If you’re in the Denver Metro Area or follow Mass Transit in the US, you’ve probably heard by now that RTD (our transit district) has picked a group to redevelop Denver’s Union Station. Along with that redevelopment, the group that was selected has told our model railroad club that they want to feature our model railroad as part of the attractions of the building. This potentially includes some renovations to make our layout more accessible to the public as well as expanded operating hours on the weekends.
After the initial shock, we’re now trying to come up with ways to meet that request while not burning out our existing membership (and maintaining some semblance of a reasonable home/club balance).
We’ve had several suggestions brought up by the membership including changing to just weekend operations as well as implementing a guest operator program.
I figured I would throw this question out there to the Model Railroading community to see what others in similar situations have done as well as any thoughts about unique ideas to meet the developer’s (& RTD’s) request for a more accessible layout.
We haven’t promised anything yet but we’d like to get ahead of the curve. The building is scheduled to reopen in the Spring of 2014 so that doesn’t give us alot of time to build a high quality program and get back to the developer with our plan to get their commitment on the verbal promises they have made to our organization as part of this process.
I would look to involve young people’s groups in the operation. Contact local Scout troops (and not just Boy Scouts) and see if there is a chapter of Youth in Model Railroading that would like to get involved. For each enthusiastic teen, you’ll likely also find a parent you might recruit as well. The local schools might also have some “civic involvement” requirements, and there are often students looking to satisfy these requirements who would welcome an opportunity to have fun and learn something while volunteering.
Contact the train shops in town, and see if they will let you put up a poster. Caboose Hobbies is known across the nation, and I think they’d be a great place to start.
Get the transit organization to compensate you financially so that you can pay people to maintain and run the layout. Even something close to minimum wage would attract lots of people including club members. At the very least those who are spending the time to organize and supervise the operation and maintenance of the layout should be paid for their time.
The transit authority has hundreds of millions of dollars. You would be small potatos to them (no offense intended).
I agree with hon30critter. If the layout is going to be part of a ‘business plan’, the club needs some sort of compensation. This can be in the form of wages, or monies for upgrading or BOTH. You still need to be a club as that is your charter and what you want, so having a little deeper pockets would be beneficial to all parties involved. I assume the club charter is a non-profit so the TA can have another write off for the monies received.
If I were to want the magic of trains to be displayed for all to see in my business, I would want it in good shape and in operation. I don’t know the extent of equipment the TA has, but they could put up advertising in the buses, trains … etc to help find more possible members and help.
What about fix’n something up to where an actual TA train model could run around auto-magically during the days when staffing isn’t possible or when club operations permit?
Hiya Chris…I met some of you briefly because I came down one night and helped out digging mud from those rains we had earlier this summer. I think you’re a great bunch of guys; me, I’m g-scale.
May I make a suggestion? It sounds to me like you’re in danger of becoming overwhelmed. I would suggest that you focus solely on renovating the layout area to make it more accessible and attractive and don’t even think about expanded hours until way later. You may or may not be able to expand your hours, but I think the developers and the general public would be very much more impressed by a more-attractive presentation than the hours.
I might also stay in touch with their renovations process and see if you can’t get some collateral benefit financially (and maybe some labor help for construction-type tasks) with your work.
p.s…I suspect the developers would be satisfied with a general commitment on your part to expanded hours without actual specifics, which would in turn give you plenty of time later to slowly expand hours on a more-beautifully presented layout.
After reading many post about Model Railroad clubs in buildings that they don’t own I am surprised and gladdened that you were told to not get out. ASAP.
Many post have been about a club layout being trashed because the owners and/or developers just saw the layout in the way.
Expanding viewing hours is one thing. Letting people see a lighted layout through the windows is another.
Having operating hours is quite another. Some large layouts have a loop or two that run for the qwakers to gwak at, but with other hours for operating sessions.
Obviously operating sessions and work sessions are at YOUR schedule and are not likely to be at hours convenient to tourists looking at layouts.
LIONS Suggestion: Operate a small bookstore/hobby/souvenir shop in the layout area let that be open with lookers looking at the layout through the glass, with maybe a train running. A retired member of the club to staff the shop, not that the shop needs to be a bid money maker, but does at least pay for itself and for keeping a member on hand to keep an eye on things.
It is a non-profit store and layout, with minimal rental outlay, and the understanding that the book shop is part of the “attraction” and not a revenue retail space in their building.
Lions suggestions are good. At the railway museum where I volunteer we do have a gift shopa dn desk person and several layouts that are visitor activated and on timers.Right up front, the amount of use dictates a lot of maintainence and a full time overseer to keep up with derailments and other mishaps as well as breakage from use.
On the N and O layouts we go through about a half dozen each locomotives yearly as they just wear out. I don’t have a real feel for the HO as we use our own locomotives and rotate them as we see fit but I’d imagine the same sort of wear rate. On the O we actually wore through the outer guard rail on one turnout (where the diverging route is hit every “lap” and that in 3 years. We also used the standard drops every 3 feet to minimize electric drop outs. Hope some of that helps.
Biggest thing is what the hosts want of you and whether it makes sense or not. J.R.
The other things that the LION wants to point out is that developers are by nature and disposition speculators, and they speculate with the money and resources of others. They have the idea that your tenancy is a golden goose for a space that they might not be able to rent anyway, AND they see you as a draw for their other tenants (if any).
Approach the situation with great care, with eyes open, and at the very least with a good lawyer at your side.