Why become a Member?

What's in it for me?

• If you are just getting started, the Society is a great way to be surrounded with people who have experience and can answer questions.

• If you have a Garden Railway already, it's fun to associate with people and share ideas.

• If you are a parent or grandparent, kids usually love the trains, and it gets them away from computer games.

• If you are an expert, you can share your knowledge with others who will be grateful for what you know.

It's a great hobby!

This hobby has many facets:

• being outdoors in the fresh air
• a modicum of exercise
• gardening, small plants
• making scale models
• electronics, computers
• relaxing  running on their own, like a stream or fountain
• social, get a few friends to run a couple of trains
• social, get more people to run operations (explain schedules, timetables, switching puzzles)
• kids and grandkids love it, gets them off the computer games

Family membership is  only $30.00!!
(New members pay an additionl one time $10.00 fee that includes a name badge)

The San Diego Garden Railway Society has 200+ members with a vast knowledge of skills in gardening, track layout and design, wiring, building, maintenance and just about every other aspect of garden railroading. Membership in the San Diego Garden Railway Society is open to anyone with an interest in garden and large scale model railway creation, construction and operation. At our meetings, items of mutual interest associated with the hobby are discussed and demonstrated.

Many of the layouts have been highlighted in magazines and books about the hobby.

Whether your layout consists of a loop of track around your Christmas tree or consumes your whole backyard you can benefit from interacting with others in the hobby and maybe get a few tips here and there. Not everyone has the same idea about doing things but you can take all the information and come up with your own, unique solution.

With your paid membership you will get a monthly newsletter with exciting happenings within the club. General meetings are held once a month and every member is invited to come hang out and chat with friends and look at a great layout. Snacks are usually provided. The meeting is short with a few announcements usually followed by a free raffle. Many times you are welcome to bring your rolling stock to run on the host's layout after the meeting.

Please check the online membership form for details and options. (click here)