For all you younger railfans out there are you a member of a railfan organization like NRHS?
If not what would entice you to join? We are looking for input for our August Fantrip column.
Ed Boss
Intern editor
what is it and how old do you have to be
Well, basically, NRHS is the National Railway Historical Society. A group of railfans founded it in 1935 with an interest in preserving the past. Since then, it’s grown to about 17,000 men and women and over 100 local chapters across the U.S.
The closest one to you is on the East Side of Milwaukee (www.nrhswis.org), although there is another that meets in Green Bay and another in Rockford, Ill., about equal distance from Iron Ridge.
I don’t believe there is an age limit; they’re interested in anyone who loves railroads and can/will pay the annual dues. (The Milwaukee chapter dues are $48 a year.)
We’re mostly interested in hearing if any of the younger railfans belong to any railfan organizations. This could include model railroading clubs, etc. More importantly, though, what might get you interested in joining one?
Kathi
hey arent you the editor for trains mag. I am 16 and would like to get into it because i just all around like trains as a hobby and a strong possible career in the railroad (WSOR)
Well, I’m a younger (early teens) train buff, and although I might not be classified an active railfan, I would be if I had the means to travel to and active rail line. I definetely enjoy watching prototype trains when I get the chance, so I guess I would be classified as a railfan.
About joining a club, I was part of a model railroad club last year for a few months, but quit because of the money issues. I don’t currently have the funds to join any clubs, model or prototype, as I have so many other things I need to pay for (resubscribing to MR and TRAINS, as well as stuff for my model railroad).
I would probably be interested in joining a group with minimal or no dues, (there still are some, except they’re more like informal groups of friends) but I cannot muster the funds for most club dues.
OK i have to ask, what is your idea of young. 16-18 or 16-21, maybe even 16-30? Also, How many people in this age frame are currently goin to your events?
Pardon me for jumping in here, because I’m not exactly a young-un any more. But I was once, and was a railfan in my high-school years and earlier.
Tyler, perhaps you should suggest that your club have a junior membership category. You certainly aren’t the only one in your age level that is in financial straits. I don’t think my membership in the local model railroad club made me any less of a geek while I was in high school, but it did show me that I wasn’t alone, so I didn’t care as much about the adversities of geekdom (actually, the fathers of some of my schoolmates belonged to the same club). I didn’t consider myself a modeler, but I had a number of HO-scale cars, and could help with layout construction and design, so I felt useful.
Modeling didn’t help me with my interests in prototype operation and history, though, so I was still a loner when it came to those areas. Until college, when I answered a magazine ad and became a charter member of what quickly became a NRHS chapter. I met lots of older folks, and some people my age, who were very interested in railroading, and our chapter sponsored at least one steam-powered fantrip, back when the Cadillac & Lake City actually ran between Cadillac and Lake City.
These activities fell by the wayside when I moved away from Western Michigan and got a job. I could afford dues, but not the time needed. So I’m still more or less a loner, and my peers at work still regard me as somewhat of a geek. But I’m a legend in my own mind, anyway.
I guess I’m trying to say that if you have the opportunity to join an organization that promotes your hobby, please look into it, and think about what you and the organization can offer to each other. It may not be for you, but you don’t know that until you’ve given it a chance.
There, Kat, have I written the article for you?
I’m 15 and a member of a local railfan club. There are monthly (except summer) meetings that usally center around a slide presentation by a member.
I like it because it is free, and because it’s a chance to talk trains with people far more knowledgeable than me.
I’m a teenager who’s a member of a model railroad club out of Madison, WI. It’s about 50 miles from me, but I still make monthly meetings. I muster up the $36 bucks a year for dues (which really isn’t bad as clubs go), but I think it’s a great price for all the fun and enjoyment I get out of the club and the people in it. I’ve made some good and hopefully life long friends from the club.
I’ve thought about joining the NRHS as I’m a big photography buff (see the links in my signature), but the main problem is distance. The closest ones to me are Rockford or Milwaukee, and that’s just too far to drive regularly, especially on a teenage budget and with gas prices what they are. Perhaps if I move closer to the NRHS chapter someday or they open another one nearer to me I’d consider joining.
Noah
Carl, they did have a junior memborship catogory, but it was $15 a month, down from $20 a month for regular. Big discount, but still not enough to be worth the 3-meetings-a-month.
Like Carl, I’m not in the “young railfan” category any more. When I was that age my interest in railroading was only in passing. I left the area for the Air Force before I’d have been able to really get into attending meetings, chasing trains, etc.
Now I’m a member of the Utica and Mohawk Valley Chapter, but it’s a two hour drive - a tough task for a weeknight meeting. My membership is more in support of the chapter, although I do volunteer with the Adirondack (I’m also a member of ARPS), which runs out of the historic Utica Union Station - home of the U&MV chapter’s equipment collection.
My membership in the local chapter includes national membership in NHRS.
I’ll bite here. I’m in my mid-20s and in the past have been a member of 2 different NRHS organizations. I won’t name chapter names, but there was almost a night and day difference between the two of them. For what it’s worth, they were both about an hour drive for me. For the comparison I will mainly emphasize issues and items that may or may not attract a younger member.
Meetings:
Chapter A regularily had numerous opportunities for people of all ages to participate. This would range from an annual photography contest, various railroad field trips/excursions, photography sessions, a trackside cookout, and at least one meeting a year where members could bring a handful of slides/images to show. Meetings are normally advertised on local e-mail lists too.
Chapter B has a banquest (at the same place every year), an excursion (same line every year), and once a year has a members slide night. From my experience, any new idea (such as digital technology) that has been suggested or brought up gets shot down immediately. In other words, this chapter has a “this is the way we always did it, why should anything change?” stance.
Chapter A has a good emphasis on railroads of all eras. Presentations range from the 1960s to stuff that any of us could go out and shoot tomorrow. Many of the members of Chapter B have the attitude of “all the good stuff is gone”, so therefore there are very few shows of anything newer or modern.
Chapter A has embraced digital technology being taken up by younger railfans (and many of it’s members frequently contribute images to railpictures.net). Chapter B has been very reluctant to embrace digital technology.
The audience also makes a big difference. Granted, neither chapter can compare to the mirth of a basement slideshow with shouts of “You Richard!”, and items ranging from broccoli, to pretzels, to p
Hi, kc9jtsIowa!
Nice to see you on the forum. Now who would throw all those things at a screen — or photographer, as the need might arise — at a civilized slide show? Especially while enjoying some “light sandwiches?”
Take care, and come back home for a visit sometime. Let me guess: You’re in Dubuque, and you’ll be here in an hour?
Kat
Goooooooooooood Morning!
Kat, I didn’t think it would take too long for you to figure out who this is.
You do raise an interesting point though. Throwing projectiles at the screen or photographer would probably not occur at a “civilized” slideshow. But really, how much fun is a “civilized” slideshow when compared to the mirth of our most recent slidefests? You know, this could relate to the topic at hand: Would younger railfans be more interested in a proper-civilized slide show? Or a “No Holds Barred” slideshow like the past few I have had? (My opinion: a civilized show would be a good introduction, but I think they would have more fun and be more likely to “get into” a No Holds barred show).
Anyways, I plan on heading home to visit my folks (who are still finding pretzels from last years slide show) around the 4th of July. Who knows, maybe a good time for another cook-out or Burlingtonfest show?
By the way, yes, I am in Dubuque and I will be there in an hour! For your information though, the timing will depend on the effect of the mush-mush clouds upon commercially acceptable sunlight on the WSOR Monroe and Fox Lake subs; and of course, how long it takes the local Culvers to fill the many “and also’s” of my order.