Are you a member of a train club also?

[retsignalmtr]

i joined the Olde Newburgh Model Railroad Club about a year ago. i wanted to see how other modelers operated and to gain some skills in furthering my layout along. there are about 9 active members. they have a large HO layout and an N scale layout that is under construction. they also have an HO traveling layout to take to shows. since i joined i have done quite a bit of wiring and trackwork on their layouts, operated at the shows and manned the layouts at open house time. i have enjoyed myself there and would recommend joining a club. i have improved my scenery building skills and have just installed dcc on my home layout. the only nitpicking there is in jest .

[Anonymous]

I tried associating with a couple of the local "clubs". Like an earlier post, I would rather be stretched on a rack than associate with people that insist you acknowledge their superiority in everything train related before you can be accepted. That just does not work for me.

To the fellow who wants to start a club to draw young people into the hobby but lacks the space, I would suggest you approach the groups in your city that are trying to provide the youth with alternatives to drugs and gangs. If you can convince them that your intentions are good and that you possess the skill and knowledge to organize such an activity, you will find instant allies, and will probably be able to solicit a free locale from the city in which to house your endeavor. It just might be worth a try.

Steam. Vapor of the Gods!

Tom

[Anonymous]

Unfortnately, if there is one single aspect of this great hobby of ours that will destroy it, it's the narrow minded arrogance that does exist in many, many clubs around this country. Wheather it be from rivet counters or from control freaks that are there for no other reason but to assert their self perceived power over every other member in the club, this arrogance and attitude can and does drive long standing members and new members away, never to return. I for one wouldn't join another club if you paid me. Twice was definately enough for me. I feel that those who are lucky enough to have a good club should stay with it, but those who don't, get out now before it destroys your enjoyment for the hobby, and what ever you do, don't ever look back, always look ahead.

[Anonymous]

Im in the Bricktown Model Railroaders Assoc. . We only have about 7 members, but we have built a layout for our LHS, and we ran and worked on our own layouts. We have almost completed our clubs bench work. We have been hanging out for a couple of years wishing we could do a layout together and one day we formed. We are modeling the PRR Pittsburgh line from Galitzen to Mount Union, our home town! Its based in the 50's, that means the East Broad Top was Still running freight and passengers to Mt. Union. We are located at the "Old MU Elementary School"!

[Anonymous]

Not an 'official' club per se, but I hang out with a half-dozen guys at the home of a modeler with a huge layout on a regular basis every Thursday night. That gives me the companionship I need.

The 'Coffee Shop' (online here) is also like a club for me...[:D]

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bw1242

I am the supt. of the Central Indiana Model Railroad Club, In Indiana Pa. We organized in 1969 in my living room and have developed into a fine club of about 15 mumbers and have a layout in the basement of a church parsonage. We have just completed installing Digitrax and are starting to run our trains prototypically. We still have 4 of the charter members , myself included. The years spent with the members has been very rewarding. We continue to gather new members and have several open houses through out the year.

I don't think I ever heard the full name.

Chip

[Anonymous]

I am the supt. of the Central Indiana Model Railroad Club, In Indiana Pa. We organized in 1969 in my living room and have developed into a fine club of about 15 mumbers and have a layout in the basement of a church parsonage. We have just completed installing Digitrax and are starting to run our trains prototypically. We still have 4 of the charter members , myself included. The years spent with the members has been very rewarding. We continue to gather new members and have several open houses through out the year.

[alcodave]

I am a member of the Marion model railroad club. http://www.trainweb.org/marionmodelrailroad/
We are located in the Marion Ohio union station. This station is at the crossing of two CSX and one Norfolk Southern mainlines.The union station has a very nice museum. We are an HO scale club open to the public every Sunday 2-5pm.check out the website for some pics and more info,I will be designing a new club website very soon and i will post the new address when its ready. If anyone has any questions about the club contact me directly dont ask in the website guest book it may not get a reply that way.

[underworld]

The clubs I've found seem to have too many goofy rules....so for now this place is kinda like my club. And a very nice "kinda club" it is!!!!!

underworld

Easter Easter Easter Easter Easter!!!!!

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[tomwatkins]

Sure am. I live in northeast Georgia, up in the mountains. I'm a member of the Tri-State Model Railroaders. We have about 30 members, most of whom are quite active, and who live in NE Georgia, SW North Carolina and E Tennessee. We current meet in Copper Hill, Tn. and have a modular HO layout up and running. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad runs between Blue Ridge, Ga. and Copper Hill. We usually open the layout to the public when the train lays over in Copper Hill for lunch.

It's a lot of fun. I was a lone wolf modeler for a long time, but I'm having a lot more fun now and I'm learning a lot.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[JohnT14808]

I belong to the Olympic Model Railroad Society (OMRS) in Olympia, WA and our club has its' layout in the basement of one of the local County Fair buildings. The room is perhaps 12 feet by 50 with an ell at the far end, sized about 15 foot by 15 foot.

We have a two level layout with the upper level mostly sceniced and detailed; backdrops in and painted, etc. The lower level was ripped out and replaced 18 months ago to add in MORE SWITCHING capabilities. There are two helixes at opposite ends of the layout. We are modeling the Pacific NW area, specifically the Southern Puget Sound area: logging, State Capitol, ferries, ranching and some passenger runs, etc.

We recently (Dec. 04) purchased DCC from Digitrax and have been installing and working out the electrical bugs. We have 7 full time members, and one or two part-timers. We normally meet twice a week on Thurs. and Saturdays with Operations on the third Thursday of the month. I joined to refresh my skills before I go out on my own, but it is fun with the club members and this large layout.

[cmrproducts]

I am a member of the Clarion Model Railroad Club. We have about 40 members, some not so active.

We have a large Lionel & S gauge layout, a medium size N scale layout double decked and a HO double deck layout doing the LEF&C RR plus a G scale layout around the ceiling.

We meet once a week and the members can come in anytime and work on the layout. Right now the Lionel & S gauge layouts are in the first part of a major rebuild. The HO layout is getting a scenery face-lift and some additional track.

Our Hobby Shop was just remodeled and we gained a lot of room for additional inventory and displays.

We are incorporated and a 501(C)(3) organization. We have 3 major shows a year.

The members also have home layouts and we have operating sessions about every other week.

The Club is active in our local MCR Division 11 meetings and hosts a NMRA meeting in November.

I have been a member of the Club for over 20 years and the Club has survived 2 moves and a fire. So all in all I think Club has done fairly well. I know that I look forward to each week’s meetings.

BOB H Clarion, PA

[Anonymous]

JCtrain, there are already several nice clubs in the Portland oregon area. All scales are represented. The clubs I know of accept junior members as well as adults. Take a trip to Whistle Stop Trains , Viks Hobby and the other shop over in the Hollywood district, Hobbysmith.. Many of the clubs have posters up in the shops. Ask someone behind the counter to help you find a club...you may be pleasantly surprised! I belong to a round-robin club in the Portland area, mosty O scale members. Some local clubs have permanent homes in dedicated buildings, some clubs have modular layouts set up from time to time. Some other clubs are members home based, with members visiting each others homes regularly.

There is plenty of opportunity in Portland. Go out and look for it.

[Anonymous]

Well I am a member of a couple organizations like the Cross Pacific Freelance Modelers Group as well as a club that is trying to get started called the Inland Empire N Scalers based in San Bernadino/Riverside Counties in California.... Currently in the CPFMG there are about 6 of us and in the club there are about 8 of us.... really no meeting for either of them at the moment.... but one day.

[Paul3]

I'm also a member of the South Shore Model Railway Club (Hi, Bob!), and we do have a pretty good group going. Not to say it's all peaches and cream, but the good times far outweigh the bad.

The thing to realize is that any club is a group effort. One has to be able to seperate a differance of opinion from a personal attack. One also has to realize that one must conform to other's ideas from time to time, even if you disagree with them. If you can do that, you will probably have a great club experience.

To answer the original post: I have a 930 sq. ft. home layout and I'm a 12 year veteran of the SSMRC (which is building a 6500 sq. ft. layout). What I like best about the club is the camraderie with the other members. Sure, not everyone is my best pal, but I'm friends with all of them. We have a pool party, a X-mas party, annual club outings, etc. And believe it or not, we just cracked the 60-member wall a little while ago.

Paul A. Cutler III
*****************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*****************

[BRAKIE]

Yes..I been a member for the last 15 years..[:D]


West Coast S,There are some fine clubs out there..Don't let the bad apples ruin the bushel.

[Wheeler1]

I belong to the Skeena Valley Model Railroad Association in Terrace British Columbia, We are located in a 1911 Pullman passenger car that we bought for a dollar, inside we have a model of the CNR Skeena Subdivision and use digitrax comand control, we have 9 members 3 of us travell from Kitimat every Monday Night. All you guys are welcome to drop in anytime.

[bogp40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by West Coast S

No intended offense to anyone on the list , but , i'd rather cut body parts off with a dull razor and barbed wire then associate with some of the clubs i've encountered.

West Coast S,
It's a shame that you haven't come across a decent club. I guess I'm lucky in that respect. I belong to a great club with 50+ members- The South Shore Model Railway Club in Hingham, Ma. About half of the members are fairly active, we meet twice a week and used to have operations once a month. Our annual show was this past weekend- that was the last of normal operations for the layout as Mon night the temperary yards and loops were removed to tie in the next 2 legs. The layout should be back in operation for our fall open house.
Bob K.

[West Coast S]

No intended offense to anyone on the list , but , i'd rather cut body parts off with a dull razor and barbed wire then associate with some of the clubs i've encountered.

[SpaceMouse]

I am a member of The Indiana Train Club. We meet once a week and are in the process of "decorating" the layout. It is badly in need of scenery and the structures are not weathered. But there are still a lot of problems in the layout with the track. We spend far more time working than running. In fact in the two months I've been there. We've run once.

I am working on developing a passenger station. I keep coming up with ideas, and it is at that point they tell me what they had planned. But I'm working my way in.

[ole1]

I'm a member of the Luce Line Railroad Club in Minnesota and you can visit us at our web site www.luceline.tripod.com We're located in a mall (the old pizza place) and have HO,S Flyer,Three Rail and occasionally an N layout running and are just getting ready to have operating a U-Run-It layout for the kids which is a table top loop of three rail track with some Marx rolling stock and a couple of plastic structures, bottle bru***rees and a homemade toilet float water tower. Nothing fancy but it can be a hands on experience with minimal expense as everything was donated and the kids (and some parents) don't have to be told "please don't touch".

[Anonymous]

I've been trying to start a club here for a long time (Portland Oregon)
Getting younger kids and teens into the hobby. (Gotta keep new ones coming in)
The problem I have is space, I was wondering what clubs used for their base.
Having it based in my house isn't possible. Soo, any tips?

[soumodeler]

I am a member of the Central Georgia Model Railroad Club in Macon, GA. We have about 10 active members and 20 slackers. I love building the display layout were are currently building because I have seen a layout from start to finish so I learn a lot about the many methods our club uses. Go to http://prof.smugmug.com to see the layout.

soumodeler
-----------------
The Southern Serves the South!
http://www.trainweb.org/mgr

[Anonymous]

Hey guys. Iw as wondering how many of you were also part of a train club as well as home layouts? What do you like most about your club? How members do you have? Where is your club located and what is the name of your club.