I don't know if this has been discussed on this forum before ....guess I'm a little curious about the various comments folks have about clubs . Maybe I'm looking for the " holy grail " of clubs ...maybe I'm a sucker for punishment

About 8 or 9 years ago I joined what was then a modular mrring club . Not that I particularly liked modular ( I don't ) nor the moderm era they modeled ( I prefer steam/ early diesel ) , but I wanted the mrring camaraderie and all it brought to the table . The club decided to change to a permanent LARGE layout about 5 years ago . Members pay $20/month . OK by me . I even bought a modern diesel loco but nobody said much if I whipped out my Shay or Mikado .

Trouble was , with 30+ members , about 5 of us wanted to do the work on this huge project . I guess if you pays yer money , you can do what you want .....but , but . I went to the club to work ( on the layout ) and have fun . I can get hassles in lots of other places

Long story , short , I left the club and there are no others that I know of in the area . Strange situation , but true .I'm kind of a quiet type , I quite enjoy modeling and mrring on my own but am amazed at what seems to be an opportunity lost by a lot of mrrers . I'll grade my experience a C- .

Anyone else ??

Terry

I was a member of the Fort Wayne, Ind., modular group for a couple years. I only made it to one show a year and a couple meetings, but getting out and running my equipment on a larger layout was worth the nominal fee.

My experience of real mrr club is second hand. As you said, a lot of members, but still only a fistful doing all the work and making it real. Most enjoyable and interesting clubs in my area are rather small with only a few motivated members.The larger club in the area have lots of members, but the more people put together the more personnality conflicts emerge.

My "club" is a cooperative thing. Three people decided to collaborate together to make what they couldn't achieve alone. I'm a dreamer that needs to be directed, the other one is very pragmatic that needs a creative spark, the last one is a calm fellow eager to be challenged. We complement each others. No membership, no fee. We pay the bill as needed and by the end of the year, we balance the investment done so each member's contribution is equivalent. We once tried to expand with new members and it was a total failure. The new members didn't shared the same interest, same commitment and goals. You can't force a heart to love! We returned to our original formula with success after. Like you, I'm a lone wolf most of the time, but I find it refreshing to have a few fellows sharing the same dream as me. They forced me to rationalize my efforts. I owe them a lot.

Matt

Matt , it's good that you found a couple of other guys who recognize where they all fit in ....you're on the same wave length as it were .

I've figured out that I'm more into modeling with a railroad theme than I am into actual model railroading if that makes sense . In other words I could just as easily enjoy military modeling , for instance , or building model cars ( I have about 60 unopened car kits sitting on the shelf for a " rainy day " ) . Another buddy and I have discussed a modeling club ....model whatever you want .....but not seriously enough to get going on it .

One mrring situation I've seen where the guys really get along is the " round robin " style op-sessions ....of course you need your own model railroad at home for when it's your turn . The ones I've seen in Michigan appear to be very successful .

Terry

I had all the camaraderie that I needed when I was doing a major paint job on a 1 to 1 scale SW7 20 years ago. There were 140 dues paying members in the group. Everyone had lots to say at the meetings but not 1 person in that group had time to help on the project which had to be completed in 45 days for a big planned festival. I had one young fellow show up to help every day and the last 5 days there were about 6 guys helping. NONE of these folks, including me, was a member of this so called club.
The day before the festival, after all of the hard work was done, and the paint applied, about 30 of them showed up to take pictures of them installing the vinyl lettering. I am not exaggerating the response from this group. Of course we didn't have any trouble getting folks to ride the train.
I now have a model railroad club of my own. I am the president and CEO. My friends can come and help when they want, run trains when they want, or just sit and chat. No pressure on anyone. I go to one of my friends house and help him when he needs help and offer encouragement when he doesn't,
Over the last 30 years being involved with "historical" societies and other groups I have run into too many people that are legends in their own minds to ever want to be involved with any club, regardless of what their goals are.
There are clubs that seem to do OK, but I hear complaints from their members too about lack of participation in the work involved. a certain few do all the work while a certain few want to be the club officers, and these two groups are not the same people in most cases.
The modular clubs seem to have the best luck as there is not an investment in rent or buildings, and they set up at train shows. The one I am familiar with meets once a month at various restaurants in the area and the members get free passes to the train shows when they set up the club does have some of it's own equipment, but not trains or cars, just things needed to make the displays better. Most of these fellows are great, but there are always a few that are not pleasant.
I had a great bunch of volunteers at the KJR but we did not have a club. I wanted help, not "whatyadoisers"
Charlie

All social organizations are a crap shoot. I've been a member of some very, very good ones -- in the 1980s and 90s there was a Friends of the Pacific Coast group covering the narrow gauge railroad that ran from San Luis Obispo to Los Olivos, CA. No dues, just some dedicated people and a mailing list. They got together as a group once a year but then a good many movers and shakers passed away, and it went inactive. Among the results were the Benchmark book on the PC Ry (when nonbody thought you could do any more than was in the Best book), the restored caboose in Solvang, the new San Luis Obispo railroad museum, etc. Two members of the group did the RMC cover story on the Pacific Coast bridge. So it's possible for a group to do quite a lot, and that's not the only one. But even some long-term clubs get bogged down in politics.

Then there's the technical and historical society covering, shall we say, a major, major Northeastern railroad that merged in 1968. Its longtime president was an "official" of that railroad and its successor. I always thought that if there was ever a museum devoted to the merged railroad (whose initials coincidentally correspond to those of the narrow gauge discussed above), it's too bad they couldn't put this guy in a cage to show something of what went wrong.

So it's a crap shoot!

jwb, Whatever road can you be talking about?!?

Charlie , your SW7 paint job episode gave me a laugh .

The club situation here was a much smaller problem , nevertheless , it was decided we have an open house to show things off . There was very little scenery done over the 500+ feet of benchwork . I rounded up 4 other guys ( not all at once ) and we did a decent job of rugged scenery , trees ( we made 'em all ) , grass , shrubs , rock formations ( some molds but mostly hand done ) and after 8 months we had about 25% of the layout completed ....in time for the open house . The open house was a sensation for attendance ....about 1000 people who dropped $500 in donations . In addition to the 5 working members of the scenery delegation , there were about 20 other members on hand for the open house , crowd control , answering questions etc . All , of course , were enjoying the hand shakes and the back slapping of " a job well done " from the audience .
I couldn't help rolling my eyes at the scene . I guess there are glad-handers in most every group .

T

In the prologue to "Fellowship of the Ring", the screenwriter included the following; " Nine rings were given to the race of men, who, above all else, desire power".

CLUBS, are, for the most part "places of power" .

I have been a member of a Modular "Group", for 24 years +, and still enjoy being part of it. Why?. . you may ask. . .
because there are no "officers", no "dues" ( OK the cost of building the module/modules ), no "business meetings", no "power trips".
What there is, is when there is a show, whoever can be there with a module/modules, brings them, sets them up with the others, runs trains and talks to the visiting public about the hobby.
There is nothing quite as fantastic, as "playing with your toys in public", and helping inspire others to be part of the fun!
And ? the only requirement for membership, is to build your own module, and bring it with you.

- - -Clubs:
1- may have an "open house" once, maybe twice a year.
2- have officers who want to "rule".
3- are limited to "public exposure" by usually limited viewing space.
4- have ever increasing dues, "persons in charge", and rules, rules, rules.
5- are "singularities", where at shows there are comparable displays, so there is an open, active discussion of styles, techniques, eras , equipment, scenes, "technical expertise" - - - and,, a lot more FUN !!!

teejay Wrote:Charlie , your SW7 paint job episode gave a laugh .

.

T

Oh TeeJay, if you got a laugh out of that here is a better one.
After that project the guys that were a part of the group that showed up in the end to help asked me if I would paint an ALCO S2 if they did all the prep work. (some folks never learn). I agreed and the first work day I thing 20 people showed up. This unit was badly in need of work, welding, patching, you name it.
Well, the second week end it dwindled to 10 people then down to 4 plus myself, and I was not a member nor was one other fellow that showed up every work day. One clubmember was there every week working his butt off and welding, sanding, grinding, what ever it took. Without him the project would not have been done. It took a year of work, and the locomotive was still used every weekday, and I had to apply the paint in sections, but it was finished and looked great. As it worked out I got the job running the KJR because the guy that owned the S2 bought the KJR and asked me if I wanted to run a railroad.
So, moving on there was a train festival once again where I had painted the SW7 so the boss and I decided to go. While wandering around we ran into a foamer and he somehow started telling us about the ALCO S2 that he had painted. Now the boss let him ramble, and finally he asked the fellow if he knew who he was, and when he replied he didn't, Dale told him he owned the S2 he said he had painted, and also mentioned how he had never seen him, then he pointed to me and told him how he had watched me apply the paint

Like someone once said , B.S. Baffles Brains ...amazing "gotcha " story .

T

Terry,Clubs at best isn't what they use to be..I can remember when there was no big I's in a club and all was well.

Then the newer "pushers" started showing up that couldn't let things be and I seen many good club ruin because of this.I know of one that closed it doors.

Then the cry babies came that found this or that to cry about.

Then the remodelers came that wants to keep the layout ripped up for months which in turn stops train running and causes members to leave after all nobody wants to pay dues and not be able to run trains after all the club layout just might be there only "layout" that they can run their trains.The above member types plum forgot the club layout is community property and not their private layout and this layout should be enjoyed by all and not in a constent remodeling mode.

And yes the club members expect a ROI for their monthly/yearly membership dues.They can't have that if the layout is constently toren up by those that want to "work" when they go to the club.

The club I am a member of now leaves a lot to be desired in many areas and won't change any time soon-in fact I suspect it will be like that till the doors are closed for the final time.

I not sure why I haven't pulled the pin.. :?:

Now that I think of it , there was one club that I really enjoyed myself , learned a lot , dues were very low , didn't see many egos on display , and was there about 5 years ....oh yeah , I remember , the Boy Scouts !

T

I was never a club member. But in the mid 90s I was considering joining a club. They had / have a modular layout that is quit large. One week end they were setting up in a local mall. I kinda knew / know the president and he invited me to bring a train to run. I gathered up about 75 coal cars and a couple of locomotives and went to have some fun. Most of the members knew me so not being a member was not a big deal. I built my 75 +- cars and 3 or 4 locomotives in a large yard they have. I was ready to pull out when a guy showed up with plastic tubs full of trains. They stopped me, and shut down the outside track of double main so he could put his train on that track. Now this is in a mall with many many spectators wanting to see train run. He built his train and started to run. It went about ten feet and derailed. shut down the outside track again. He got it going again and it went about ten more feet and stopped. He got it going and he stopped again. and again and again. I suggested to a group of guys who were trying to help him that he go into the yard to address his problems and allow my train to come out assuring them it will run as I run it at home all the time. They said no this guy has no home layout to run on just wait a few minutes. After about 15 or 20 minutes I quietly packed up my toys and went home. I don't need the club, I have been approached many times by them but I am not going to join. I still see many of the members, They no longer ask me about joining. I have been to several meetings but not for me. I tried to start a round robin club. I almost got it going but it fail

There's a show on cable called "Bar Rescue" that I enjoy (although my bar-going days are in the distant past), because the host keeps trying to get the owners of failing bars to focus on what they're actually trying to do (i.e., make money), as opposed to being everybody's friend who gives them free drinks, etc. Les's story reminds me of that a little bit -- it sounds like the club wasn't focused on what it was trying to do (run a public show), and instead they thought they were maybe sorta-kinda trying to give guys who don't have layouts a place to run their stuff, etc etc -- but who knows what else was on their minds. "What are we really trying to do here" is an important question that people often just don't ask.