Model Railway Gauge and Scale Associations
Listed below are some of the model railway groups that take the form of a Gauge or Scale Society or Association.
1. The 009 Society
2. The 2mm Scale Association
3. The 3mm Society
4. The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association
5. The 7mm Scale Society
6. The Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers
7. The British 1:87 Scale Society
8. Diesel and Electric Modellers United (DEMU)
9. Double O Gauge Association (DOGA)
10. The EM Gauge Society
11. G Scale Society
12. Gauge One Model Railway Association (G1 MRA)
13. Gauge 3 Society
14. Gauge O Guild
15. Model Electronic Railway Group (MERG)
16. N Gauge Society
17. Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling Online
18. National Model Railroad Association, British Region
19. S Scale Model Railway Society
20. ScaleSeven Group
21. Scalefour Society
1. The 009 Society
Scale: Varies, mostly 1:76 and 1:87
Gauge: 9mm
Nature: Caters for narrow-gauge railway modelling on larger scale than ‘N’ gauge
Area Groups: Informal area groups, currently about 30
Magazine: ‘009 News’, issued monthly
Annual fee: From £23 (Concession £20)
Exhibition: Often an exhibition is held in conjunction with Society AGM (May)
Email: Go to ‘Contact Us’ on website and choose intended recipient
Website: www.009society.com
Listed here are only Area Groups with own Website
Bed & Bucks NG Railway Modellers
Buccabury Group (North London and North West Home Counties)
Dartmoor 009 RG
Farnham and District Model Railway Club
Heart of England NG Modellers
Norfolk/Suffolk NG Modellers
North Wales Narrow Gauge Group
Oxfordshire Narrow Gauge Modellers
Sussex Downs 009 Group
Wessex Narrow Gauge Modellers
West Midlands Narrow Gauge Group
2. The 2mm Scale Association
Scale: 2mm to 1 foot (1:152) (‘2FS’)
Gauge: 9.42mm
Nature: Variation of small-scale modelling (more accurate modelling in 2mm than ‘N’ gauge provides)
Area Groups: 10
- Basingstoke/ Essex/ Forth Clyde/ Kent and Essex/ London Area Group/ North East/ Oxford/ Pennine/ Wealden/ Virtual
Magazine: ‘The 2mm Magazine’, issued 6 times per year
Annual fee: From £20 (Concession £16)
Exhibition: An exhibition is sometimes held in conjunction with Society AGM (Autumn)
Email: info-2@2mm.org.uk
Website: www.2mm.org.uk
3. The 3mm Society
Scale: 3mm to 1 foot (1:100) ('TT')
Gauge: Varies, including 12mm, 13.5mm and 14.2 mm
Nature: Between ‘N’ gauge and ‘OO’ gauge
Area Groups: 30 plus area groups
Magazine: Quarterly Magazine
Annual fee: From £20. £12 for student & juniors (under 21yrs)
Email: 3mmweb@gmail.com
Website: www.sites.google.com/site/3mmpublic
4. The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association
Scale: 7mm: 1 foot (1:43)
Gauge: Typically 16.5mm (but there are variations)
Nature: Modelling the narrow gauge in a larger scale
Area Groups: 10
- Exeter/ Lancs/ Lincolnshire/ Manchester/ Ox & Bucks/ South Downs/ Surrey/ Trent Valley/ West Midlands/ Yorkshire
Magazine: ‘Narrow Lines’, 6 times per year
Annual fee: From £25
Email: members@7mmnga.org.uk
Website: www.7mmnga.org.uk
5. The 7mm Scale Society
Scale: 7mm: 1 foot (1:43 for UK / 1:48 Continental)
Gauge: Varies
Nature: Finescale modelling in all 7mm scale gauges, modelling narrow, standard & broad gauge railways
Area Groups: -
Magazine: Has online forum
Annual fee: £5
Email: 7mmscalesociety@btinternet.com
Website: www.7mmscalesociety.org
6. The Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers
Scale: 14mm to 16mm, to 1 foot
Gauge: Varies, typically 32mm or 45mm
Nature: Narrow gauge railway modelling usually in garden railway environment
Area Groups: Approx 50 in the UK, mix of formal and informal
Magazine: ‘16mm Today’, issued quarterly
Annual fee: From £20, plus £3 one-time subscription fee
Exhibition: National Garden Railway Show (April)
Email: any.questions@16mm.org.uk
Website: www.16mm.org.uk
Listed here are only Area Groups with own Website
16mm Military Narrow Gauge Modellers/ 16mm Modular Layout Group/ Bedfordshire Area Group/ Bournemouth & District SME/ Bromsgrove Society of Model Engineers/ Butterley Garden Railway Association/ Central Somerset Area Group/ East Anglian Group/ East Midlands Area Group/ East Riding & Wolds Area Group/ East Scotland Group/ East Surrey 16mm Group/ Echills Wood Railway/ Guildford MES 16mm Group/ Hampshire Area Group/ Hampton Loade/ Paddock Railway 16mm Group/ Hoddesdon Model and Railway Club/ Ichenham and District Society of Model Engineers/ Kent Area Group/ Mersey & West Lancs Group/ North West Wales Area Group/ Peterborough Area Group/ Polegate and District Model Engineering Club/ Severn Mendip NG Group/ Shropshire Area Group/ Solihull & South Birmingham Group/ South Devon Group/ South West Wales Area Group/ Steam Model Loco Group/ Talyllyn Railway/ Two Moors Garden Railway Group/ Vale of Aylesbury MES Group/ West Hertfordshire Area Group/ West of Scotland Group/ West Sussex Area Group/ West Wiltshire Area Group/ Weymouth & District Model Engineering Society/ Yorkshire Area Group
7. The British 1:87 Scale Society
Scale: British 1:87 Scale (HO): 3.5 mm to 1 foot
Gauge: If modelling UK standard gauge, 16.5mm
Nature: Historically popular scale worldwide for modelling railways
Area Groups: Not Applicable
Magazine: ‘Satellite 1:87’, issued quarterly
Annual fee: Free
Email: Use contact box on website
Website: www.british-ho.com
8. Diesel and Electric Modellers United (DEMU)
Scale/Gauge: Any
Nature: Models UK railways in the Diesel and Electric era regardless of scale or gauge
Area Groups: 10
- Scotland/ London/ Anglia/ East Midlands/ West Midlands/ Three Counties/ North East/ South West/ White Rose
Magazine: ‘Update’, issued quarterly
Annual fee: £22 (Concession £19)
Exhibition: Annual Showcase (June)
Email: Use contact box on website
Website: www.demu.org.uk
9. Double O Gauge Association (DOGA)
Scale: 4mm: 1 foot (1:76)
Gauge: 16.5mm
Nature: Most common scale for modelling UK railways
Area Groups: Not Applicable
Magazine: ‘The Journal’, issued quarterly
Annual fee: £16 (Concession £14)
Email: askus@doubleogauge.com
Website: www.doubleogauge.com
10. The EM Gauge Society
Scale: 4mm to 1 foot
Gauge: 18.2mm (also 18.83mm gauge supported to P4 standards)
Nature: More accurate modelling in 4mm to 1 foot scale than ‘OO’ provides
Area Groups: 24
- Cardiff/ Chilterns/ Chippenham/ Clydeside/ Cornwall/ Craven and Ribble/ Devon/ East Dorset/ East Herts and West Essex/ Essex/ Fenland/ Heart of England (Midlands)/ Kent/ Leeds - Harrogate/ North East and Borders/ North West Somerset/ North West Surrey/ Oxfordshire/ Sarum Finescale Group/ South Hampshire/ South Somerset/ Uxbridge and Harrow/ Virtual Area Group/ Wrekin
Magazine: Newsletter, issued quarterly
Annual fee: From £25
Exhibition: expo EM Spring (May)/ expo EM Summer (August)
Email: info@emgs.org
Website: www.emgs.org
11. G Scale Society
Scale: Varies, typically 1:22.5
Gauge: 45mm
Nature: Large scale trains, typically for garden use. Often used to model European trains on metre gauge track.
Area Groups: 22 informal area groups
Magazine: ‘G Scale Journal’, issued quarterly
Annual fee: £26. Junior £13
Email: Use contact box on website
Website: www.gscalesociety.com
12. Gauge One Model Railway Association (G1 MRA)
Scale: 3/8 inch (about 10mm) to 1 foot (1:32 scale)
Gauge: 45mm gauge
Nature: With live steam locomotion common, its often regarded as a combination of railway modelling and model engineering
Area Groups: Approx. 25
Magazine: Newsletter and Journal, issued quarterly
Annual fee: £30
Email: webmastr@G1MRA.com
Website: www.g1mra.com
13. Gauge 3 Society
Scale: 13.5mm to 1 foot (1:22.6)
Gauge: 2½ inch (63.5mm)
Nature: Large scale modelling, often for garden lines, often with live steam locomotives, built for scenic running, not passengers
Area Groups: -
Magazine: Newsletter, issued quarterly
Annual fee: £22
Exhibition: Annual Show and AGM (May)
Email: Use contact box on website
Website: www.gauge3.org.uk
14. Gauge O Guild
Scale: 7mm to 1 foot (1:43.5)
Gauge: Varies (most common is 1 ¼ inch or 32mm)
Nature: Historically a very common scale, producing larger models than ‘OO’ scale
Area Groups: 13 UK representatives. 116 reported model club members (total membership about 5,500 members). For list, go to www.gaugeoguild.com/clubs/clubwebsites.aspx
Magazine: ‘Gazette’, issued quarterly (also ‘Guild News’ issued quarterly)
Annual fee: £28
Exhibitions: Spring Show (March), Southern Show (May), Summer Show (June)/ Guildex (Sept)
Email: enquiries@gaugeoguild.com)
Website: www.gaugeoguild.com
15. Model Electronic Railway Group (MERG)
Scale/Gauge: None stipulated
Nature: A group interested in the application of electronics and computing to railway modelling
Area Groups: 22 in UK
Magazine: -
Annual fee: £16 plus £5 joining fee
Email: Use contact box on website
Website: www.merg.org.uk
16. N Gauge Society
Scale: Varies: For UK: 1:148 (for Continental and American railways, 1:160)
Gauge: 9mm
Nature: For all N gauge modellers, UK and internationally. Similar to 2FS
Area Groups: Over 30
Magazine: ‘N Gauge Journal’ and ‘Newsletter’ issued six times a year
Annual fee: £18 plus £6 joining fee
Exhibition: For 2023, N Gauge Society York (May). Repetition uncertain
Email: info@ngaugesociety.com
Website: www.ngaugesociety.org
Area Groups
Eastern
Humber and Northern Lincolnshire Area Group/ West Norfolk and Fenland Area Group/ Felixstowe Area Group/ West Suffolk Area Group/ Clacton Area Group/ Northants & Cambridgeshire Area Group
East Midlands
Northants and Cambridgeshire Area Group/ Lutterworth Area Group
Home Counties
North Hertfordshire and District Area Group/ Milton Keynes Area Group/ South Hertfordshire Area Group/ Berkshire Area Group/ South Essex Area Group
North East England
North East of England Area Group/ Northumberland Area Group/ Yorkshire Area Group
North West England
Stockport & District Area Group/ Chester East Area Group/ Chester West Area Group/ North West of England Area Group
Scotland
Forth and Clyde
South and South East England
North West Kent Area Group/ Horsham Area Group/ West Sussex Area Group/ Wessex Area Group/ Isle of Wight Area Group
South West England
Wiltshire 5 Towns Area Group/ Exeter N gauge Area Group/ North Cornwall Area Group/ West Cornwall Area Group/ Weston-Super-Mare Area Group/ East Dorset Area Group
Wales
Wrexham Area Group/ North Wales Area Group/ South Wales Area Group (Newport Area)
West Midlands
Staffordshire Area Group/ Shropshire Area Group/ Gloucestershire Area Group
17. Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling Online
Scale/Gauge: Modellers of narrow gauge railway prototypes in any scale
Nature: Free online resource for narrow gauge modellers
Area Groups: None. Has multiple on-line forums
Magazine: -
Annual fee: Free
Email: Register online, then use contact facilities
Website: www.ngrm-online.com
18. National Model Railroad Association, British Region
Scale: All scales
Gauge: All gauges
Nature: The leading model railway society in the USA, with branch regions worldwide, including Britain. Association is for all modellers, with focus on (but not exclusively) North American railways
Area Groups: Currently 13 in the UK
Magazine: ‘Roundhouse’ issued six times a year
Annual fee: From £33.50 per year
Exhibition: Annual Convention (October) and other ‘Meets’ during the year
email: Use Contact Box on Association website
Website: www.nmrabr.org.uk
British Regional Divisions
Cyder Belt Division (Hereford & Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Avon, Wilts, Somerset)
Calder Northern Division (Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancs, Cumbria, Isle of Man)
North East Division (Yorks, Cleveland, Durham, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland)
East Midlands Division (Leics, Derby, Notts, Rutland, Lincs)
Central Division (Shropshire, Staffs, West Midlands, Warkwickshire, Northants)
Eastern Division (Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambs, Essex, Herts)
Thames Valley & Chilterns Division (Beds, Bucks, Berks, Oxon)
London Division (London and former county of Middlesex)
South Eastern Division (Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey)
Western Union Division (Devon, Cornwall)
Red Dragons (Wales)
Scotland & Ireland Division (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland)
D & H Division (Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight)
19. S Scale Model Railway Society
Scale/Gauge: 3/16 inch to 1 foot (1:64 scale)
Gauge: 0.884 inch (22.42mm)
Nature: Larger than ’00’ but smaller than ‘0’, so easier than ‘00’ to incorporate detail, but largely a scratch builders scale in the UK.
Area Groups: -
Magazine: ‘Gazette’, issued six times a year
Annual fee: £25
Email: secretary@s-scale.org.uk
Website: www.s-scale.org.uk
20. ScaleSeven Group
Scale: 7mm to 1 foot (1:43.5)
Gauge: 33mm
Nature: More accurate modelling in 7mm to 1 foot scale than ‘O’ provides
Area Groups: 11
- East Anglia, Netherlands, North East, Scale7 Somerset, Severnside, South East, South Hams, South West Scotland, Warley MRC, West Country, West Sussex
Magazine: Newsletter issued quarterly
Annual fee: £25
Exhibitions: -
Email: info@scaleseven.org.uk
Website: www.scaleseven.org.uk
21. Scalefour Society
Scale: 4mm: 1 foot (1:76.2)
Gauge: 18.83mm
Nature: Modelling to P4 standards to produce more accurate modelling in 4mm to 1 foot scale than ‘OO’ provides
Area Groups: Approx 40 mix of formal and informal groups
Magazine: ‘Scalefour News’, issued five times a year
Annual fee: £24
Exhibition: Scalefour Crewe (June), Scalefour Southwest ‘Railwells’ (Aug), Scaleforum (Sept)
Email: enquiries@scalefour.org
Website: www.scalefour.org
Area Groups with more formal structure and which hold regular meetings
Cambridge, Herts & Essex (CHEAG)/ Central London Area Group (www.clag.org.uk)/ Cornish Riviera Area Group/ Craven (Lancashire/Yorkshire) (https://cravens4ag.blogspot.com)/ Crewe/ Cumbria (CRAG)/ Devon Riviera (DRAG)/ East Midlands Area Group/ East of Scotland 4mm Group/ Essex (North East) (NEEAG)/ Fylde/ Glevum (Gloucester/Ross on Wye)/ Kent Area Group (KAG) - associated with the Cobdown Model Railway Club/ Manchester Area Group - based within the Manchester Model Railway Society/ Marshlink Finescale (East Sussex/ Kent Borders)/ Newport & Gwent (NAGNAG)/ Norfolk & Suffolk/ North East Finescale Group/ North London Group/ Risborough & District/ Sarum Finescale/ Shropshire & Herefordshire/ Southampton/ South London Area Group (SLAG) (www.southlondonag.org.uk)/ Tees, Ouse, Esk, Rydale (TOERAG)/ Warwickshire (South) Area Group (SWAG) (within Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society)/ Wealden Area Group (within the Uckfield Model Railway Club)/ West Midlands/ West Scotland 4mm Group/ West Yorkshire/ Yorkshire (East)/ Yorkshire (South)