Wow, I am 13 and have formed a #-Rail train club, imagine that.

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Hey Ya’ll

Some of my railroad friends (only 3, not many kids at my school like trains now) have gotten togeather to form a 3-rail 0-gauge club.

I was inspired by reading about the american flyer TV show cleed “The Boys Railroad Club”, and after finiding a bow of flyer trains in my uncles attic, It jogged my memory, and since we have many local resources (a 2 hobby stores with a good selection of 3-rail stuff, one of the guy’s dad collects Lionel, and my grandfather’s friend likes trains and said since he was interested in 2 rail and he ahd alot of 3-rail, he would give us all his 3-rail stuff to build a 6x12 layout) we will build a 3 rail layout and a flyer layout too.

We have held elections (booths and Ballots). I was running against Robert (his dad collects Lionel), but since it was my idea, too my udder suprise I wa elected president.

Donnie was elected tresuer and secretary (as he is very organized and goo with money).

We will be setting up a small layout at a church gathering and have 2 large scale boxcars asking for donations to the club. With this, we plan to buy a Lionel Union Pacific Hudson (paint for NYC) and a Lionel Pennsylvania K4 to run for the layout.

Since I am the president, when the club is no more, I inherit the club engines, rollingstock, accesries, and anything else that belongs to the club.
(one of the many perks of being president, i put that on the ballot about inheriting every thing, but nobody reads them. It clearly said that the president would inherit all the club’s assets when the club was no more.)

Any suggestions for activitys, fund raisers, and anything else, like a suitible meeting night?

Nick

2

By the way, the club is going to be called “The Grand Strand Teenage Tinplaters Club”, not The Boys Railroad Club, we don’t want to copy it, we just got the idea for a club from it.

Nick

3

I think the overall idea is great, except for the president owning all the club purchased equipment. Not a recipe for team play and good feelings. And I speak as someone responsible for several hundred employees over the last 25 years. Suggest you reconsider. Perhaps if the club dissolves, auction off all equipment to the highest bidder in the club and then split the proceeds equally amongst all members.

4

Perhaps your right

I think I willchange that to when the club is no more, each remaining member gets an equal share of what the club owns.

Now that I look at it, you are right, It’s not fair at all and a little mean. I will change this on monday as we meet at the library everyday exept on taco day and an optional day off if they choose to do so.

Nick

P:S: I would love to hear what others think on this matter.

5

locomotive10,
Congrats on your “club”! Hope you guys go far and have fun.[:)]
I’m with nblum on the “what If” clause. Should be divided equally.[:)]

6

Neil’s idea of an auction sounds best to me too. Just getting “an equal share” could be hard to decide, especially if the breakup results from some sort of a fight.

If your club lasts for a while, you will probably have some members who joined recently and others, like you, who were in it for a long time. I suggest that you agree to split the auction proceeds according to how long each one was a member. For example, figure out how many months each one has been a member, add all those numbers together, then divide each member’s time by the sum to get the fraction of the money that he receives.

7

Good luck with your club. It is a great way to learn to work with others. Leadership, designing, trading ideas, implementing group decisions, and making compromises are how we all have to work. Hopefully your club will attract some others that will enjoy this hobby for a long time.

Regards,
Roy

8

Hey Ya’ll

I have called each of the members and told them if the club should end, the assets that belonged to the club would be divided equally.

We have decided to buy 4 engines. We each chose and engine we wanted to purchase.

Mine was the new Lionel Pennsylvania K4, Donnies was the Union Pacific Hudson, Zack’s was the New York Central Berkshire, and surprisingly, Robert choose the new Lionel Santa Fe 0-6-0 switcher. We also picked out 4 operating acceories and 4 operating car, as well as 4 freights cars each perosn, and 4 cabooses

We wil buy a set of williams Pennsylvania Heveyweights and add ons first, since I am the president I we will buy these first (their decision, not mine) and over time, if they want passenger cars too, we will buy these.

So when the club splits up, we wil each get, a locomotive, 1 operating car, 4 regular freight cars, 1caboose, one operating accesory, and one set of passenger cars. (Robert already has a large engine and some caoches, so he dosen’t want another one and coaches since he already has them)

We all agreed to this, and we will divide the stock up equally and distribute them without fuss, as we have chosen what we want.

We will buy engines, car, coaches, operating cars, and accesories for ourselves too, well I certainly will, but I don’t know abut the other guys.

Nick

Does anybody have any suggestions for the layout, or activiteis, events, and fundraisers for our club?
We would greatly appreciate some suggestions.

9

Oh by the way, should we attract more members, which I have a great feelingwe will, we ill add another egine, set of caoches (if the members wants them), one operating car, one accesory, one caboose, and 4 freight cars.

I’m not to crazy about actoning of this stuff, but, if we decide to do so, we will take your suggestions for it. I will speak with the members tommorow about it.

You are right, it should be divide up equally, it’s great math skills as well as people skills.

Nick

10

well im a kid also but don’t have enough money to by any locomotives.I’m hooked on O gauge but i used to like HO.(I still miss thier prices). I have a Pennysylvania Flyer but the whistle won’t stop blowin.Man,i need some money

11

where yall gonna put the layout and how big is the surface

12

May be an idea; it would solve the “owners issue” and the layout. In Europe, building sectional layouts is booming. Every club member builds and ownes a part of the layout. On clubbing day’s all pieces are joined together to get the layout and the trains can run. If someone wants more money to put in the clubs railway; he can make another section of the layout. This way it stay’s clear who ownes the stuff and it’s still a club, without the need of a giant clubhouse to keep a permanent track under a roof.
It’s a great idea to have a club; enjoy!!

13

Good Luck on the club. I am glad you are considering dividing up the assets if you go belly up. Nothing like hard feelings to ruin a good thing. Just remember that variety and creativeness will keep the club fresh and interesting. You guys have a challange of being young and having other interest to tug at your time.

Best of Luck!

14

Hey Ya’ll

We are going to put it in my room, or train room now, as my dad has gotten into trains and he has moved me into their old soom (I could have had that when the moved into the new one, but I stayed in mine because my incentive was a green recliner). My sister has been moved back into her room. She didn’t like the idea at first and refused, but we put our computer (mine and my sister’s) in there with high speed internet.

We are thinking of using the 6x12 trtack plan in a recent isssue of Classic Toy Trains, and add two small boards for a Plasticvile Villiage (2x3) and one for a roundhouse and turntable (3x4), and another small one where the control panel should go for an Lionel City Station (either that or the MTH reproduction. (1x2). Also in place of the Bascule bridge, if we can’t find one, we will place a Hellgate Bridge (My preference) or the 213 lift bridge (a reproduction) owned by the club member Zack.

The 213 lift bridge was purchased from trainworld 2 years ago by his parents for his little brother who has 3 sets of Lonel Trains (2 postwar, one modern) when he was into trains.

He had them in storage, but when Zack went home and told him about the club, his brither gave all of the trains to him. He kept the modern one and the 213 lift bridge, but he gave the 2 postwar ones with a culvert loader and unloader (sent away for repairs).

We have a new member who joined yesterday. His name is Kearen. He just moved here from England and he loves trains. The east coast main line tracks ran behind his house, and there was 2 train wrecks that ended up in his back yard.

Nick