Several HARM members made the trip to Altoona, Pennsylvania, in September for the 2026 Altoona N-Scale Weekend, a gathering that brought together N-scale model railroaders, modular clubs, vendors, and enthusiasts from across the country. The weekend offered plenty of opportunities to see impressive layouts, talk with fellow modelers, and enjoy everything N scale.
One of the highlights was the enormous Free-moN modular layout, which included approximately 12 scale miles of track spread across 110 sections. Modules were contributed by 22 modelers representing 12 states, with some traveling as far as 1,500 miles to participate. The layout demonstrated what can be accomplished when modelers from around the country bring independently constructed modules together to create one large operating railroad.
The event also featured an impressive variety of modular groups. Baltimore Area N-Trak (BANTRAK), Northern Virginia NTRAK (NVNTRAK), T.R.A.I.N.-Trak, Capital PenNScalers, Northern New Jersey N-Trak, Keystone N-Trak, Iron City N-Trak, and many other clubs were represented. Together, the layouts provided visitors with a great look at the variety of approaches to modular N-scale model railroading.
Beyond the layouts, the Altoona N-Scale Weekend was a great opportunity to reconnect with friends, meet other model railroaders, exchange ideas, and pick up some inspiration for future projects. Events like this are an important part of the hobby, bringing together modelers who might otherwise only interact online or see one another a few times each year.
HARM would like to thank the Altoona Association of Model Railroaders and everyone involved in organizing and supporting the weekend. Putting together an event of this size takes a tremendous amount of work, and their efforts provided an outstanding weekend of model railroading and fellowship. We look forward to another trip to Altoona!
