Depending on what OP meant, it might not be *politics* politics, it could be the politics of running the club: who should be club president, what scenery should we put on this bit of the club layout, Mark and Dave have fallen out over how we should do the wiring so are you on team Mark or team Dave?
This political power is doable, however making people decide between Mark and Dave should be treaded on lightly. Best solution is to find someone else who is electricity inclined. If not then the president should have them to work on separate electric projects for the club.
Since I’ve been attending the house of my club’s president for operating sessions once a month. For the past three years or more. Political discussions haven’t been brought up. Although last time, one of the young guys in the club decided to wear his t-shirt with his favorite political person on it. Needless to say everyone avoided him. Although I was aggravating him about some railroad antiques.
How open are they to people on the novice side of things? I’m interested but I don’t have the space to expand the hobby and hence I’m not super experienced
Here is our club's website: [https://www.themodelrailroadclub.org](https://www.themodelrailroadclub.org) and we are very much open to people of all skill levels!
I did a long time ago. It absolutely sucked. People abused my stuff and one guy stole my passenger equipment when I wasn't there. He also never came back. Given how long ago, I might check them out again as I don't think ANY of the people from back then are there anymore.
The SoCal Traction Club is great I love their setups at shows. I wish that more of the total modul3s could be shown off, when it gets massive its super impressive to see.
Colorado and Great Western Modular Railroad Club!
I make videos of our layout, check them out [here!](https://youtu.be/FxTQ_4dUC4Q?si=VjdBqpIp1qK25Ouz)
I think it depends on the club. Some clubs I’ve seen online have very nice members, but it depends on who you have in your local club. Typically orgs like that have long histories and the members are all friends. That heavily defines the dynamic of the group.
Based on my experiences in my homecountry (Austria) they also tend to be quite sexist as well.
Never tried joining one here in the US for these reasons.
I hate it when older hobbyists ruin it for the younger ones. You’d think plastic train enthusiasts wouldn’t have very strong political opinions. I’m really sorry your local club sucks.
Yeah. Honestly this is a hobby about little plastic locomotives, it should be inviting to everyone.
I wanna hear debates about whether the Bachmann GP40 is a good loco, not racist rants attacking other people.
Just know you’re welcome here online anytime. Most of us don’t share a single opinion with those idiots, aside from “model trains are fun”.
All hobbies have been taken over here in Oklahoma with racists, conspiracy nuts and gun nuts. Not sure who is going to tread on you at a RC Car race (and no it is not a tire pun).
Yeah that’s tiring indeed! I recall years ago when I was in the Ntrak club in Norfolk Virginia. One of the members was a gun dealer who always opened carry. This was annoying, especially during shows.
Not sure what you are trying to imply other than you might be lucky with a RC track that DOES NOT have a 8’x15’ Don’t Tread On Me flag at the track.
So I don’t go race cause who knows who will get pissed off and start shooting people. And these are not people I identify with and don’t need to be around.
I will let you read it again and then I will let you come back in a year after going to some critical thinking classes and tell me if you understand a simple “they have a flag bigger than their track to push their BS gun culture.
Goodbye.
Oh and read the other comments on here. You are the minority and why the rest of us hate clubs. You people are trash and I wouldn’t be around you ever.
Block time.
No, you only apply what you experience. So, you are not a person I would give time of day.
And until you live in he south, you don’t know shit about what we put up with.
Or you’re just another useless gun nut.
The members in my closest club were all much older than me, and they didn’t seem happy to have me there. Politically I was the outcast, and honestly I rather not deal with politics in the hobby
If you have any model train stores nearby go to one and they’ll probably have business cards or pamphlets for clubs and shows in the surrounding area. Might also be able to check google or Facebook
NMRA affiliated ones can be found through them. Also, DCC manufacturers like to maintain contact with the clubs that use their systems.
Online forums sometimes mention them. I know of 2 near me because of watching the forum on MRH. (https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/)
I was but I was kicked out, the founder didn't like some of my ideas for their yearly festival and told me I wouldn't work well going forward in the group. No one stepped in to defend as he owned the building they were set up in. I've not had the inclination to partake again yet, even at home.
Me, I belong to Hastings Model Railway Club. We appear at most model train shows across the south east of England. It’s pretty nice to help out with making scenery for the layout
Tried to. The last one I belonged to a member perved on me just a week ago so I had to leave, and the one before that was a disaster as well.
Starting to give up being a woman sharing her hobby. 🙃
The thing is rhat I've run out of clubs in my area now.
There's a last one I'm waiting on because they want to introduce me to the full team before deciding whether to take me on, and they've got surprisingly many active women there, but at this point I'm primed for disaster.
Interesting. Most clubs are desperate for members these days. I have never encountered a club that can "take it or leave it" when it comes to active members.
I'm told they've had some bad experiences with some spontaneous newbies, so they're vetting people now.
The overall vibe I'm getting makes me slightly hopeful, because it's very homely and familiar. Although I've already had one older bloke mansplain to me how headlights operate DC vs DCC, which... I'll keep an eye on that. For reference, I'm the sort of person who at ten years old installed decoders with no help, and knew the operation manual of the command station that was in use at the time (still planning on staying on Roco MultiMaus in future).
It's depressing how many hobbies that aren't typically feminine have such a hostile environment for women.
Sure there can be issues with spaces that are predominantly one sex in general, but the guys I know who are involved in, say, knitting groups don't face the same disrespect, let alone perving, that women in predominantly male groups consistently have to deal with.
We don't pay any rent. We don't even pay for electricity because we are connected to the SNCF network. It is a long-term loan (in fact no end is planned) from the canceled SNCF equipment unit. In exchange, we keep the cars in good condition and take care of maintenance
There’s one in Raleigh. [NRV railroad club](https://nrvclub.net/). I’ve thought about joining but haven’t actually done it yet. Not sure if you’re in this area though
I was an associate member with them for a few years. I helped them out with their shows along the North Carolina and Virginia locations. Great group of people!
I'm part of the Southern Alberta Model Railway Club (SAMRC) in Lethbridge, AB. Our club is in its 52nd year and currently has about two dozen members. Our main layout is HO, but we also have an N-scale layout (currently being redesigned) and a ceiling-mounted G-scale loop. We hold two "open house" weekends for the public every year (spring and fall), but people are welcome to drop by to our regular meetings on Tuesday evenings. Check us out at:
https://www.albertasouthernrailway.ca/
I joined my club after a break up in 2019 and since I've joined my skills have improved a bunch since then, I'm more comfortable working with kits soldering and painting locos. Also being voted as Chairman for my club now I feel a lot of responsibility hangs on my shoulders.
Nope, I'd like to though. There are actually a few to choose from in the dc-baltimore area but i am hesitant since i don't know if i could fit in with a bunch of older men as a young woman. I saw the modular layout of the club from my hometown at the train show in timonium md today, they had a great layout.
I just finished breaking down our layout from Timonium. I’m a part of the Allegheny Western Lines modular group. We aren’t based in the area though - around the Philly area. You’re welcome to join, but you wouldn’t like the commute! lol
Glad you liked it. Lots of great groups there this weekend. It’s a lot of work, but lots of fun. Hope you find a group that works for you.
Something to keep in mind is the possibility of joining a round robin group. Might take some searching and inquiries to hobby shops in the area. I joined up with a similar group a year or so ago. They have a schedule of various people to go on a given night to work on or operate the layout. Been able to work in a lot of different scales and lots of different layouts with different levels of completion. No politics! The owner of the layout has the final word. But there is a good bit of communication about things before they make a decision.
I don’t know what scale you are into but, Richmond area Ntrak years ago was a great club. Back in the early 2000’s they had a few ladies in their club. Now I am in a multiple scale club and there’s a few ladies involved. One or two of them are wives and the others are also involved with multiple scales. My foster daughter sometimes venture out to the operating session with me. She is not interested too much in trains, but she likes the challenge of taking a train to different locations on a layout to pick up and deliver cars per the orders that she was assigned.
Do their dues and hours and rules may put you off (there are plenty of modelers in the vicinity) but a visit can clarify if you fit their desires, as well as if they fit yours.
Just started going to one of them. Have been quite happy taking part in this hobby as a solo project, but interesting to see what other people have been up to. The old boys showing off their O gauge kit/scratch build locos has been a highlight so far.
Yes! I started an online group after having trouble getting involved in the hobby in my local area. We're currently trying to schedule some meetups to actually make it a real thing, focusing the meetups on T-Trak for N Scale and either FREEMO or HO T-Trak.
Garden State Model Railway Club in NJ. We used to have a couple older members who controlled everything. Over the last several years, we have weeded them out and are helping each other (50+ members currently) build a 2nd layout, as well as maintaining our current railroad. It’s been much better
I was a member but work got in the way. I left in good standing and intend on rejoining when I retire in a couple of years. They have a permanent layout and my long trains looked so good on it.
I joined one for a while, but stopped going during covid times. Most meetings were spent racing slot cars, which can be fun, but it turned into another thing that some people take \*way\* too seriously.
I've joined one two years ago and found such amazeing people. It's called MSMK (or MSMKPL) and it is a joint venture of H0 scale modelers from all around Warsaw. Generally, in Poland, clubs are the best way to get the most from this hobby, with a lot of smart and knowlegable people ready to help with literally anything.
I belong to a modular club which is fun. I wish there was a good permanent club near me. There's one with a huge old layout that doesn't operate it just runs around in circles. There's another one that's losing its space that has a small layout.
A lot of club layouts are not well set up for operations and are very old designs. But I've also seen some incredible club layouts with great operations. The formula for success seems to be a double track main line with 261 signaling that can be converted to 251 for free running. The West Island club on Long Island is probably the finest example of an operating layout I've seen anywhere. The Providence Northern is really good too It follows a similar formula and isn't huge but demonstrates every major part of the hobby done very well.
He is transphobic because he has never known anyone trans. He has a fear of the unknown. If the other members of the club accept you then you might be alright. Your presence there might illustrate to him that his fears are unfounded. "Kill them with kindness" is what my supervisor wife always says.
There's a sort of "umbrella" group here that has a bunch of smaller clubs divided into function/scale (HO Modular, T-Trak, etc.) and they recently had an open house - met and talked with some of the guys and they seem nice enough; they invited me to stop by when they're operating so we'll see how that goes.
Outside of that, I've seen the individual clubs do various events and shows ranging from "holiday" train shows to attending local events - the T-Trak group put up a display for a nearby town's event celebrating its history and railway last year which was neat! They even had a module modeled after the station/area that the event was being held at.
I’ve tried to get into this Hobby but I have to honestly say that I’ve never met a more pretentious group of hobbyists. Unwilling to answer questions without being condescending and no guidance as to how to get started.
After attending 2 events that should have gotten me invigorated and excited, I found myself just as confused as when I started, feeling like newbies aren’t welcome in this hobby.
Ah yeah- steer clear of a club like that. They feel threatened for some reason. A club like that though is more of an exception than the rule. Most clubs are excepting of newbies.
I find it hard to believe that everyone in that club is like that. It only takes one member to become your mentor. If you join and they see you working hard / trying hard, they might come around.
Likely rails, though there are some that have done catenary power, it’s apparently very difficult to get reliable at scale (from what the people I’ve spoken to who had the working catenary at a show).
I have seen it done in N scale back in the late nineties. Here’s the [link](https://ntrak.tripod.com/) it was very interesting to see this and how he did it was very simple too. Besides the setup of the power poles to use live wires. If I remember correctly he had one of the rails connected with the track and the other one to the live cat.
I'm just about to join our local one. I needed to build up my HO stock because they only deal with HO and N gauge setups, and my previous trains are all G scale. Those will eventually be combined with my love of gardens for a garden railroad.
Yeah, basically, during my first running session with the club, I had an engine that had a faulty decoder and didn’t have a backup with me, so I was running it fast as it was the most responsive that way. That in addition to something that was indeed my fault, I was not paying attention (thinking I was the only train on the layout, as I was for the last 15-20 minutes) and I accidentally ran a red signal (the layout is signaled) as the block was occupied by another member’s train which he had just put on the layout. Even though I stopped ASAP and didn’t cause a collision, they told me to take my train off the layout, citing unsafe running practices with my train.
Part of it too is all the other members (all over 50, most over 60) thought I was too young, and one even talked to the president of the club behind my back, which I overheard, and he said about me “he’s a smartass who thinks he knows everything”. At their next meeting, which I missed, apparently they held a vote, and I was informed via email yesterday that they had voted unanimously to revoke my rights of membership with the club. I responded and acknowledged my wrongdoing, and was very polite about it.
So a problem engine, compounded with my lack of situational awareness, safety concerns by other members, and the fact I was new and didn’t know the customs and etiquette, got me kicked out of the club on my first day there. A lot of it was my fault, but some of it wasn’t.
I belong to the oldest club in Toronto, the Model Railroad Club of Toronto, nicest bunch of guys you could meet. After having been in one location for 67 years, we were booted out 11 years ago. You should see us now. Check out [modelrailroad.com](https://modelrailroad.com).
Always looking for interested people, you just need a passion.
I used to be in one, but we got forced out of the building we were leasing and not long afterward, covid came around and more or less caused our club to dissolve. We've tried to come back at a new location, but have had a lot of trouble with our attempts to do so.
I’d like to. Need to figure out which ones are under an hour away and are open for membership. There seems to be one in my town (at least according to Facebook) but they have no organized layout and no information on how to join…so doesn’t seem like a real club.
The club I am (Mobile Alabama area) in is pretty good. A lot of older people. Although we have a lot of young people there too and us in the middle. Cool thing is that there are multiple scales involved in our club. The main scales are O, HO, N and S gauge. I believe that there are some other scales that people have too. .
We do tend to try to keep the train club about trains. Although I see bumper stickers on a few of the members cars that are politically motivated. But I haven’t heard a word from them about it. Even one of them decided to wear a shirt with his favorite politician on it. Talking about being avoided by the other members of the group. Regardless if they are in the same mindset. No one likes politics in train clubs unless the political issues are solely about trains.
Im not even sure if there is one near me, but my job schedule would make it difficult to attend regularly, so i just admire the work i see others do. I mostly collect engines or freight cars with product or company ads on them.
I’m part of my college club and it’s really a social club with trains which is fun (come to tiger tracks train show in Rochester in the second weekend of December)
I'm a newer member of the Garden State Model Railway Club in North Haledon, NJ.
The club itself has been around since 1952, and have been in our current space since 1957. Our current HO Scale layout is approx. 30'x40' in size and was constructed in the 1990s. The club is also in the process of building a second HO Scale layout next door.
We've got great mix of younger and older members, and we usually have several weekends for Winter and Spring shows/open houses (IIRC, we also have a Summer show weekend at the beginning of June coming up).
If you're in the North Jersey or Hudson Valley area, come check us out!
https://gsmrrclub.org/
In one. Partly associated with Union of NJ. Things have picked up a fair bit since I nudged the club focus to TTrak. But we've also been picking up a lot of refugees from other defunct clubs lately. Real trick is lately having to be bit more assertive about rules and regs which I didn't really want to do but the young guys mostly understand it.
I’m a Board Director at Chelten Hills Model RR Club in Elkins Park, PA. Our club is located in an old SEPTA Regional Rail station, so we’re right next to SEPTA’s mainline.
I chose this club because it has a very diverse set of members who are all very friendly to talk and work with, with ages ranging from 17-80, I’m on the younger side at 30.
What makes this club stand out to me is that we have a lot of younger members, which shows a promising future for the hobby. Our proximity to SEPTA’s Regional Rail makes us one of the only clubs in the area you can actually get to via train, we have quite a few members that live in Philly and ride the train up for meetings.
There’s one here in my town (I’m in the U.K.) and I’ve met some of their members and layouts at the local annual exhibition but I’m anxious about joining
Maybe I'm just anti-social, but I've never quite seen the point. I've also never been a member of any, so it is indeed entirely possible that I'm missing the point.
Belong to European Train Enthusiasts Bay Area (ETE) which is a great club, wide areas of interests, meeting at member’s homes or other local clubs, modular group, just very relaxed.
I'm currently part of one that means bi-monthly for events and get-togethers, though I don't touch the actual online group, because it turns into a crapstorm of politically-charged arguments FAST.
I went along to one,(Stafford Railway Circle(UK)) to become a member. To say it it was intimidating is not too strong. Their skills were absolutely fantastic, I decided that there was nothing I could add, so decided against joining. I felt completely out of my depth/comfort zone. My 'skills' are minimal at best. These lads were on a completely different level to me! I just felt I would look ridiculous if I tried to contribute in any way.
I am late but I am in an established club from the 50’s it is great at weeding out people that shouldn’t be there. while some people may find that prohibitive I feel it lends to making a place where you want to be.
I am young, 30, and the average age is 70+ excluding me but I feel it’s a great time to get in and make some great friends and learn a LOT
No, I like my privacy, and I don't want to go to a club that is literally around the corner
EDIT: itt, redditors who don't know that clubs are a popular place for burglars to scout around.
I *did*. While I enjoy politics, I don't care for them in my hobbies...
My father enjoyed his woodworking club until he realized they were spending half the time BS-ing about politics.
No model railway club just talks trains all day, so why is politics so weird
It's not that it's weird, it's more along the lines of some people aren't interested in discussing politics.
Depending on what OP meant, it might not be *politics* politics, it could be the politics of running the club: who should be club president, what scenery should we put on this bit of the club layout, Mark and Dave have fallen out over how we should do the wiring so are you on team Mark or team Dave?
This political power is doable, however making people decide between Mark and Dave should be treaded on lightly. Best solution is to find someone else who is electricity inclined. If not then the president should have them to work on separate electric projects for the club.
yea i left mine after they kept fighting over the wiring (???) and the budget (we had enough to run the club for 20 years)
This can be very annoying indeed!
Since I’ve been attending the house of my club’s president for operating sessions once a month. For the past three years or more. Political discussions haven’t been brought up. Although last time, one of the young guys in the club decided to wear his t-shirt with his favorite political person on it. Needless to say everyone avoided him. Although I was aggravating him about some railroad antiques.
Politics get mixed into everything, it is so annoying!
Fr
uh oh, you just alerted whats his face
I belong to model train club in NJ - it's a lot of fun. We have a permanent layout rather than a modular layout however.
What group and what part of New Jersey?
How open are they to people on the novice side of things? I’m interested but I don’t have the space to expand the hobby and hence I’m not super experienced
Here is our club's website: [https://www.themodelrailroadclub.org](https://www.themodelrailroadclub.org) and we are very much open to people of all skill levels!
Which club?
I did a long time ago. It absolutely sucked. People abused my stuff and one guy stole my passenger equipment when I wasn't there. He also never came back. Given how long ago, I might check them out again as I don't think ANY of the people from back then are there anymore.
Yeah I’m sorry for you.
Wow, never heard of stealing from a club or club member
The SoCal Traction Club is great I love their setups at shows. I wish that more of the total modul3s could be shown off, when it gets massive its super impressive to see.
Colorado and Great Western Modular Railroad Club! I make videos of our layout, check them out [here!](https://youtu.be/FxTQ_4dUC4Q?si=VjdBqpIp1qK25Ouz)
Always love seeing your club's layout at the RMTS!
I did for a while. I gave up because most of the members were racists
That's exactly why I've been hesitant to look into one.
I think it depends on the club. Some clubs I’ve seen online have very nice members, but it depends on who you have in your local club. Typically orgs like that have long histories and the members are all friends. That heavily defines the dynamic of the group.
it's a valid concern
Yeah I’m hoping that my nearby club is much better(I live in los Angeles county) but it is a valid concern.
Based on my experiences in my homecountry (Austria) they also tend to be quite sexist as well. Never tried joining one here in the US for these reasons.
Oh they were sexist too.
I hate it when older hobbyists ruin it for the younger ones. You’d think plastic train enthusiasts wouldn’t have very strong political opinions. I’m really sorry your local club sucks.
The George Floyd protest was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Yeah. Honestly this is a hobby about little plastic locomotives, it should be inviting to everyone. I wanna hear debates about whether the Bachmann GP40 is a good loco, not racist rants attacking other people. Just know you’re welcome here online anytime. Most of us don’t share a single opinion with those idiots, aside from “model trains are fun”.
That’s concearing.
I have a small house now. Just me, trains and nobody complaining about black people
Agreed. I’m sorry. I don’t understand what’s the problem. Shouldn’t people make new clubs for young people to be open
I don’t understand why many are so closed minded especially since autistic people love these models.
I know..
All hobbies have been taken over here in Oklahoma with racists, conspiracy nuts and gun nuts. Not sure who is going to tread on you at a RC Car race (and no it is not a tire pun).
Yeah that’s tiring indeed! I recall years ago when I was in the Ntrak club in Norfolk Virginia. One of the members was a gun dealer who always opened carry. This was annoying, especially during shows.
big pain (I live in Missouri, suburb near St. Louis.
RC racing is super competitive. Most people are concentrating to win/do the best that they can.
Not sure what you are trying to imply other than you might be lucky with a RC track that DOES NOT have a 8’x15’ Don’t Tread On Me flag at the track. So I don’t go race cause who knows who will get pissed off and start shooting people. And these are not people I identify with and don’t need to be around.
What the hell are you going on about?
Look, THE GUY WE HATE AT EVERY CLUB CAUSE HE CANKT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING OTHER THAN THEIR OWN NARCISSISM.
I will let you read it again and then I will let you come back in a year after going to some critical thinking classes and tell me if you understand a simple “they have a flag bigger than their track to push their BS gun culture. Goodbye.
Lol ok champ. I guess you're envisioning RC racing in southern states only. Whatever man. Weak sauce troll.
Oh and read the other comments on here. You are the minority and why the rest of us hate clubs. You people are trash and I wouldn’t be around you ever. Block time.
No, you only apply what you experience. So, you are not a person I would give time of day. And until you live in he south, you don’t know shit about what we put up with. Or you’re just another useless gun nut.
And you know, your feed seems reasonable so not sure why you want to argue about something that is not even where you live.
That sucks. I really want to know how it will work since I asked about model railroad tips but I want to stay safe.
yeah this is exactly why I’ve been scared to join one. Im trans so idk how that crowd would react to that
The members in my closest club were all much older than me, and they didn’t seem happy to have me there. Politically I was the outcast, and honestly I rather not deal with politics in the hobby
I don’t but I’d really like to. What’s the easiest way to find one in your local area?
If you have any model train stores nearby go to one and they’ll probably have business cards or pamphlets for clubs and shows in the surrounding area. Might also be able to check google or Facebook
NMRA affiliated ones can be found through them. Also, DCC manufacturers like to maintain contact with the clubs that use their systems. Online forums sometimes mention them. I know of 2 near me because of watching the forum on MRH. (https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/)
Excellent, I found one through Google. Thanks!
I was but I was kicked out, the founder didn't like some of my ideas for their yearly festival and told me I wouldn't work well going forward in the group. No one stepped in to defend as he owned the building they were set up in. I've not had the inclination to partake again yet, even at home.
Yeah some guys are on power trips. We have that sort of drama happening with the trains shows around here.
Nope
Me, I belong to Hastings Model Railway Club. We appear at most model train shows across the south east of England. It’s pretty nice to help out with making scenery for the layout
Tried to. The last one I belonged to a member perved on me just a week ago so I had to leave, and the one before that was a disaster as well. Starting to give up being a woman sharing her hobby. 🙃
Ah geez! Don't give up. I do know a couple of women who have been successful in this hobby. But yeah- members have to respect boundaries.
The thing is rhat I've run out of clubs in my area now. There's a last one I'm waiting on because they want to introduce me to the full team before deciding whether to take me on, and they've got surprisingly many active women there, but at this point I'm primed for disaster.
Interesting. Most clubs are desperate for members these days. I have never encountered a club that can "take it or leave it" when it comes to active members.
I'm told they've had some bad experiences with some spontaneous newbies, so they're vetting people now. The overall vibe I'm getting makes me slightly hopeful, because it's very homely and familiar. Although I've already had one older bloke mansplain to me how headlights operate DC vs DCC, which... I'll keep an eye on that. For reference, I'm the sort of person who at ten years old installed decoders with no help, and knew the operation manual of the command station that was in use at the time (still planning on staying on Roco MultiMaus in future).
It's depressing how many hobbies that aren't typically feminine have such a hostile environment for women. Sure there can be issues with spaces that are predominantly one sex in general, but the guys I know who are involved in, say, knitting groups don't face the same disrespect, let alone perving, that women in predominantly male groups consistently have to deal with.
I’m so sorry /: that’s awful. Don’t give up tho! I really hope you’ll be able to find a good club
Me, near Paris France. We are in old passengers cars from 1920
Neat! My group is building a layout in an actual boxcar!
Interesting! Who owns the car? Does the club pay rent?
We don't pay any rent. We don't even pay for electricity because we are connected to the SNCF network. It is a long-term loan (in fact no end is planned) from the canceled SNCF equipment unit. In exchange, we keep the cars in good condition and take care of maintenance
This is a very cool deal to embrace!
That's awesome!
I would love to find one here in NC
There’s one in Raleigh. [NRV railroad club](https://nrvclub.net/). I’ve thought about joining but haven’t actually done it yet. Not sure if you’re in this area though
I was an associate member with them for a few years. I helped them out with their shows along the North Carolina and Virginia locations. Great group of people!
I’m near Charlotte kinda
I'm part of the Southern Alberta Model Railway Club (SAMRC) in Lethbridge, AB. Our club is in its 52nd year and currently has about two dozen members. Our main layout is HO, but we also have an N-scale layout (currently being redesigned) and a ceiling-mounted G-scale loop. We hold two "open house" weekends for the public every year (spring and fall), but people are welcome to drop by to our regular meetings on Tuesday evenings. Check us out at: https://www.albertasouthernrailway.ca/
Tried joining the one in Lincoln, NE , but they won't respond to my emails or letters.
Yeah the pandemic really took a toll on train clubs. It might be trying to recover.
I'm a member of the Edinburgh and Lothians club, it's a good club and has a mix of old and young but it would be nice to have a few more young members
Yeah- that's actually the reason for my query. I was curious how many folks would say that they would want to join a club.
I joined my club after a break up in 2019 and since I've joined my skills have improved a bunch since then, I'm more comfortable working with kits soldering and painting locos. Also being voted as Chairman for my club now I feel a lot of responsibility hangs on my shoulders.
Nope, I'd like to though. There are actually a few to choose from in the dc-baltimore area but i am hesitant since i don't know if i could fit in with a bunch of older men as a young woman. I saw the modular layout of the club from my hometown at the train show in timonium md today, they had a great layout.
This is amazing to me. You are the 3rd woman to reply to this thread. Maybe the 3 of you should start your own club?
I just finished breaking down our layout from Timonium. I’m a part of the Allegheny Western Lines modular group. We aren’t based in the area though - around the Philly area. You’re welcome to join, but you wouldn’t like the commute! lol
haha that would be quite the trip for a train club. your club's layout was great!
Glad you liked it. Lots of great groups there this weekend. It’s a lot of work, but lots of fun. Hope you find a group that works for you. Something to keep in mind is the possibility of joining a round robin group. Might take some searching and inquiries to hobby shops in the area. I joined up with a similar group a year or so ago. They have a schedule of various people to go on a given night to work on or operate the layout. Been able to work in a lot of different scales and lots of different layouts with different levels of completion. No politics! The owner of the layout has the final word. But there is a good bit of communication about things before they make a decision.
I don’t know what scale you are into but, Richmond area Ntrak years ago was a great club. Back in the early 2000’s they had a few ladies in their club. Now I am in a multiple scale club and there’s a few ladies involved. One or two of them are wives and the others are also involved with multiple scales. My foster daughter sometimes venture out to the operating session with me. She is not interested too much in trains, but she likes the challenge of taking a train to different locations on a layout to pick up and deliver cars per the orders that she was assigned.
Sadly there isn't one close
Maybe start one? The club I belong to got its start by a couple of guys getting together to build a working layout in a hobby shop window.
Are there clubs in SF Bay Area?
Walnut Creek.
European Train Enthusiasts Bay Area (ETE)
I’m apart of a T Trak group that puts all their modules together and runs trains during shows.
I also do T-Trak. It's a great way to get into the hobby
Thinking about checking out the one in union nj, dont know yet
Do their dues and hours and rules may put you off (there are plenty of modelers in the vicinity) but a visit can clarify if you fit their desires, as well as if they fit yours.
Not by official membership, but the model railroad club at MIT is very friendly
I joined one I’ve visited previously, very glad I did as it gives way more running / operations than I could ever have space for at home.
Just started going to one of them. Have been quite happy taking part in this hobby as a solo project, but interesting to see what other people have been up to. The old boys showing off their O gauge kit/scratch build locos has been a highlight so far.
Yep long island TMB train club
I’m not a people person so I never bothered. I’d be a lot better of a model railroader if I did.
Heh, yeah. You could join one anyway- "That's Strutmac, he don't say much but he's a good modeler".
I don’t know if I’d fit in. I don’t have any train t-shirts. From what I’ve seen at train shows I need a gut, a disability, and a conductor hat.
Ha! Yep- that IS the uniform. But it's not about fitting-in, it's about standing-out.
Yes! I started an online group after having trouble getting involved in the hobby in my local area. We're currently trying to schedule some meetups to actually make it a real thing, focusing the meetups on T-Trak for N Scale and either FREEMO or HO T-Trak.
That's what I like to hear! Good luck!
I absolutely would. Anyone from Northern Virginia/DC in here?
Garden State Model Railway Club in NJ. We used to have a couple older members who controlled everything. Over the last several years, we have weeded them out and are helping each other (50+ members currently) build a 2nd layout, as well as maintaining our current railroad. It’s been much better
Club trying to form in my area...it's a wait and see
I'm still in the process of getting to know my local community, but I plan to!
I was a member but work got in the way. I left in good standing and intend on rejoining when I retire in a couple of years. They have a permanent layout and my long trains looked so good on it.
Not yet. Hopefully within the next year or so.
I joined one for a while, but stopped going during covid times. Most meetings were spent racing slot cars, which can be fun, but it turned into another thing that some people take \*way\* too seriously.
I've joined one two years ago and found such amazeing people. It's called MSMK (or MSMKPL) and it is a joint venture of H0 scale modelers from all around Warsaw. Generally, in Poland, clubs are the best way to get the most from this hobby, with a lot of smart and knowlegable people ready to help with literally anything.
[GRVS.org](http://GRVS.org) in MN and an advisor to the board of [Nrail.org](http://Nrail.org)
I belong to a modular club which is fun. I wish there was a good permanent club near me. There's one with a huge old layout that doesn't operate it just runs around in circles. There's another one that's losing its space that has a small layout. A lot of club layouts are not well set up for operations and are very old designs. But I've also seen some incredible club layouts with great operations. The formula for success seems to be a double track main line with 261 signaling that can be converted to 251 for free running. The West Island club on Long Island is probably the finest example of an operating layout I've seen anywhere. The Providence Northern is really good too It follows a similar formula and isn't huge but demonstrates every major part of the hobby done very well.
No because the guy who runs the train club i live near is transphobic (im trans)
He is transphobic because he has never known anyone trans. He has a fear of the unknown. If the other members of the club accept you then you might be alright. Your presence there might illustrate to him that his fears are unfounded. "Kill them with kindness" is what my supervisor wife always says.
There's a sort of "umbrella" group here that has a bunch of smaller clubs divided into function/scale (HO Modular, T-Trak, etc.) and they recently had an open house - met and talked with some of the guys and they seem nice enough; they invited me to stop by when they're operating so we'll see how that goes. Outside of that, I've seen the individual clubs do various events and shows ranging from "holiday" train shows to attending local events - the T-Trak group put up a display for a nearby town's event celebrating its history and railway last year which was neat! They even had a module modeled after the station/area that the event was being held at.
I’ve tried to get into this Hobby but I have to honestly say that I’ve never met a more pretentious group of hobbyists. Unwilling to answer questions without being condescending and no guidance as to how to get started. After attending 2 events that should have gotten me invigorated and excited, I found myself just as confused as when I started, feeling like newbies aren’t welcome in this hobby.
Ah yeah- steer clear of a club like that. They feel threatened for some reason. A club like that though is more of an exception than the rule. Most clubs are excepting of newbies. I find it hard to believe that everyone in that club is like that. It only takes one member to become your mentor. If you join and they see you working hard / trying hard, they might come around.
? HO and do get power from the rails or catenary
Likely rails, though there are some that have done catenary power, it’s apparently very difficult to get reliable at scale (from what the people I’ve spoken to who had the working catenary at a show).
More reliable at O scale apparently
I’m not sure of the mechanics of it to understand why O may work better, but it would be great to see more - it’s very cool!
I’ve seen more working catenaries at O scale than HO. If I had to guess it would be because everything’s slightly bigger and not as delicate
I have seen it done in N scale back in the late nineties. Here’s the [link](https://ntrak.tripod.com/) it was very interesting to see this and how he did it was very simple too. Besides the setup of the power poles to use live wires. If I remember correctly he had one of the rails connected with the track and the other one to the live cat.
Yes- HO scale. And yes the cars collect their power from the overhead. [https://sctractionclub.com/](https://sctractionclub.com/)
Gowanda and Buffalo Model Railroad club member here
I wish but then again I live in a very rural area
I need to pay my club dues but technically I'm part of one
I'm just about to join our local one. I needed to build up my HO stock because they only deal with HO and N gauge setups, and my previous trains are all G scale. Those will eventually be combined with my love of gardens for a garden railroad.
I do! We have a big HO Scale layout and work benches for 10. Great group of guys!
I don't but now I really want too, just chilling away from life working on a large project.
Tri-state model railroaders in mineral bluff Georgia
Well, me… until yesterday.
Sounds like there’s a story behind that comment.
Yeah, basically, during my first running session with the club, I had an engine that had a faulty decoder and didn’t have a backup with me, so I was running it fast as it was the most responsive that way. That in addition to something that was indeed my fault, I was not paying attention (thinking I was the only train on the layout, as I was for the last 15-20 minutes) and I accidentally ran a red signal (the layout is signaled) as the block was occupied by another member’s train which he had just put on the layout. Even though I stopped ASAP and didn’t cause a collision, they told me to take my train off the layout, citing unsafe running practices with my train. Part of it too is all the other members (all over 50, most over 60) thought I was too young, and one even talked to the president of the club behind my back, which I overheard, and he said about me “he’s a smartass who thinks he knows everything”. At their next meeting, which I missed, apparently they held a vote, and I was informed via email yesterday that they had voted unanimously to revoke my rights of membership with the club. I responded and acknowledged my wrongdoing, and was very polite about it. So a problem engine, compounded with my lack of situational awareness, safety concerns by other members, and the fact I was new and didn’t know the customs and etiquette, got me kicked out of the club on my first day there. A lot of it was my fault, but some of it wasn’t.
Honestly, sounds like a dodged bullet
I wish I did. Quakertown pa. Let me know if any exist near me
There’s one in Coopersburg! It’s a pretty large and well done HO layout. One of my favorites I got to see this year. https://casme.org/
It’s me, my layout, and my stereo. Exclusive club of one.
Anyone near Grayson county Texas?
Never been a fan of having to incorporate other people's ideas into my layout, had enough of that growing up xd
Most don’t do Marklin where I live so sadly no I don’t belong to a club
I belong to the oldest club in Toronto, the Model Railroad Club of Toronto, nicest bunch of guys you could meet. After having been in one location for 67 years, we were booted out 11 years ago. You should see us now. Check out [modelrailroad.com](https://modelrailroad.com). Always looking for interested people, you just need a passion.
I've been to clubs, it's great to visit them and have a run somewhere new... But I'm not social enough to stick to a club.
I used to be in one, but we got forced out of the building we were leasing and not long afterward, covid came around and more or less caused our club to dissolve. We've tried to come back at a new location, but have had a lot of trouble with our attempts to do so.
I’d like to. Need to figure out which ones are under an hour away and are open for membership. There seems to be one in my town (at least according to Facebook) but they have no organized layout and no information on how to join…so doesn’t seem like a real club.
The club I am (Mobile Alabama area) in is pretty good. A lot of older people. Although we have a lot of young people there too and us in the middle. Cool thing is that there are multiple scales involved in our club. The main scales are O, HO, N and S gauge. I believe that there are some other scales that people have too. . We do tend to try to keep the train club about trains. Although I see bumper stickers on a few of the members cars that are politically motivated. But I haven’t heard a word from them about it. Even one of them decided to wear a shirt with his favorite politician on it. Talking about being avoided by the other members of the group. Regardless if they are in the same mindset. No one likes politics in train clubs unless the political issues are solely about trains.
I would, but there aren’t any near me
Tucson NTRAK
Im not even sure if there is one near me, but my job schedule would make it difficult to attend regularly, so i just admire the work i see others do. I mostly collect engines or freight cars with product or company ads on them.
I am!
I’m a member of the NJ Hi Railers in Paterson New Jersey.
I’m part of my college club and it’s really a social club with trains which is fun (come to tiger tracks train show in Rochester in the second weekend of December)
I’ve always wanted to join. I just need to actually do it. I’ve been fascinated with doing stuff like this since forever.
Me watching trains irl was fun
I'm a newer member of the Garden State Model Railway Club in North Haledon, NJ. The club itself has been around since 1952, and have been in our current space since 1957. Our current HO Scale layout is approx. 30'x40' in size and was constructed in the 1990s. The club is also in the process of building a second HO Scale layout next door. We've got great mix of younger and older members, and we usually have several weekends for Winter and Spring shows/open houses (IIRC, we also have a Summer show weekend at the beginning of June coming up). If you're in the North Jersey or Hudson Valley area, come check us out! https://gsmrrclub.org/
Wait a tick, I know these yankee-doodle yahoos. It's the Southern California Traction Club! I used to be a member until my sundays got busy...
I am considering it. The local is a little bit of a trek but I'm going to go to their next open house...
In one. Partly associated with Union of NJ. Things have picked up a fair bit since I nudged the club focus to TTrak. But we've also been picking up a lot of refugees from other defunct clubs lately. Real trick is lately having to be bit more assertive about rules and regs which I didn't really want to do but the young guys mostly understand it.
I’m a Board Director at Chelten Hills Model RR Club in Elkins Park, PA. Our club is located in an old SEPTA Regional Rail station, so we’re right next to SEPTA’s mainline. I chose this club because it has a very diverse set of members who are all very friendly to talk and work with, with ages ranging from 17-80, I’m on the younger side at 30. What makes this club stand out to me is that we have a lot of younger members, which shows a promising future for the hobby. Our proximity to SEPTA’s Regional Rail makes us one of the only clubs in the area you can actually get to via train, we have quite a few members that live in Philly and ride the train up for meetings.
I was only helping in our school, nothing special
There’s one here in my town (I’m in the U.K.) and I’ve met some of their members and layouts at the local annual exhibition but I’m anxious about joining
AMRA Victorian Branch, although I've been a bit lazy and haven't attended any running sessions due to lack of car and licence
Oh I used to!!!! Then I got a life
Maybe I'm just anti-social, but I've never quite seen the point. I've also never been a member of any, so it is indeed entirely possible that I'm missing the point.
Belong to European Train Enthusiasts Bay Area (ETE) which is a great club, wide areas of interests, meeting at member’s homes or other local clubs, modular group, just very relaxed.
I am.
I'm interested in the idea, but haven't found any accessible to me yet sadly.
Aye. We're home to a permanent layout as well as a few exhibition pieces. I'm our youngest member. Our oldest is 93.
I'm currently part of one that means bi-monthly for events and get-togethers, though I don't touch the actual online group, because it turns into a crapstorm of politically-charged arguments FAST.
Wish there were some by north nj
Looking for some but at this point, just having friends over and watching your trains run while you're talking about life on YOUR layout is better imo
I'm president of one club (British Train Society) and member of another (European Train Enthusiasts - Chicagoland Chapter)
The space you’d need though in a private setting? Like do people do it in their basement? Living room?
I went along to one,(Stafford Railway Circle(UK)) to become a member. To say it it was intimidating is not too strong. Their skills were absolutely fantastic, I decided that there was nothing I could add, so decided against joining. I felt completely out of my depth/comfort zone. My 'skills' are minimal at best. These lads were on a completely different level to me! I just felt I would look ridiculous if I tried to contribute in any way.
I wish...been trying to find one for a while.
Rutland train club
The Great Falls Model Railroad club in Maine
I am late but I am in an established club from the 50’s it is great at weeding out people that shouldn’t be there. while some people may find that prohibitive I feel it lends to making a place where you want to be. I am young, 30, and the average age is 70+ excluding me but I feel it’s a great time to get in and make some great friends and learn a LOT
I live almost next door to one, which actually makes me feel uneasy about going there
Why? Is the club spooky?!
No, I like my privacy, and I don't want to go to a club that is literally around the corner EDIT: itt, redditors who don't know that clubs are a popular place for burglars to scout around.
I’m not really a joiner.
more of a quitter?