MOROP is the european federation that groups and heads the different national federations for railroad modellers and railroad friends in Europe. The federation has its headoffice in Berne (CH) and is ruled by Swiss law. MOROP has been founded in Genova (I) in 1954, initiated by some railroad die-hards who forsaw, nearly 50 years ago, the necessity to set standards for the production of the different makes of miniature railroad. Back in those days every producer had his own standards and rules, which set the amateur before a more than difficult choice . Setting the standards for scales, gauges, feeding systems, harnesses and wheelsides amongst others were far from being standardized.
So MOROP's main focus is, since its foundation, the setting of standards of the above mentioned elements under the " NEM " (European Standards for Modelling) created and produced by the Technical Commission (CT) in collaboration with the producers of european made modelling material. Since 1994 close ties have been knit with the
NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) which creates the standards for the USA. The standards concerning the digital systems of the " DCC " type (Digital Control Command) have, by the way, been created in common with the federation of the USA, making the digital standards almost a worldwide standard.
MOROP consists today of
22 federations spread out in 17 countries of Europe, from north to south, and from east to west, thus making up an european federation of more than 30.000 members. The 2 official languages of MOROP are french and german, languages in which are published the standards as well as the official documents of the federation. English is used in contacts with the NMRA and the associations or groups that don't practice the official languages of MOROP.
Every amateur of model trains and real railroad is welcome during the annual congres, which generally is being held in the 1st fourthnight in september throughout Europe. If you so desire to participate in the preliminaries of the technical commission or the central committee of MOROP, please send an e-mail to
. The detailed program of events will be available on the calendar page..
Text: Michel BROIGNIEZ
Translation: Jim VAN RIESSEN.
MOROP
c/o Peter Briegel
Akazienstrasse 14
86899 Landsberg am Lech
GERMANY
