Club members are involved for a variety of reasons. Some have interest and skill in creating artistic scenery, to bring a sense of realism to the display. Others are gifted in building and detailing engines and other rolling stock. Others join because they wish to run a working operational railroad, which is best done in a club setting. There are of course members who don't have the room or resources to have a layout in their home so a club affords these members a venue to run their trains. All of us join because we love to have fun and to share our love of the hobby.

The term modular refers to a type of interchangeable train layout display. The layout consists of sections 4ft long x 30in deep or 8ft long x 30in deep. We even have sections 6ft long x 30in deep but these must be used in pairs. The total length of any section must be divisible by 4ft. Display sections are ether club owned or member owned. These sections along with 4 corner sections are connected together form a square or a rectangular display. With the aid of a special inside-corner and a fifth corner we can even form an ell shape. We have been known to be as small as 10'x10' and can expand to fit just about any size area. We are constantly adding to our inventory of modules.

Beaverton Modular Railroad Club has a permanent display at Alpenrose Dairy's Dairyville at 6149 SW Shattuck Rd. in Portland, Oregon. We hold meetings every Friday at 7pm while most meetings are only scheduled to last an hour or two we often have so much fun that we lose track of time. It's not uncommon to find some members there late in the evening. Still we are pretty open about when anybody wishes to leave. Guests are most welcome. Alpenrose Dairy opens their Dairyville to the public every Sunday during the summer and weekends during the Holyday season. This is the best time to view our display we will have members there to answer your questions and we will have a number of trains running on these days.

With some of our members' skill in electronics and computers we have developed a very sophisticated but simple to use analog control system that the most novice of operators can master. For those looking for a more realistic operation with a small bit of a challenge we also have a Digitrax DCC system. Our display has a variety of animated areas including a city section with an operating trolley line with many stops as well as a subway that has people waiting at the platform. We are currently working on other animations.

Beaverton Modular Railroad Club's modular display can be seen at a variety of train shows and other venues in the local area. We regularly show at the Great American Train Show, The Food and Gift Festival, Northwest Region National Model Show, as well as local and regional swap meets even as far south as Salem. Other places where we have had the opportunity to display include Crestview Convalescent Home, Oregon Blueberry Festival, the Centennial Celebration of the Portland Union Train Station, the Grand Opening of Tri-county Westside Lightrail and then later for the Grand Opening of Northbound Lightrail.

During the displays at ether our home layout or on the road, viewers are encouraged to tour at a more leisurely pace so that they don't miss anything. Since we don't model after any set historical period, theme, or geographical area there is no telling what you might find. At any particular display you might see a Hot Tub for Hippos' at the farm or Thomas the Tank Engine running down the tracks.

Some of our more visually stunning scenes at ether display include; Twin Peaks, an impressive wood trestle bridge spanning 457' and 76' above the valley floor (HO scale feet of course). The Wharf is a scene depicting a working harbor that includes real water and not-so-real sea monsters. At Carter's Airport you may find a Goodyear Blimp circling, hang gliders jumping off cliffs, sheep grazing, and just about any imaginable form of aircraft. We most not forget the industrial area that includes a grain elevator modeled after the one in Portland next to the Steele Bridge.

BMRC members pay no dues we are solely supported by honorariums raised by showing at special events, swap meets, and train shows. We are open to invitations to set up for train oriented as well as non-train oriented events as noted above. For special event we have been known to recreate scenes and HO scale trains in reference to the event. As a result we have detailed models of our areas MAX lightrail trains and a exact miniature model of the Celebrate the Century Express train consist.