The "World's Greatest Hobby" is a five-year campaign for promoting the hobby of model railroading to the general public. The purpose is to reinvigorate the model railroad industry. The program has three basic components: (1) to amplify the grass roots promotional efforts of hobbyists themselves; (2) to conduct a public relations effort coupled with advertising to our target group of men between the ages of 45 and 64; and (3) to make it easy for beginners to get started in the hobby.

The program was launched in September of 2001. MRID manages the program for the industry. Fourteen MRD member companies and MRID are sponsors, with a commitment of over $1 million during the life of the campaign.

Accrual, Atlas Model Railroads, Bachmann Trains, Caboose Industries, Competitive Intelligence Advertising, Digitrax, Kalmbach Publishing Co., Kato USA, Life-Like Products LLC, Märklin, Micro-Trains Line, MRID, Model Rectifier Corp., Wm. K. Walthers