Club Layouts

RonP

Member of the WMRC
Ok i am sure some of you are also in a MRR club. I put this thread in HO scale as i think (from personal experiance) that most clubs are HO.

  • So let us know what makes your club a great place to be.
  • Maybe we can compare club procedures, rules and such.
  • Post the great pics of the construction of such layouts.
This is the club i have joined and i have to say it was a good thing for me as my layout at home has been chalanging to the point of no return (just kidding). These guys are helping me with every aspect of my home layout with advice and skill i am learning at the club.

The club i am in has about 25 active members give or take a few.
We started as a modular club doing presentations at the local events in our area. These modules are 2'X4' or 2'X8' and wired for DCC.

Currently the clubs focus is on a 50' square permanent layout. We are using the spline technique which uses 1" strips of masonite (dense particle type) glued together to make a sturdy and flowing roadbed built on risers.

We have devided the club into work groups benchwork, electrical, trackwork, scenery and bridge & buildings. This makes it easier for us to focus on Costs, time and work efficiency. Of course all these groups collaborate with each other on differant tasks.

Check our site for a full feal of what we do. Windsor Modular Railroad Club - Welcome!
this is our permanent layout page this is a good view too. Windsor Modular Railroad Club
 

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Isambard

New Member
Thanks for your post Ron. Very Nice website and layout.
We're the West Island Modular Railroad Club (WIMRC), not to be confused with your WMRC!
Our website West Island Modular Railroad Club tells about our club, its objectives, by-laws, procedures and other such stuff plus photos and videos. Drop in for a virtual visit, or a real one if you're in town.
 

DeckRoid

Member
Great thread!

I joined because I needed help getting started on a layout and DoctorWayne said to. Seriously. He wasn't talking to me, but I was reading older posts and such and saw a common theme... Join A Club.

So I did.

I needed some help, and these guys obliged. We have somewhere between 15 and 25 members. The only down side is that some of our members have health issues and where we meet is 3 flights up. We would like to find a new place, but the downtown is being revitalized with grants and such so folks don't want to rent to us if they can get 10 times the rent in a year or so.

http://myweb.cableone.net/honmesa/cmrc/home.htm

George
 

RonP

Member of the WMRC
Here is some pics of the modular layout at the club. This layout is going to be phased out slowly and used mainly for local meets.
 

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diesel

New Member
Hey Ron, thats a really nice layout! I've posted this before but once more couldn't hurt right?

Main Page @ empirevalleyrr.org

We have a very loose structure, but we do have rules; ie all switches must be left set to mainline, no trains ect. left on mainline and usually major sidings, a procedure to become a member, how long you have to be in to get a key.... stuff like that.

We have guys that mostly/only run trains and guys who only do scenery, thats the extent of our organization, though any member can contribute to any new project, scene or track. I replaced my first switch last month (and had to move the tourise as well)

I'm building the auto plant in New Paltz (i think thats the neiborhood, I'll check) if theres no pics on the site I'll have some soon.

Dan
 

jesso

Member
That is a really neat club layout. That is great that they have a permanent location to have a layout.

I joined our club here, the Color Country Model Railroad Club, about 3 years ago. Here is our website, Color Country Model RailRoad Club. There are about 15-20 active members. We have two modular layouts, an HO and an N. We don't have a location to permanently set them up so the only time the HO layout is up is during our yearly open house (when we can find a place). The N scale layout actually fits in my garage so that is where it is located. It was nice to have an instant layout.
 

brakie

Active Member
Ron asks:

So let us know what makes your club a great place to be.
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For me its the comradeship between members and then group operation in all three clubs.
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Maybe we can compare club procedures, rules and such.
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That's funny in my case..At one club I haven't seen a copy of our bylaws in months and I doubt if any of the new members recieve a copy.After rejoining the Bucyrus club in May I haven't seen a copy of the by laws or rules.At the N Scale club we have our rules posted on the wall of our meeting room.By laws? Still being hash out beyond Club membership shall be open and available to all that holds a interest in model railroading regardless of race,creed,etc etc.All member shall be able to enjoy their membership without fear of harassment.

Heres four pictures of the Bucyrus club.This is a modular cub that is made up of 2 different types of modular layouts that is connected.
This is the "back" layout.

Picture026.jpg

100_1229.jpg


The "front" layout.

Picture015-2.jpg


Picture032.jpg

[
 

CNWman

CNW Fan
I don't get to attend many of my club's (The Aligeny Western) meetings mainly because of school. However, when I do get to visit, it's alot of fun. Being the youngest member by at least 20 years, they can tolerate my mistakes (although I nearly killed a B&O fanatic when I mistakenly brought my C&O BL2 to a B&O layout:eek:sign1) Sometimes we have a plan on how to run things, but usualy we make it up as we go:mrgreen:
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
I'm a member of the Orange County Module Railroaders.

Orange County Module Railroaders- So. California HO scale RR

I think the thing I like best about belonging to the club is the friendship with other members. I'm also a Santa Fe fan (no BNSF), in fact I got yelled at in a rail safety seminar at work before I retired when I referred to the BNSF as the Santa Fe and one of the instructors who was the BNSF car supervisor, immediately yelled "BURLINGTON"!

We have some members who are real Santa Fe history experts which has been a great help to me in figuring out what is prototypical and what isn't.

In fact, on his web site Jim has tried to trace the history of every f unit the Santa Fe ever bought. He got most of them covered except for some of the "B" units that just disappeared from the roster. The consensus from most of the Santa Fe modelers in the club is that the missing B's were probably cannibalized to keep other units or Cf-7's running.
 

nkp174

Active Member
I don't get to attend many of my club's (The Aligeny Western) meetings mainly because of school. However, when I do get to visit, it's alot of fun. Being the youngest member by at least 20 years, they can tolerate my mistakes (although I nearly killed a B&O fanatic when I mistakenly brought my C&O BL2 to a B&O layout:eek:sign1) Sometimes we have a plan on how to run things, but usualy we make it up as we go:mrgreen:

I didn't know there were any HO clubs in town! I need the details so I can join! I just though we had a huge O-scale (2-rail) and ntrak clubs.
 

cedarcreekrr

New Member
I went to the local modelrr clubs open house today not really having time to join in the past I am considering joining the club. It is housed in the basement of an old freight house. I think this would be a great place to get ideas when building my layout. Here are some pictures off their web sight.
 

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brakie

Active Member
Local clubs can be a great source of inspiration and advice...

I would be lost without club membership and the and comradeship and camaraderie that comes with it.IMHO this is something that can never be replace on line even tho' I have many on line friendships and I would love to meet all those friends as well..:thumb:
 

Floyd

Member
Dams on Layout

Has anyone included dams on their layout? The Arkansas River has a large concrete Corps of Engineers Dam not to far from me and I was thinking of perhaps including one on our new layout. Any ideas?
 

diesel

New Member
I do remeber seeing one article review of a layout with a dam. It even goes into how he built it... But I'm at work now so I can't look up which issue... anyone know which issue?
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
I'm recalling something like that in MR diesel...it was a river lock and dam...very well done and I believe the structure of the dam actyually housed some hiddne track?
Ralph
 

diesel

New Member
I'm recalling something like that in MR diesel...it was a river lock and dam...very well done and I believe the structure of the dam actyually housed some hiddne track?
Ralph

yes! thanks Ralph, that was it. I'm back at work again...sign1 though there's no complaint with that here...
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
Hi Ron,

Interesting topic!

There are many clubs in my area, and I have been involved with several of them - some more, some less. Here's a quick rundown:

www.hotrak.ca - This is the local modular club, and the one I am most involved with right now. Unlike your modular club, the layout has no permanent home, and is configured differently at every set-up, depending on members' (and therefor modules') availability. It is a great club because of this variety. We have also instituted an apprenticeship program for operations at the club, ensuring new members get all the basic information they need to run trains. Support within the club is also great - there are various members who are "go-to guys" for DCC, wiring, module construction, and so on. Lastly, the great variety of equipment you see every meet is entertaining. It's quite possible that you'll see a European ICE passing a Shay on switching duty.

Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders - This is the oldest club in the area, and it does not have a layout. This avoids many of the problems that clubs with layouts can experience. Instead, the format is a monthly dinner meeting with a display table and a presentation. Many of the other Ottawa-area clubs use this meeting as their place to do their respective club business over dinner...! Presentations are varied, displays are always fun, and the video/DVD library is available to members every month. They also publish a great newsletter.

The local chapter of the NMRA (St Lawrence Division) - St. Lawrence Division Web Page (beware pop-ups). Great modelling group. Bi-monthly meetings with clinics and layout tours. Also a good newsletter. Again, the strength is minimal by-laws, no layout, and a wide variety of interests and expertise.

www.ovgrs.org. I don't have much experience with these guys, but it sure looks like fun. My neighbour is the webmaster and chief content generator for the website. No single layout, as they operate at (and invest time in) a couple of members' garden railroads.

Then there are a couple of round-robin groups. The main one I have been involved in is Friday Night Group. They have several core members, and also visit "outside" layouts from time to time. This group has been going strong for over 10 years now. Besides being a great bunch of guys, their rules are straightforward - "House" rules - sort of a "when in Rome" thing. Owners rules are in force at whatever layout you visit.

There is one other group I occasionally operate with, but they do not have a web presence. However, they operate much like the Friday Night Group.

Hope that helps.

Andrew
 

tetters

Rail Spiking Fool!
Wow! Lots of good ideas and inspiration popping up in this thread. I live just a few blocks from the Scarborough Model Railroaders Club. I am not a member, however I've been to a couple open houses and chatted with a few of the members each time. Next year, I plan to attend a couple of meetings. I may end up joining, I'm not sure yet.

Scarborough Model Rail Roaders
 
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