I was hoping somebody might have some ideas on how I can possibly find some other modelers in my area. I know there is a club search that I can do if it is registered, but I was wondering about just a lone wolf MRR’r like myself.
This is the only place that I can actually talk about MRR and not get the deer in the headlights look. My wife is all for the hobby, but she isn’t interrested in the planning stages. She only wants to participate after the layout is built and it is time to start doing the scenicing and the likes.
I would like to get somebody that has a clue about the hobby to bounce some of my ideas off of especially my layout plans. I guess I could post them on here, but I don’t have a website yet to be able to post pics to.
Now there is an interesting question…I always seem to attract fellow railfan-types when I go trackside… hang out and talk to guys at the hobby shop…but we all need our own chat rooms to hook up with fellow modelers . I model the C&NW commuter operations of Illinois yet I live in nevada now… So, I’d like to meet guys out here with similar interests too… good luck and I HATE THAT DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS LOOK!!! We’ve all seen it.(yet there are no harsh words or gestures for people watching cars go around in circles all day on a race track…)
If you want to post pics you don’t need a web site. You can set up with www.photobucket.com and use that to post your pics. That is how I do it. As far as people in your local area, try your local hobby shop. Put something on your car identifying yourself as a model rrer. Maybe a vanity licence plate that says Model Railroader. My son got me one for christmas a few years ago and a lot of people approached me about it. Try wearing a shirt with a train on it. I have a sweat shirt woith H8 on it. 2 weeks ago I wore it while at a local diner. A gentleman approached me asking if I was a model railraoder.
Les
Another place to post pics is RailImages.com; no fee req’d. They allow only railroad photos and there are a LOT of modelers on display there. You could set up an album to show your layout plans and folks from here can view your stuff. If you are not a ‘web-ophile’ the webmaster at RailImages has very good, concise instructions on how to load photos to RailImages, then how to get a web ‘link’ included here that references a photo or drawing on RailImages. Very nice way to go.
As for meeting other modelers, I go to train swap meets; I don’t care how small it is. You never know what you are going to find. The suggestion to wear T-shirts or sweatshirts with railroad motifs is a good one. Put one on and go hang out at the LHS, mall or your favorite eatery. I’ll bet someone will ask you about it. If you get the “deer in the headlights” look, be patient. They MAY be a future railroader!!
The best place to just generally check out what the local MRR social scene is like will be your local train show. You’ll usually find vendors and various modular and display layouts. Walk and talk and you’ll get to size up various groups and dealers. A little networking will go a long way, but depending on how rural it is where you’re at in Iowa there may not be a local show. Model Railroader used to publish listings of local shows, but they are now available only here somewhere on the website…
Another possibility is to join the NMRA. We have some sort of organization almost everywhere, although I gotta admit it really varies how close, useful, or relevant it may be to you. I’m involved with reviving our local NMRA division, now the newly re-named Illinois Terminal Div., after its many years on hiatus. One would think that a urban area with a major railroad connection, the IC/CN mainline to New Orleans, plus lots of other local rail action (our Super is a UP engineer and our Paymaster is a UP conductor), as well as a major manufacturer/distributor, Horizon Hobbies, would have an active organization, but it has been some years. However, like all good things, it only takes a few people acting together to get something started and we’re already seeing some interest in expanding contacts between local model railroaders to facilitate and promote the hobby.
One last thing to do might be to volunteer to help with the Boy Scout merit badge program. There may not be anyone helping them locally with the Railroad (I think that’s what it’s still callled, but it’s been a few decades since I earned mine) merit badge, but you may actually run into a network of people helping with it already. In any case, it will hopefully help build the local model railroader population.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I’ve been to various hobby stores around my area(central kentucky) and I’ve only seen one that had a club of any sort. They had an N scale layout up and an HO scale layout up,both very nice. The people working there were pretty nice as well, the other three hobby stores I’ve been to(noticed there’s fewer stores than there was in '99 ) didn’t really have anything set up or a club of any kind. You can pretty well guess which store I’m heading back to next time.[;)] I suppose it just takes some looking around.
I found a club by doing a search for model railroad and the city I was stationed, worked great. The previous club had been disbanded but I got ahold of a former member and found they had a new club.
One of the club members works in the town museaum, many towns have museums and historical societies, they tend to draw model railroaders.
If you model a specific railroad, you can always join the historical society or find if they have a group. I’ve found many other modelers in my home town that share the same interest.
You might want to check YahooGroups for the layout design SIG. That’s their interest in the hobby, and they may be able to help you with planning. There are also hundreds of model railroad groups there too. Maybe do a search on “model railroad + Iowa”, it could turn up something. Might be worth a try, it doesn’t cost anything.
The NMRA is an excellent idea especially if you have a strong local division that has regular meets.
I might add that every year when I go to Milwaukee’s Trainfest I am always surprised to meet people I know from work, and I had no idea they had any interest in trains or model trains.
Join the historical society for the railroad nearest you. Between seeing names and addresses in articles and correspondence, and going to conventions, you tend to get to know fellow members in your area.
Having a vanity license plate with a railroad theme, or having a railroad themed bumper sticker on your car are other ways.
But you also have to overcome the fear of just going up to people at the LHS and introducing yourself
Dave Nelson