Division 2 NMRA Hosts Free 2026 Spring Open House With Clinics

The Tip of the Mitt (Division 2) of the North Central Region (NCR) of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) ran a one‑time, no‑cost "2026 Spring Open House" on February 22, 2026, a notice the division posted on its calendar and newsletter in late February 2026. The division framed the event as an outreach and recruitment opportunity and listed clinic sessions among the program elements on its public pages.

The Division’s website itself declared, "The Tip of the Mitt (Division 2), of the North Central Region (NCR), of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) is hosting a special one-time, no-cost event," language used in the posted announcement that emphasized free admission and newcomer outreach. Division materials on the calendar and newsletter pages specifically described the open house as including clinic sessions, signaling organized instruction rather than an informal meet‑and‑greet.

Division volunteers began concrete planning for the open house at the January 2026 monthly meeting, according to the meeting recap: planners discussed registration logistics, map distribution, and signage requirements, and Jim Gore presented a detailed clinic at that January gathering (the recap cuts off before listing Gore’s clinic topic). Those January logistics notes show Division 2 moving beyond concept into on‑the‑ground event operations in the weeks before the February 22 date.

On its site Division 2 also published other organizational items tied to the same operational cadence: Paymaster David Zolnierek supplied the 2025 Year‑End Financial Report for the Tip of the Mitt, and the division notes that it is hosting this year’s NCR regional convention in Zeeland, Michigan at the Howard Miller Community Center (the page text is truncated after the community center line). The site additionally links to "Video Layout Tours and interviews" for 43 layouts featured at the Station No.VI 2025 NMRA National Convention, material Division 2 can use to bolster outreach and clinic content.

The public excerpts available after the event are thin on several operational specifics: the posted announcement and the January recap do not include a physical event address, clinic titles and schedules, whether pre‑registration was required, or capacity limits. For official contacts, NMRA Headquarters can be reached by email at hq@nmra.org, by phone at 423‑892‑2846 (hours 8 a.m.–4 p.m. ET), or by mail at P.O. Box 1328, Soddy Daisy TN 37384‑1328, per the NMRA contact block carried in the regional newsletter excerpts.

Division 2’s free Spring Open House, planned in January and posted in late February, shows the division pushing a coordinated outreach effort that pairs in‑person clinics with digital assets (43 Station No.VI layout tours) and moves into a busy convention year in Zeeland. Confirmed logistical gaps in the public posting, venue, clinic list, and registration mechanics, mean those planning to follow Division 2’s next moves should check the division calendar and newsletter or contact NMRA Headquarters for the official, complete details.