Hello I live in NE and have been looking for train clubs. I have looked on the net and found nothing. I live in Omaha and it is not easy for a new Model Railroader when the hobby store has a zepher and they do not know how to use it or set it up. I went to a train show last weekend at a local high school and only one train there was DCC. I guess I am looking in the wrong places. I found a directory on the web for train clubs but the Nebraska site had a URL no longer in use. If anyone knows please let me know or maybe a club in the Council Bluffs, Iowa area. Sorry if this is an issue already explained but need to have some more input.
GTX
My home is in Omaha but I’m stationed in Kansas right now. There is a club located in the old Rock Island depot in Council Bluffs. I would also get in touch with the Western Heritage Division of the NMRA, they meet every month and are very active. I know they have a couple of modular layout clubs plus lots of folks who have layouts.
I’m sure you know all the hobby shops but just in case. Scale Rail over on 87th off of F St, Frank runs that place, all HO, probably not too much DCC. Ron at Trainman’s on Leavenworth, again, proabably not too much DCC but he may be abale to get it for you. Rod at Train Time on 84th in La Vista has DCC. I heard a rumor the House of Trains on Maple Street may be open again but I’m not sure. If you get to Lincoln, head to the Train Cellar, haven’t been there in a few years but I’m betting he would have DCC.
I’ll be there in just under 2 years and ready to finally build my layout!
Good luck
Rick
For the past 3 years the Air Force has been telling me that my follow-on for my PhD at NC State (current assignment) was to be Kirtland AFB, NM… …until last week, when I found out there’s a very good chance that instead, I’ll be going to Offutt Air Force Base (home of the Air Force Weather Agency) near Omaha, NE.
A quick search on the internet shows that there’s an NTrak club in Omaha. I may join it if and when I get there!
If you make it to Offutt AFB, check to see if a little place called Stella’s is still around. If so that’s the place to go for the best burger and fries ever - no preformed patties and frozen fries, in fact they take a large potato and slice it right into the hot oil with a fry cutter.
You will enjoy the rail yards - if the sidewalk is still open the ’ L St. ’ bridge gives a good view.
BTW plan on a tornado watch/warning on most 4th of Julys.
The Western Heritage Division of the NMRA meets the 2nd Saturday of each month at the library in Papillion, NE. They have HO and N modular set ups. The NMRA members also have several “private” round robin groups that work on various home model railroads. Virtually all have some form of DCC (mostly NCE and Easy-DCC). Interests range from the 1890’s to the 1960’s, literally from New York to LA.
There is a club with a permanent HO layout in Iowa at the railroad museum in the old Rock Island station in Council Bluffs.
Hobby shops are thin. Scale Rail does just HO. Train Time in Papillion has all scales. Trainman’s Trading post is “eclectic”. House of Trains on Maple is G and N.
Go to a WHDiv meeting, meet some people, get hooked up with a round robin group.
Dave H.
Yes, Stella’s is still there, at least when I drove by about 2 months ago.
Dave, when you make it to AFWA, drop me an email, when I’m up visiting home, I’ll drop in and say hi.
Also, just to let you know, AFWA has a tradition of building and raffling off a train layout around the holidays. They can use someone that can take on that tradition and keep it going.
Rick
Your profile doesn’t have an e-mail so I’ll just post here. Would you be willing to dirive about 40 miles from Omaha to get to club meetings? Just yesterday I came across a building which is an opportunity to start a club in that part of the country.
Or are you already NE of Omaha? Is the SW corner of MN too far to drive? A really great opportunity there. see http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1155691/ShowPost.aspx
Stella is still there, My Dad goes there when he is in town.
Thanks for the info on clubs. I will look into it. I will find a club some how. I am mainly into HO and building a 5x9 layout.
Where is your meetings? I live in Omaha. 40 miles away? What city?
I too live in Nebraska and it is a 2 hour drive to Omaha or Lincoln for me. I know for a fact the Train cellar sells DCC stuff, i picked up my zephyr there. The guy there is very knowledgeable and has a ton of stuff. He even has a simple HO layout with a lot of track to run stuff. I would highly recommend checking it out.
I guess i wasn’t that impressed with Scale Rail i felt intimidated there because it was a bunch of older guys shooting the breeze being history buffs on old steam this and that. But they did have some brass and it seemed like they had a large selection of detail parts.
I haven’t checked out Train Time it was closed the day i was in town, i wonder if its even worth checking out.
I do know of a club in Norfolk Nebraska. Thats about an hour and half drive from Omaha. They usually have a display at the mall i think during Christmas time.&
I will investigate these Omaha train shops and let you know how they are.
Dave, while they may be thin, at least the Omaha area has 4 plus the limited selection at Hobbytown and Hobby Lobby. Wichita (about same size as Omaha) has 1 plus a Hobbytown, the Hobbytown has a model train type as a manager so he’s trying to expand and he’ll order stuff for us so its not a bad deal.
BTW, is Bell Air hobby still out on west Center? They had a pretty decent selection at one point.
Looking forward to get back and start attending the meetings!
Rick
Hobbytown and Hobby Lobby are totally over priced and they know nothing about DCC.