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Modular Railroading

The Modular Railroading certificate is the newest NMRA Achievement Program Certificate, having been approved by the NMRA Board of Directors on 27 July 2026. If you see any issues or inconsistencies with the requirements below or attached forms, please let Ray know at achiev [at] nmra.org. A FAQ section is at the bottom of this page and is being updated as addtional questions come in. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please contact Ray. 

UPDATE: NEW FAQ ADDED 0846 EST 15 AUG 2026

A. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Modular Railroading Achievement Program (AP) Certificate is to recognize individual model railroaders who demonstrate integrated excellence in the design, construction, operation, and public exhibition of modular model railroad sections (modules).

This certificate evaluates a modeler’s ability to successfully combine multiple disciplines - trackwork, electrical systems, scenery, structures, and operations - within the unique constraints of portable, interoperable, standards-based modular railroading. It recognizes not isolated components, but the holistic execution of a functioning modular system suitable for repeated public operation.

Scenery constructed for this certificate may be credited toward the required square footage of the Scenery Achievement Program certificate only where that scenery is separately evaluated as meeting the Scenery AP Merit Award standard, using the standard Scenery AP evaluation process (see Section B.5 and Evaluation Criteria (d) below). Achieving the Modular Railroading certificate does not, by itself, qualify a member for the Scenery Achievement Program certificate; the member must separately satisfy all Scenery certificate requirements, including the full required square footage, to receive that award.

B. REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the Certificate of Achievement in Modular Railroading, the applicant must:

  1. Construct and complete a minimum of three (3) operable modules conforming to an established modular standard (e.g., NMRA, T-TRAK, NTRAK, Free-mo, Free-moN, or similar).
  2. The modules must have a minimum combined size of 44 square feet (4.1 square meters) for O scale, 32 sf (3.0 square meters) for S scale, 24 sf (2.2 square meters) for HO scale, 12 sf (1.1 square meters) for N scale, 9 sf (0.8 square meters) for Z scale, and 5 sf (0.5 square meters) for T scale. Minimum square feet required for other scales are based on the ratio between that scale and 24 sf in HO scale.
  3. Each module must include:
    1. Standards compliant electrical and physical interfaces at connection points (connections between the member’s module(s) and adjacent modules of others adhering to the same standard).
    2. Operational trackwork.
    3. Reliable mechanical and electrical performance.
    4. Complete scenery and backdrop if appropriate to the module standard used.
  4. Modules must be displayed and operated successfully at a minimum of three (3) separate public exhibitions or NMRA-sanctioned events.
  5. Merit Requirement: Each module must earn a minimum score of 87.5 points out of 125 using the Modular AP Merit Scoring Matrix. The evaluation considers each of the three (3) required modules as a stand-alone body of work, emphasizing conformance to the relevant standard, the integration of the scene depicted within the module, its reliability, and craftsmanship.

Evaluation Criteria

  1. Module Construction (25 points) - Quality of framing, rigidity, surface preparation, joinery, durability for transport, and overall workmanship.
  2. Trackwork, Standards Compliance & Operation (30 points) - Alignment, geometry, turnout performance, standards compliance at interfaces, operational smoothness, and reliability under public operation. Mainline track conformance is critical as a failure to meet standards on this affects all attached modules. Use of flex track or hand-laid track beyond required interface sections is encouraged and rewarded.
  3. Electrical Systems & Control (20 points) Power distribution, wiring practices, connector and wiring type choice, strain relief, lighting circuits, control logic, sensor systems, sound systems, and operational reliability across multiple setups.
  4. Scenery, Terrain & Scene Integration (20 points) - Realistic terrain shaping, drainage and slope, landform transitions, ballast application and blending, ground cover, vegetation, scenic textures, and effective treatment of module edges and seams, particularly across adjoining modules representing the same scene. For purposes of this certificate's Merit Requirement, scenery is evaluated on the overall effectiveness of the module as constructed to the applicable modular standard used (including standards, such as T-TRAK, that may depict non-prototypical or fantasy settings), and is not evaluated to the Scenery Achievement Program Merit standard unless separately submitted for Scenery certificate credit as described in Section A.
  5. Structures, Details & Animation (20 points) - Quality, placement, provisions for durability, and integration of structures, bridges, roads, vehicles, and visual storytelling elements. Includes mechanical and electronic animation such as moving machinery, vehicles, smoke or steam effects, sound-equipped scenes, IR-or sensor-activated features, and other dynamic elements. Scratch-built, kit-bashed, or modified elements and well-integrated animation receive higher consideration.
  6. Presentation, Documentation & Public Readiness (10 points) Professional appearance, clarity of documentation, educational labeling where appropriate, and evidence of successful public exhibition and operation.
  1. Statement of Qualifications: The applicant must submit a Statement of Qualifications including documentation of the modules. This documentation must include:
    1. Written description of design intent, construction methods, and operational purpose.
    2. Copy of the standard to which the modules were constructed.
    3. Wiring diagram for each moduled.
    4. Minimum of five (5) color photographs of each module.
    5. Verification of public exhibition (Record and Validation form).
    6. Evaluation form signed by three (3) qualified AP evaluators.

Forms available for this category

Further Information

Contact the AP Committee General Manager at achiev [at] nmra.org, or your Region or Division Achievement Program Manager for more information.

FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS):

WHAT CONSTITUTES A MODULE?

A module is a section of model railroad built to a specific standard that allows it to be operated with others building to the same standard. The key requirement is to adhere to the physical and electrical interfaces defined by the module standard.

Not all model railroad sections would qualify as modules. Let's say the module standard has a single track mainline 6 inches from the front edge, with required rail height above the floor, setback, and wiring convention. Even if that module has additional track on it (say, 6 yard tracks further back), as long as the module can be interfaced with others built to the same standard - even if the yard tracks are isolated and inoperable - it would meet the requirement.

However, if two adjacent layout sections (note the change in language) are built so that the interface between them no longer meets the standard - say, the mainline is 10 inches back from the edge rather than 6 - then they are considered to be a single module since the key requirement is the standard interface at the ends.

I'M CONFUSED - IN N SCALE IS THE REQUIREMENT TO BUILD THREE 12 SF MODULES (36 SF TOTAL) OR THREE OR MORE MODULES TOTALLING 12SF?

We are getting a number of questions about this and will likely revise the language soon to clarify it. The square footage requirement is the minimum needed across all modules used to qualify for the certificate. There is no requirement on the size of any particular module except as stated by the modular standard being used.  

I REBUILT AN OLD MODULE I BOUGHT FROM SOMEBODY – DOES IT COUNT?

You could submit them for MA evaluation, but you would only receive credit for only the work you did, not for the work of others. Any element you did not personally build would be considered a 'commercial component'. You would need to document it and the evaluators would then consider it in the context of the overall requirement. For example, you would receive more points for a totally home-built frame than for a kit frame, and no points for a frame someone else had already built. This would reduce your evaluation score but may not disqualify you from Merit Award territory depending on the extent and quality of the rebuild.

I HAVE SIX MODULES TO MEET THE SQUARE FOOTAGE REQUIREMENT IN N SCALE. DO I NEED TO EXHIBIT ALL OF THEM (REQUIREMENT B.4.)? DO ALL SIX NEED TO BE EVALUATED, OR ONLY THREE?

All modules needed for the cert must be exhibited. However, they do not all need to be exhibited at the same event. So, if you have six modules to cover the 12sf in N scale, you can exhibit 3 of them at 3 different shows, and the other 3 at 3 other, separate shows.

The total square footage that must be evaluated in N scale is 12. Therefore, all 6 modules must be evaluated.

MY CLUB BUILDS TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD THAN THE NMRA STANDARD. CAN I STILL QUALIFY FOR THIS CERTIFICATE?

The modules can be built to any established standard. We left the requirement open-ended to allow for standards we aren't aware of, or those yet to be created. The member must provide a copy of the standard used so that we can consider adherence to the standard during the module evaluation.

I PLAN TO SUBMIT A T-TRAK SINGLE MODULE FOR EVALUATION. CAN IT GET A MERIT AWARD?

Unfortunately, my gut tells me probably not. This is probably the simplest module you can build, especially if you use a kit. It's likely to only have a mainline track, so trackwork and wiring are also likely going to be simple, and there's not a huge amount of space to do much with scenery. I'd expect the top score for a T-Trak single to be around 70-75 points, well short of a Merit Award. 

HOWEVER - If you were to combine it with two other singles and have the three singles evaluated as a group, you triple the complexity of all those things, which could push you over the top for a Merit Award. This is a consideration we are including in the evaluation guidelines.