Sigh! $500 of active engines to hit the shelves

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Including my favorite, an atlas GP-38 that I put sound and a running decoder into. Five engines total, a BLI E-7, a Proto 2K S-1, a Bachman Spectrum GP-35 and a Walther’s GP-9. The last two are brand new. My entire club fleet.

At our club meeting this year, I made a case that our rolling stock was so dirty that it was impossible to keep our track clean. The group agreed to have a night in which everyone would get together and clean the rolling stock. One of the members suggested that since it was my idea, that I should organize it. One of the members thought I was irrational for insisting that cars that did not have Kadee couplers be removed from the track. He called me a Nazi.

Fast forward the the night two weeks later. I got there early and set up the stations. Cleaning, weighing, couplers, NMRA guage. Three adults and two kids came to help. Well, less than half the club present. The president of the club decided to do scenery, because that is what he was in the mood to do. Following his lead, the majority of the club decided they had other things to besides the nasty job of cleaning the rolling stock. At any rate we didn’t finish.

I sent him an email privately, in which I pointed out that the club agreed to do a job and it was his job to support carrying it out. He shared the email with several other members including the guy that called me a Nazi.

The next week, I set up again and only the vice-president and one other guy helped clean. The third week, I was by myself cleaning cars. I didn’t like it, but wasn’t mad until I cleaned up and when I was putting the newly cleaned cars in the bins, I saw that the kids were running the cars I’d cleaned the week before on the dirty track. I was short with the kid, and he told me that the president had pulled the cars out for the kid to run.

I lost it, but kept it to myself. I just pack

2

Onward and upward. Hobbies tend to play by different rules. Sounds like yours are not compatible. If clubs are not fun, they serve no purpose, but then that is your point. I am glad you had fun for a while, and I hope you can have more in the future. In the meantime, there are the layouts at home.

3

Art,

I figured that much out. The part that sticks in my craw is that I have this cool fleet of engines that won’t make it around my track. They will literally hit the cliffs along the track.

4

Sounds just like a lot of situations in this life. You need to work on your personnel psychology buddy. Remember, if you are not seeing eye to eye with someone, the safe bet is they are not thinking the way you are, and what seems perfectly logical and sensible to you does not seem at all that way to them. If you like conflict, forge ahead. But, if you want to win, learn to forge coalitions, and always try to deflect credit from ideas from just you. Most people dislike conflict. If you propose something and it is obviously a hot button with you, a lot of people may go along figuring it is better than confronting you or even seeking to avoid hurting their feelings. But, that does not mean they plan to change what THEY are actually doing, to suit you. They were just planning to let you clean cars to shut you up. You, on the other hand, seek to change them. Rarely will such a plan work. I have seen the same thing with hunting clubs and shooting clubs.

Good luck.

5

Well, that bites, Chip. It must make you feel awful that things turned out the way they did, but as you say, the really sad part is that you are now without “means”.

I take it that there is no other group within, say 40 minutes?

-Crandell

6

Unfortunately, I believe you are right. My problem is that I believed that they saw the problem as well. The trackwork and rollingstock had deteriorated to the point where it was literally impossible to get around the mainline without derailing or. 4-axel engines could not move through the switches in the yard, and the industrial sidings were well unusable. Then I pointed this out, I took it that they agreed with me.

I should have known they were just trying to shut me up. The president did tell me my standards were too high.

On the other hand, there is only one business meeting a year and it was time to speak up.

And I’m also of the mindset that if a person agrees to something, they do it. When it boils down to it, that is the part that is hardest to deal with.

7

I know of two other clubs and a private layout that works almost like a club all about 75 minutes away. Perhaps…fair weather permitting.

The upside is that these clubs are not the “do-nothing” variety like mine was.

Here’s a bit of irony—I was railroaded by a model railroad club president. Kinda funny if you think about it like that.

8

That’s too bad, Chip. I think you are right that the club president feels threatened. It’s also obvious that the president doesn’t want to do certain things and, sadly, folks are going to follow his lead. A person who leads also has to set the example - and that includes being willing to do even the unpleasant but necessary chores…along with everyone else.

From your description, Chip, the club president was out-of-line for not keeping this between you and him. By bringing it to the rest of the club, it makes you look like the bad guy and the malcontent.

Sounds like a classic case of two different goals and intentions: One wants to make improvements and forge ahead; the other, stick to the status quo.

Remember: “Only the mediocre are ALWAYS at their very best.”

Well, Chip, sounds like it’s time to look for another MRR club…or start your own. [:)]

Tom

9

I, uh…ahem…(looks sadly at you) did tell you about that…right? (or add your own version of “I told you so.”)

10

Including my favorite, an atlas GP-38 that I put sound and a running decoder into. Five engines total, a BLI E-7, a Proto 2K S-1, a Bachman Spectrum GP-35 and a Walther’s GP-9. The last two are brand new. My entire club fleet.

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Sorry to hear that Chip.[:(]

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At our club meeting this year, I made a case that our rolling stock was so dirty that it was impossible to keep our track clean. The group agreed to have a night in which everyone would get together and clean the rolling stock. One of the members suggested that since it was my idea, that I should organize it. One of the members thought I was irrational for insisting that cars that did not have Kadee couplers be removed from the track. He called me a Nazi.

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Chip,Sorry old friend but,you can’t force other members to change coupler unless there is a club coupler standard.Its a members choice other wise including the use of X2F couplers if the member so desires.That sucks as clubs should have standards.

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Fast forward the the night two weeks later. I got there early and set up the stations. Cleaning, weighing, couplers, NMRA guage. Three adults and two kids came to help. Well, less than half the club present. The president of the club decided to do scenery, because that is what he was in the mood to do. Following his lead, the majority of the club decided they had other things to besides the nasty job of cleaning the rolling stock. At any rate we didn’t finish.

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Sadly club members seem to agree as a group until the hour comes to take action then its usually a core group that does the work.

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11

The reason I have never joined a club, this crap goes on ALL the time, it’s a little clique of people who stick together like maggots, It seems their sole purpose in life is to bully and boss around others, remember they have never been in any authorative role in their lives, I’d stay away from these so called elitist groups. They truly are acting like 6 years olds in their tree house.

12

Actually none of the clubs I am member of fits your views…We grew up and realized everybody has a equal say…

On the other hand I know of 2 clubs that fit your views both are small do nothing clubs that’s dying a slow but certain death…

13

That’s too bad. It sounds like they were a bunch of unorganized buttheads. You don’t take the time to clean the fleet and then stick it back on dirty track![%-)]

This is why I don’t want any thing to do with a club. I had some guys try and recruit me for their club. They told me I didn’t need a home layout. I should just spend my money on theirs. I have a hard time biting my tounge when I see people do stupid things. I don’t think I’d work well in a club. I like doing things my way when I feel like doing them.

14

To bad…You may be losing more then you think…I have met many fine modelers over the years and remain friends with many I met through club membership.I have had at least 30 years of club membership enjoyment.

15

This is kinda of sad news for me, I was thinking of checking out the local club here in columbus, OH. But now I am kinda scared [%-)]

16

I almost walked out on our club a few months ago. But it wasn’t for anything like what you just described. We just have a few people who can’t seem to follow the rules, especailly when they are the ones loudly complaining that everything is messed up because no one is following the rules. sigh. Fortunately our club has survived many issues. Some as silly as how tall the trees are supposed to be, and others as serious as a member just coming in and ripping out an entire city. Before reacting one must always remind themselves that it is just a club, as soon as any one member starts thinking of it as “their” layout is when the issues begin to come up.

Sorry Chip, I wish you were closer, we would love to have you in our club. Maybe you could even put the staging yard back into the operations.

17

As the used to say of Italy’s Benito Moussilini, close ally of the Nazis during World War II:

“At least he made the trains run on time.”

18

I would not judge all clubs by what you read on a forum since we have one side of the story and and because we have a one sided story we must take every negative thing we read with a grain of salt…[:(!]

Give your local club a try…You have nothing to lose and may have lots to gain…

19

This is true. This is my experience and I have to say that it is out of character for my club. There has been nothing but camaraderie up until this point.

And always assume that the one side of the story is jaded.

20

I go to a club and it is great. I cna run whatever I want basicly whenever I want. I’m not the only one to run trains either. We don’t run trains every week but we run quite often.

-Smoke