The Pretoria Model Train Club was founded in 1995 by a group of modelers: Charles van Rooyen, Terence Marx, Hans Sturgeon and Pierre Jacobson who saw the need for an organised model train club in Pretoria.
The PMT logo represents a typical South African Railways number plate. After an initial meeting between the founders, the need for a club was confirmed and the decision was made to get started. After some discussions about the name, PMT was chosen. The name was not only chosen to give the club it’s identity, but also due to the fact that we are a dual medium club and wanted initials that were the same in both Afrikaans (Pretoria Model Trein klub) and English (Pretoria Model Train Club) languages. 1995 stands for the founding date.
From the outset, it was decided that the Club would be modular in its form. A set of standards, as used by EMRIG (Eastern Modular Railways Interest Group) was adopted, with minor changes for use by PMT’s module builders. Of the founder members were then members of EMRIG. By modules, we mean that members build tables that have common connecting points for the tracks and power so that the tables can be joined together at meetings to form a layout. Most of the information that gets circulated in the Club is done through the PMT Signal, the Club’s magazine and the Semaphore, our monthly newsletter. We publish all kinds of information that are read in magazines and on the Internet.