Meets

Seven weeks during the year are designated as Meets.  Though members can come at any time, these are formally organized weeks intended to bring members together.  This gives members the opportunity to connect socially and collaborate on project.

The first half of a Meet week, the “work week”, is dedicated to working on projects.  Working together creates a surprising amount of comradery and is often the most fun of the week.  Meetings are held each morning and volunteer coordinators organize the day’s projects.  Participants are asked to not run their trains for pleasure between Monday and Thursday until after 4:00pm.

Friday through Sunday are the run days, where members can run their trains and enjoy the fruits of their labors.  The Meet often culminates with a banquet Saturday night to celebrate and share stories.  Afterwards, it is not uncommon for caravans of trains to travel to Hope Circle to see the sunset or watch the stars come out.

• Polar Bear Meet: This meet occurs in January with the intent of playing in the snow.  Hearty members have been known to try plowing snow from the tracks with their trains before retiring to the indoors for a warm drink.  Registration for this event in not required, and there is no work week.
• Spring Awakening Meet: This meet occurs in late April.  Activities focus on preparing the railroad for the coming season.  Track needs to be repaired from the winter and pine needles need to be swept.  Equipment needs to be inspected and track needs to be tuned.
• Narrow Gauge Meet: This meet occurs in late May and targets members who own steam locomotives, particularly narrow gauge models.  This meet is placed early in the season before forest fire danger becomes extreme.  Note that at no time may steam locomotives at Train Mountain be fired with anything other than propane.  Though many attendees own steam locomotives, members with all types of equipment are welcome.
• Operations Meet:  Occurring in late June, this meet creates what the modeling community calls an operating session.  Participants are given switch lists that indicate specific freight cars that must be moved around the layout from one siding to another.  Over 100 freight cars, most being members’ personal equipment, are in play during the event.  In addition, passenger train schedules are created and passenger trains must complete a route on-time.  Passengers, represented by paper cards, are picked up and dropped off by the train’s conductor at each station according to the destination printed on each card.
• Hot August Nights Meet: Held in early August, this meet is themed around evening activities after the heat of the day has subsided.  Trains travel in caravans to various parts of the park to enjoy the comradery.  An evening jaunt to the pavilion at Hope Circle to watch the sunset is always a favorite.
• Big Build Meet: The Big Build is held the weekend of labor day.  Typically this meet features a large project that requires the help of many hands.  Previous Big Build Meets have accomplished the laying of thousands of feet of new track.. The exact type of project varies from year to year.
• Fall Colors Meet: Held in late September or early October, this meet is timed to enjoy the fall foliage and the changing of the seasons.  Train Mountain’s aspen groves are particularly beautiful, with their fiery yellow leaves shimmering against white bark and a clear blue sky.  There is no work week for this meet.

Other Information

• Meets are organized for the membership.  One must be a member to attend.
• The All-Meets Pass offers a discount for members wishing to register for all the meets during a calendar year.
• The cost of registration is based on the number of adults attending.  Children are free.
• Members may register guests to attend a meet with them.  Additional fees apply.