I have been throwing around the idea in my head of starting a new club, not shure if I want to go through with it yet, but I was just wondering. This one is for all owners of O-guage steam locomotives, called “Steam Locomotive Owners Asociation”. To be eligible one must have a collection of nothing but…you guessed it steamers. It doesn’t matter what brand, scale, price range, era they were made, etc. Well, I don’t know what else to say about my idea, but it would just be so neat if there was a club for just steam locomotive owners out there. I guess this probably has no chance of getting off of the ground but it was just an idea.
Well Berk,
I Like the Idea, except that while I have a Very Large collection of Steamers, it is not exclusively steamers, 90+%. Also, we don’t live close enough to each other to start a club together. To Start a club, you will need members, and a Location, if the club is to have it’s own permanent layout. For a modular layout, each member could store their own modules, then the club could look into displaying at local shopping malls (especially around Christmas time) at Swap meets/Train shows(some even pay a small amount such as $50.00 to clubs displaying layouts) and other possible public places. Another possibility would be doing displays for retirement homes or childrens hospitals. without a clubhouse of it’s own, meetings would likely be held at members homes.
There are LOTS of details such as accounting, especially if the club has it’s own clubhouse(Rent, utilities, Dues, possibly property taxes, etc. etc. etc) also if a permanent layout, funding of layout construction, chain of decision making, club rules, it can get rather complicated.
I sure am NOT trying to discourage You, just trying to help you see what could/will be involved in starting a club from scratch. It WILL be a LOT of work, but also could be Very Rewarding, with the right members involved.
A serious advantage to a club is the varied talents that a number of members will likely bring in, compared to a single modeler. Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses, that is a FACT OF LIFE, and nothing derogatory intended. Some enjoy scenery, others (Like Bob Nelson aka Lionelsoni) are electrical geniuses ( I am NOT a member of that group) while others are excellent carpenters, and can build furniture grade benchwork, and would accept no less. A club benefits Greatly from this diversity. But diversity can also bring with it challenges(no need to look any further than these forums to see no
Berk I might change the rule just a tad to that the only thing that can be run or brought to club meetings is steam as weather some one owns just steamers is his business and it may be brought up as I wouldn’t want to join a club that tells me what I can or cannot own now what I can run there is different idea but in my opinion there isn’t a whole bunch that are pure steam and nothing else. as one of the biggest time in train history is the transition time from steam to diesel/electric. Also starting a club can be very difficult as you need to find a meeting place and you need to find out how many are going to be in it to start and how much every one is willing to pay to suport the club and the building to have it in. Does everyone who pays have a key. (if so thats can be problems) theres a lot to it and that just barely scratches the surface.
Yeah your right about that rule. It is extremely outragious and people have the right to buy whatever they want…period. I am thinking of getting one of Lionel’s GG1 electrics and maybe one of there Santa Fe F3 diesels. Sorry about that rule, I fail at being a good person at times.
Berk,
I think that saying you “fail to be a Good person at times” is way to extreme, and I doubt that you really intended that they couldn’t own anything but steam, rather you wanted a club focused on steam. There are many clubs that are rather strict about what era and road name equipment are allowed to be run. Nothing wrong with a strong interest in steam operations, but the steam/diesel transition era, was a long one, early 30’s or so into 1960 for the Norfolk and Western, and later for many smaller regional and shortlines. The EMD FT’s came out in 1939, and actually preceded some well known Steam Locomotives such as the Union Pacific Big Boys.
I too also find Steam Locomotives more interesting, and they are by far the largest portion of my own collection.
Doug
I wouldn’t go as far as saying that but maybe don’t think some things out completely and thats why you bounce off of us here so we can help as we all do with ideas to get another perspective of an idea. Keep the ideas coming.
Well, I tend to be too harsh on myself. The steam to diesel transition era seems okay. I don’t think I will ever start a club though cause it sounds too complicated and I don’t think i am clever enough to pull it off.
Hi Berk,
I wasn’t even advocating that you allow diseasles on your potential club layout, rather I was pointing out that you would be prohibiting locomotives that would properly be included in a layout based after the 30’s or even earlier, I forget what year the first diesel switcher came out, but it was even earlier.
Don’t be so rough on yourself, I personally wouldn’t care for the reponsibilties of forming a new club. I don’t even run for any officer position in the club that I am in. I don’t know that I would be able to do an acceptable job, and as a truck driver, I KNOW that I could not be available as often as I would need to do a reponsible job. I make my contribution mostly in scenery, and especially in track ballasting, which many people HATE doing, but I find relaxing.
Doug
It’s all ok, no harm done.
Its not being clever enough as more to all involved and usually it takes about 12 or so to get it started and to decide what rules Will be imposed and all and one of the best ways is to get rules from a few clubs and read over them and decide between you all which are good and which are not for you all and then vote on them.
I’m speaking from experience here as I was in the beginning of a club in VA. befor I moved away and was voted in as the first V.P. wanted me to be Pres but I declined. The second year wanted me as pres again and had to decline as I knew I was leaving the area one way or another as I was presently looking to move on out of the area.
But keep your dreams going thats the only way to achieve them and move on.
Thanks.