Visiting the Club

Planning your visit

The only thing more fun than building a layout is showing it off.

We are open to visitors Thursday evenings from around 6-10pm. Feel free to stop by and just look around or hang out, or apply to be a member yourself.

Thursday nights usually following monthly schedule, although sometimes Operations night gets moved:

  • 1st Thursday - Business meeting from 8 to 9/9:30. Visitors are welcome, but will be asked to visit the 'other side' of the layout during the business meeting.
  • Saturday - The club is also open the Saturday following the First Thursday, where we have a weekend segment of our operation* session from 1-4pm.
  • 2nd Thursday - operation session, 2nd session: trains run according to schedules with waybills and all, just like a real railroad. (Confirm before coming to see operations - the date sometimes changes
  • 3rd Thursday - Work on the layout. Trains may or may not be running that evening.
  • 4th Thursday - Work on the layout. Trains may or may not be running that evening.
  • 5th Thursday - "free running": no work to be done, club members run whatever trains they want. A nice time to 'show off' their latest equipment.

See our Calendar for a currently monthly schedule (sometimes club dates change) as well as a list of shows we will be attending.

Families and individuals are welcome to stop by unannounced on any Thursday (avoid or come early on Business meeting nights). Children and youths under 16 require an adult accompaniment during their visit. There is no admission fee for visitors on Thursday nights.

If you are visiting the Boston area and really can't make a Thursday night, please contact us, and you may be able to arrange another time to visit. We'll do our best to accommodate, but may not always be able to do so.

We can also accommodate larger groups, but require advanced notice - please contact us to schedule a time. Groups of youths will need appropriate parental supervision. For Cubs this can mean 1 parent for every 2 kids, depending on age. Youngsters (1st grade-ish) will enjoy the layout, but are more interested in watching trains run. About an hour is a good length of visit - more than that they start to get bored and will start horsing around with their buddies. Older youths will have more interest in the layout itself and construction and can visit longer without losing interest.

* Operations is where we run trains like a regular railroad. Trains are run on timetables with paperwork, with a dispatcher controlling train movements.

Directions/Location

The North Shore MRC is in the basement of Brother's Restaurant, in Wakefield, MA (zip 01880). Entry to the club is from the parking lot at the rear of the restaurant.

Wakefield center is North of Boston, off of Mass route I-95 (old 128); not far from the 93/95 (north) intersection. For local drivers, Mass rt 129 runs in front of Brothers restaurant. We are about a 15 minute drive from downtown Boston on a traffic free day. You can stop laughing now :)

The club is also accessible by Boston's transit system, the MBTA, also known as "the T".

The commuter rail Haverhill line stops in Wakefield, about a 10 minute walk from the club

MBTA bus route 137 stops about a block from the club (Main st at Water st)


Use your favorite Map / GPS program to find 404 Main Street, Wakefield, MA 01880

Our entrance is a red door in the Rear of the building off the parking lot. Look for NSMRC on the door.
if the door is unlocked, we are open to the public.

Satellite view. Our entrance is from the rear parking lot of Brothers restaurant

Link to google satellite view
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