About the Society

Engineers, Historians, and Volunteers — Since the Beginning

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting interest in model railroading and educating the general public about the history of prototype railroads — with an emphasis on the lines that served Sheboygan.

Our History

A Society Built by Hand

The Sheboygan Society of Scale Model Railroad Engineers began as a small circle of hobbyists meeting in private basements, trading techniques and stories about the railroads they had ridden, worked on, or studied.

Over the decades, the group formalized into a nonprofit corporation, secured a dedicated museum building, and built three operating scale layouts. The collection grew through donations from retired railroaders and their families — most of it is on permanent public display.

Our Purpose

Three Commitments

Promote

We promote interest in scale model railroading as both a craft and a discipline — open to anyone willing to learn.

Educate

We educate the public on the history of prototype railroads, with an emphasis on the lines that built Sheboygan and the upper Midwest.

Preserve

We preserve more than a century of railroad artifacts in our remodeled museum, accessible to every visitor who walks through the door.

Affiliation

Proud Affiliate of the NMRA

SSSMRE is a proud affiliate of the National Model Railroad Association. We actively promote NMRA programming, regional meets, achievement programs, and the Wisconsin division's calendar of events.