Beginner’s Guide

Thanks for your interest in the Minnesota Free-mo Modelers.

Free-mo is an increasingly popular standard for building and running modular model railroads. Free-mo was pioneered and developed by a group of modelers on the west coast of the U.S. It is quickly gaining acceptance and popularity throughout North America. Free-mo is based on the FREMO European standard. There are active Free-mo groups from coast to coast in the U.S. and Canada, including ours right here in the Twin Cities Minnesota.

The Free-mo modular standard (see www.free-mo.org) specifies electrical and mechanical requirements so that any Free-mo module can mate with any other Free-mo module. What happens between the module ends is left mainly up to the modeler’s discretion. This means that Free-mo modules can be short or long (even multi-piece), straight or curved. Module size and shape are not specified. Free-mo modules can include junctions, industries, or yards. Very successful Free-mo modules can also be based on mainlines running through scenery. By connecting many “free form” Free-mo modules, layouts can take on interesting point-to-point, point-to-loop and other operations friendly configurations.

The Free-mo modeling community includes many avid, prototype-oriented modelers. The Free-mo standard provides a suitable platform to create and enjoy highly detailed, realistic model railroad scenes using the best materials the hobby has to offer. Perhaps best of all, these modules then come together to make large layouts that can be operated in prototypical fashion.

Please take a moment to read the New Members Policy. If you are interested, have questions or need more information about the Minnesota Free-mo Modelers, feel free to click here to send a message and one of our members will get back to you.