| Latest Additions |
4/1/2009
Photo updates of progress on Randy's
home layout |
3/20/2009
APN's newest member
Brad Wilburn |
3/8/2009
More photos of Moe's
home layout |
1/24/2009
Midsouth Op Session
We have out of town
guests join us to play
with trains on our
railroad
Click here |
| Railroading |
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Upcoming Events |
June 20-21
Houston S Gaugers'
layout set up for
Fathers' Day weekend
Memorial City Mall, Houston |
July 5-11
The NMRA National
Convention
Hartford, Conn. |
July 11
Mall of the Mainland 3rd
Annual Train Show
Texas City, TX |
July 18
Free Train Rides
Houston Area
Live Steamers |
July 25-26
7th Balcones Heights
Family Train Show
San Antonio |
August 15
New Braunfels 16th Annual
Summer Model Train Show |
Click here
for links to
these and other events
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| Railroading in other media |
A few good reads
 Although
we have our own library, the public library is also a source for
books on railroading and our hobby. One example is this book
that most model railroaders would enjoy: "Playing with Trains: A Passion Beyond Scale"
"Check it out" at the
Montgomery County Library.
Click here
 Or
check out this suspense thriller about a railfan that tries to stop
a killer responsible for a mysterious series of train wrecks: "Foamers"
Click here
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 Recommended
reading from the APN library:
"Model Railroading with John Allen"
by Linn Westcott
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Trains for your ear
Instead of music,
how
about a free download of an MP3 "old time radio" melodrama
for your iPod / MP3 Player?
Click here
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2-10-0 Road Test
How does it perform?
"It corners as if it is on rails!"
Click here
to this link to read Road &
Track magazine's road test of a 1924 Baldwin Decapod.
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Better than YouTube
Vintage movie footage,
some full length featurettes
from when rail was king
Click here |
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| Welcome! |
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Coming in October:
HOOTERS 2008
All Points North plans to
be a part of it!
What is
HOOTERS?
HOOTERS guests to APN's layout, click
here to learn about operations on APN
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We are planning to double in size our
already HUGE layout. Do you want to be a part of it?
Take a tour of our layout/clubhouse by looking through our
Photos of the Month or our other
Photo Galleries. Or come visit us and take an up close and
personal tour. Just call one of the 2 phone numbers below and set a
date to watch trains running over our mainline.
To get under the hood and learn about some of the
more detailed mechanics of operating our layout,
click here. Like what you see? Do you want to become a part
of this? Come play trains with us. Read the article below to learn about
the excitement of our exploring plans to
GROW.
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Welcome to the official website of the All
Points North Model Railroad Club
Founded in 1981 as a social
club, APN currently has over 30 members. In 2001 APN
completed construction of a new 2,500 square foot clubhouse
located on two acres of land in Conroe, Texas (just north of
Houston).
In early 2003 we began construction of our
permanent layout. We feature an operating HO scale
point-to-point railroad with over 530' of mainline run. We
also have a narrow gauge HOn3 line.
We are one of only a handful of model railroad clubs in the
United States that owns both the land and a building solely
dedicated to model railroading. Members have access to the club
anytime, day or night, allowing them to run trains or access the
club's library, or use the work bench or paint booth to work on
their models.
Saturdays will almost always find someone
at the club house sometime during the day. We hold a
business meeting the third Saturday of the month.
Operating Sessions have become an important facet of our
enjoyment of our layout, and is what most modelers ultimately
aspire too, many at the expense of finishing the scenicing of
their layouts. Come play with us at APN and enjoy both!
We hold an Operating Session on the
fourth Saturday of the month. From time to time we also alternate with other layout owners
in the Houston area (and beyond) and operate as guests on their layouts.
Click here to find out more about
operating on the APN Railroad.
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Become a member as we plan
for growing
our layout
In
less than 10 years we've bought our own land, erected a
Clubhouse, paid off our debt, and built what we think is a
very nice, large layout. See for yourself by looking
at the photos on this website or better yet, by paying us a
visit.
Although we still have several years ahead of us to "complete"
the existing layout, we have initiated steps to explore plans to
expand our clubhouse and double the square footage we have for
layout space. A white paper on this Expansion is available
here.
With an expansion, our operating costs will also expand.
Critical to our success is to also grow our membership to
maintain our affordable cost structure. A club is nothing without a
vibrant membership. If you have been putting off joining a
club, now is a great time!
Not just a great time, this is an exciting time at APN, and a time for opportunity.
If you would like to be a participant in our excitement,
by joining APN now you can get in on the ground floor as
we develop plans that we expect will culminate in one of the
premier layouts in the Houston area. Become a member now and
help us make this happen. |
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APN has
memberships available to individuals with an interest in
any phase of the model railroading/rail fanning hobby. Membership is
restricted to individuals 21 years of age or older.
Click here for an Application for Membership.
Potential members are welcome to visit our clubhouse.
For more
information contact:
John Christiansen, APN President:
(713) 851-1641
Duane Darling:
(281) 257-8555
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The 33 members of All Points North Model Railroad Club
Click on an individual's
picture for more info on that member
We play with trains
and aren't ashamed to admit it!
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Comic strip courtesy of
www.fborfw.com
(refresh page for random comic
strip)
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 Want
to know more about Model Railroading?
The
National Model Railroad Association
is the largest organization devoted to the development, promotion, and enjoyment
of the hobby of model railroading.
The NMRA has a web page devoted to beginners in the hobby.
Click here
to go to that page. |
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Other sources to consider:
-Visit the World's
Greatest Hobby Website
-Visit the nearest
local Hobby Shop that carries Model Trains
-Call and arrange a visit with the nearest
Model Railroad Club
-Join APN!
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Boy Scouts
of America
Railroading
Merit Badge
Click here for
requirements |
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If you are an adult leader of a Houston Area Boy
Scout Troop and would like to arrange for a workshop on the Railroading Merit
Badge, please contact one of the following:
Houston Railroad Museum
Galveston Railroad Museum
Galveston County Model RR Club
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Train meet on APN's Ralphred siding, just outside the town of Big Bend
Click on the picture to view a movie clip of the meet (0.7 MBytes)
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Created on 01/25/2007
Updated
06/20/2009 |
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