15 Points

Rank: Newcomer

First of all, welcome! I wanted to create a list of questions you may likely have about this group so go ahead and scroll through this. Feel free to message me with questions. For suggestions, additions, or corrections go ahead an put it in a comment.

1. What is Dakota Modeler’s Group?

Dakota Modeler’s Group was started in early 2025 by myself (James Willmus) and a couple of fellow model railroader friends. Though all of us are passionate about model trains, we don’t have enough spare time separately to build a large social media following, website, Youtube channel, etc… However, since we share a lot of common interests in the hobby, we’re banding together to build these things. I manage most of the back-end items and have taken the lead on building DMG’s Youtube channel. At the moment I am working on organizing a regular schedule for content.

2. Who can join Dakota Modeler’s Group?

This is a public group, meaning anyone can join in on the fun! To be clear, you do not need to live in the Midwestern US nor do you need to be modeling a Midwestern railroad to be here. If you’ve got a cool modeling technique to share but your home layout is based on Colorado narrow gauge, you are still welcome to share it here! Heck, even your freelance shortline model railroad is welcome here! Just keep in mind that DMG is focused on the Midwest so if that does not appeal to you then you might be better off finding a group more suited to your preferences.

3. Why join the Dakota Modeler’s Group?

Okay, so DMG has a Youtube channel and we are building a website. Big deal, right? That kind of thing happens all the time. Why should you join this group on MTM? It’s pretty simple, really. If you enjoy model trains, building models from Midwestern prototypes, or are interested in all the railroads in the Midwestern region of the US, then this is the place to be. While I’d greatly appreciate it if people subscribe to the Youtube channel and eventually get on the email list for the website (still under construction), neither is necessary to be part of the group here. The idea with making a group about DMG here on MTM is to provide like-minded model railroaders a place to showcase their work and connect. Think of this like a subreddit or a public Facebook group.

4. What can I post in the Dakota Modeler’s Group?

The short answer is that you can post pretty much whatever you like as long as it obeys MTM’s policies. Your posts don’t even necessarily have to be about Midwestern model trains, just remember that the Midwestern US is the region of focus for prototypes. If you are looking for a place to showcase your SP diesel fleet or information about the Pennsy railroad, I suggest making or joining groups dedicated to those railroads. If one account is making an excessive amount of posts that are not relevant, I will step in with a friendly reminder.

5. Will content from the DMG Youtube channel and website be featured here?

Yes, I fully intend on showcasing videos and posts published on our Youtube channel and website. At the moment we are operating noncommercially but if that changes then what gets featured will adapt to MTM’s policies.

6. What should I do if I’m not sure about a post I want to make?

You are more than welcome to message me. I will try to look at my inbox daily, but replies might take a day or two since I can’t be present 24/7. In general, I won’t have an issue with what gets posted so long as it follows MTM’s policies.

7. Can I post commercial products?

I welcome anyone who has commercial products for sale to showcase what they have here so long as they are in compliance with MTM’s policies. However, the product must be something relevant to model railroaders who are interested in Midwestern prototypes.

8. What if I find a post or comment that violates MTM’s policies?

I’m not setting out to be the morality police, however if there is a post, comment, or comment string which violates MTM’s policies, please report it to me as well as follow any steps MTM’s policies explain. I will take action as soon as possible on a problem but MTM admins might be quicker to respond if, for instance, I am out of town for the weekend and won’t be logged in.

9. What kinds of content is prohibited?

The two big subjects that are out of bounds in this group is politics and religion. No, this is not a free-speech space for you to give out opinions on everything under the sun. People are in this group and on MTM in general to discus trains and model trains. I urge you to use good judgement in this, but if you need an example of an exception then a topic like presidential trains would still be allowed. If a post or comment is found which is causing problems, the offending content will be taken down as quickly as possible and I will be messaging the account who posted the content. If a conversation is veering into prohibited territory, then please take that into a private chatroom or off site completely where the rest of us don’t have to deal with it.

10. What railroads does DMG focus on?

If you do need a geographical area to understand the scope of DMG’s focus, then railroads in the following states would be welcome here for sure: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. States US provinces that border this region are also well. For instance, Wyoming and Colorado are geographically very close to Rapid City, SD, which is where I and a couple other contributors are based out of. Therefore I’m not afraid to include content from those areas on the Youtube channel or the website.

I do hope that this clears up some of the questions you might have. If you have a question or concern not addressed by this post, feel free to message me.