that are running full time all year long. Many of them are in the metro Atlanta Area. This is your opportunity to view them. If you have operated model trains you know how much fun they are. Why spend only a few weeks a year doing it!

Model trains have gone high tech. The computer revolution has not been wasted on the hobby. Many layouts now are digitally controlled. This means a small computer is the backbone of the layout. There are small electronic devices located in locomotives (and other items) that control the speed, lighting, lamp functions, sound, and so much more. This allows for independent control of the locomotives on the same track. While making the trains more fun to run it greatly improves the realism. The company on the cover with the name Digitrax is one of many firms that can provide this equipment. When you see someone operating a train with a handheld device it is probably digital. Ask them about it and should be happy to answer your questions.

If you are new to the hobby, which means anything from a casual model railroad fan to someone who is thinking about building a model railroad, the Pilgrimage is a great opportunity to find out what your interests are. I touched on this in my welcome letter last year. There are many things to think about before going out and buying a model train. What scale do I find most interesting? What size area can I dedicate to a model railroad layout? How much time do I plan on spending on the hobby? Will I have help building it? Looking at many different layouts will help you decide what you may want to build. This can save you a huge amount of money.

While you are looking through the brochure to decide on what layouts to visit take special note of our advertisers. They are a great resource for not only model railroad supplies but also knowledge on how to design and build your layout. Patronize them when you have the opportunity.

Have a great time. I look forward to seeing you out on the Pilgrimage trail as we always say take plenty of memories and leave only footprints.

Bob McIntyre
Piedmont Pilgrimage Chairperson