Hey all, Crewman here.
I’m building my first serious layout, and because of my current space restriction (a room apx. 6x8 feet) I’m going to build it in modules. However, I’ll only have room to use three of them, with the other three for setting up at shows and other events. Does anybody have any info on requirements for show entry and costs?
thanks,
-Crewman
Welcome Crewman
You would probably be better served joining an already established modular club. Shows are put on by local clubs and NMRA, Historicle societies, and mostly do not charge for modules. Sometimes we get coffee and donuts or a free lunch. Unless they are Z scale 3 mods will not be a big layout. I myself have a corner mod, 2 four foot mods and 1 two foot mod. All together its not much track to run on but I can switch industries for hours. When they are included in the modular club its great moving whole trains. The last show we were 20 x 40 feet. The ABLE club puts on the big show in springfield Mass. They have invited me to bring my mods to incorporate with thiers next year.
This is my club.
This is ABEL
Pete
Being part of a module group is you know what standards they use. They all are different. It is almost impossible to do shows by yourself.
I belong to an N-Track club. You can do lot’s in that space with N-Scale stuff. But joining this club was the best thing I ever did since you don’t work alone.
Shows are great but everyone has to go to the bathroom at one point or another and it is sure nice to have other guys there to keep the trains running when nature calls.[swg]
I’ve been a lone wolf model railroader since the late 1970s and it was not the best way of doing things (especially since I didn’t know what or how to do certain things).
Irv
I’ll echo the comments already made. I’m a member of a modular club (FCSME.org) and there is a lot to be gained by joining one. We exhibit at the Great Scale Model Train Show at Timonium MD, 3 or 4 times a year. The size varies with the largest being about 65 ft by 130 ft.
I strongly recommend trying to find a club near where you live before you try to go it alone.
If you’re modeling in N-scale, you can seek out a local N-TRAK club. Then you can hook up your module(s) with many others at shows and run long trains. In fact, there is big N-scale convention going on right now in Louisville (Derby City Express) that will feature a module layout consisting of 750 modules covering 50,000 square feet (the largest ever).
Imagine how long it would take a train to run around that layout!
I also am building an HO layout with NMRA standard modules. Everyone is correct about finding the club. Most shows don’t let individuals just show up. The clubs that I belong to don’t charge to participate in a show. It would help if you would put where you live in your profile, then we might be able to recommend a club.
You don’t give a geographical area, but before you jump in with both feet please do yourself a foavor and check out the Free-mo movement that is growing by leaps and bounds. A Free-mo module can be one or many segments as long as the ends are to Free-mo specs. Because the main(s) are centered a module or set can be rotated 180 degrees and still be used anywhere in a setup! You can even do a replication of a real location, and the running of trains is a lot more prototypical than roundy-round caboose chasing! At a recent show we had a setup in a 60’x150’ area that was a blast to operate on. If you contact me offline I will gladly send you a setup plan.jc5729 John Colley, Port Townsend, WA or check the website freemo.org