Are you a member of a model railroad club? Vote and then share your comments below.
Looking for a club?
If you’d like to see if there’s a club in your area, check out the Club section on Trains.com: http://www.trains.com/clubs/findaclub.asp
No clubs around my area doing what I’m now doing, 1/2" scale indoors, kinda off the mainstream. Dont know of anyone else doint this in the LA area, they’re all outdoors in the weeds. Would be nice to have other contacts that are doing the same thing though.
I’ve been a member of my local model railway club (Sunderland UK) for 17 years now and would recommend everyone to join one.
I’ve had help with literally every aspect of modelling, from choosing a period, scale and country, construction, electrics, to help in exhibiting my layout.
I’ve also been able to ‘play’ on other members layouts in scales and periods which I would not otherwise get the opportunity to do, but most of all I’ve made some very good friends along the way.
I was part of a club for a brief period of time. I found that I really didn’t want to devote my only day off (Saturday) to going to the club. Also, I felt that they weren’t interested in producing quality looking modules. The modules they took to shows were ratty and beaten up. (Just my opinion and personal observation)
Some of the guys there thought it was great to have a woman in the club, some others wouldn’t even talk to me at the club house or acknowledge me at the hobby shop. Some people never grow up.
I can see the advantages of being in a club. If you have different people with different talents then you can teach each other or trade work on modules. It’s only when you can’t find common ground that the troubles start.
Maybe I’ll join one someday, or start one of my own. Who knows?!?!?!
Cheers
I’ve responded in another thread “Club Dedication” (I think) about clubs. I used to belong to one, but the politics and egos were so thick you could cut them with a rotary arm saw. Politics and egos are for politicians. It’s been several years since I’ve left the club, and don’t wi***o join any more clubs.
When my wife and I buy/rent our first house, and I have my layout up and running for sessions, the main “rule” will be Leave Your Ego at the Door. Also, please wipe your feet before entering or answer to the wife LOL[:D]
Take care[:)]
Russell
Ottawa Valley N-Trak club. Great People, great fun.
Kim
I am looking for a club within a reasonable distance from Lady Lake, Florida. We will be re-locating there in October/November. I am interested in HO scale.
Jerry
I rejoined a club after ten years of non-involvement, and have found the experience frustrating, challenging and enjoyable.
Frustrating - always a challenge when working with other folks
Challenging - learning new techniques and maintaining a large layout
Enjoyable - meeting all sorts of new folks and enjoying their comraderie
Anyone looking for an ‘O’ gauge 3 rail affiliation in Northeastern Wisconsin, feel free to visit with Northeastern Wisconsin ‘O’ Gauge Association. We have a club layout (modules owned by members) and meet monthly September thru May. Inquiries - direct to N.E.W. ‘O’ Gaugers - P.O. Box 22, Menominee, MI 49858. We have a great bunch of people and they are very active in club functions.
I cannot run mainline equipment in my home converted bedroom. It is nice to work in a 3K square ft. room with turns more than 36" radius on hand laid track and throwouts. We are DC with walk around throttles because we started this road in 1978. We are across the street from the Alameda Corridor – East so there is ample fanning.
We are the Pomona Valley MRC at 132 E. First Street in Pomona CA. I have a key so I can run by myself or with others. Our dues are $25.00 per month. We are open most Tuesday and Thursay evenings.
Lindsay Smith wlindsays2000@yahoo.com
I’m a member of a round-robin type group in my area… one general “business meeting” a month where we discuss group activities, hold clincs and watch videos, plus schedule meetings for the remainder of the month at member’s homes. It’s a great way to keep up on the latest news, plus see what others in the area are doing. And for me, there’s the added benefit of living vicariously through others who have more experience, and more room than I have to build empires in miniature.
I belong to the Blue Mountains & Nepean Christian Model Railway Fellowship (what a mouthful !), abbreviated to BM&NCMRF (still a mouthful !!), which operates in the beautiful Blue Mountains and Nepean districts of western Sydney in New South Wales, Australia (“Down Under”). We meet on the last Saturday evening of each month at 7.30 pm for about 3 hours and have running nights and train video evenings at different members’ homes, with supper and a short Bible devotional at the end - not heavy stuff, and the devotional is always geared to model railroading (e.g. keep on the straight track and try and avoid kinks in your life, otherwise you might get derailed). We are currently joining with the Valley Heights Rail Preservation Society, not so much as to work on the “big boys”, of which they have quite a number plus passenger carriages, but to give assistance with their exhibition HO layout. All good fun! We also run an occasional Exhibition ourselves (two so far). We currently have 13 members.
“Sydney” [:)]
New South Wales
Australia
Been a club member 13+ years now. Took my turn at the helm (whew, glad THAT’s over) but havn’t regretted a moment of it. From the contacts made in the hobby, to the experiences shared with other members, to the learning we all have shared in, it’s all contributed to me growing as a modeler, and the group growing as well. Yes, there are ego’s to deal with, as well as differences in what everyone is interested in. So what? It’s all steels wheels on rails, ain’t it?
KarlB
www.fcsme.org (Come see!!)
Way back in 1955-56 , when I was stationed with the USAF at Burtonwood RAF Station, Warrington, England, I was a member of the Merseyside Model Railway Society. Back then if you wanted a particular locomotive you built it from scratch, from the drivers to the motor to drive them. A few of the members were in to 2mm scale and I have some slides of a 2mm locomotive that is being dwafed by a three pence coin ( about the size of a nickle.) The loco ran and pulled a few goods wagons. The track was hand made as well as the switches.
I just joined one and attended my first meeting this past monday. Since my job involved traveling every week, it was something that had to wait until retirement. I met a good bunch of people at the meeting. It’s going to be fun.
I’ve been modeling in HO and now N since my teens. Have never been a member of a club, strange since the metro NJ/NY area is full of clubs. I have thought about it but with my work schedule it wouldn’t be fair to me or to the members of whatever club I join. A shame since I feel there is a definite advantage to club membership with all the skills and techniques you can learn, regardless of what you model at home.
I am the sevreatry/editor of the Darling Downs Model Railway Club Inc. in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
I wouldn’t say we are all darlings! but we are a great bumch of guys and gals.
Have been in the club since 1989 and am now a life member, the club has grown from around 20 members and a bank balance of zilch to around 150 members and living comfortable. We have large layouts in both HO and N, both fixed and portable for exhibitions and we enjoy local council and government assistance in part due to our genuiness for the hobby of model railroading.
Have a look at our web site on www.usq.edu.au/users/mesken/ddmrc or email me at teditor@bigpond.com.au
Being a club member has given me years of satisfaction, great cameraderie and the ability to build and operate layouts of a granduer I could never achieve at home.
Politics, disagreements and freindships are all part and parcel of the big package, you only get out what you put in.
And as you can see, I still havn’t learnt how to spell properly though!
I’ve belonged to a round robin club in Ohio in more youthful days. Now I belong the West Central Model Railroad Club in Sparta, WI. We have our own building(yes it’s paid for). Been a member for over 15 years. I’ve seen many different people come through the front door, and I’ve been fortunate enough to learn something from most every one of them. Their a great bunch of guys and I’m proud to call them friends. The best thing about the club is that I could never in my wildest dreams ever build a layout so large and keep learning so much any other way. Draw backs? Only one. My home layout is suffering from neglect. But that’s going to change since I’ve recently cut back on my work schedule so now I’ve got time for both. Wonderful hobby!
Since the question asked about clubs only, I figured that a round-robin didn’t apply. I’ve been a member of a local round robin for over a decade and I believe there’s several more in my local area. The round-robin is less formal than a Club and where ‘members’ have a lot of other commitments it seems to work better. Our only piece of paperwork is the calender of meetings (8 layouts, Mon and Fri on a 4 week cycle). It’s no big deal if a meeting has to be cancelled or only a few turn up. However, being part of a round-robin sure provides an incentive to do at least something to the layout before its your turn again. Steven Burrows, Sydney Australia