How to save a Train Club?

our club AGTTA (all gauge toy train association) has been around since 1969.  we meet in church buildings or anywhere the rent is cheep.  we set up when the great train show is in town and a few times a year at the model railroad museum.  being an all gauge layout helps bring different people and gauges to this club.

Might try this.

Sam,

So very sad to hear of your clubs dilemma.

Ron

I would contact the Biltmore Museum and the Coburn Earth Science Museum for space that you could use. Trains and a layout are a nice draw for museum operators. You share some control, but have a home for a permanent layout. You can tie-in themes and trains and hold events in conjunction with museum events.

There seems to a lot of museums in the immediate Asheville area.

Secondly, start looking for a large warehouse type building to set up the modular layout when the group wishes to get together.

Sorry to hear about the loss of members and interest. That's hard to see a club loose a great space.

Our club we started about five to six years ago.  We started it in the basement of my house. I have donated the space and provide the power to the club. The layout Witch is 28 x 55. Part of it is permanent layout and part of it is moguls. I donated one bay of my garage for storage for the guy's. That didn't have space at home. We do about 4 shows a year on the road and 2 or 3 at the house.

I did this because I it was important to me to see the Unger and older generation keep up on a great hobby. I have enjoyed it all my life and wanted to share that experience with others.

I had to make shore that we could keep costs down to a minimum for members. The way the economy is today I know how hard it is to make ends meet. 

I hope you can find someone that enjoys the hobby as much as I do. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing. We have a great group of guy's. An has been A great experience.

Hopefully you can find someone to donate some space and time. That enjoys the hobby.

Good luck!!!!! 

I like the GOFUNDME idea as a temporary measure to help keep the club afloat (I would certainly contribute).  The real task is to boost the membership numbers, and it sounds like a more aggressive advertising approach is needed (waiting to invite people who express an interest won't work).

Things I would do in this situation would be to print posters to hang at community centers, stores and other places that will allow it, and flyers to hand out at train shows and events.  I would also contact the local reporters who have covered your club in the past and see if they would be interested in doing a follow-up human interest story in the club and its need for new blood (you might also want to consider taking out an ad in the papers).

Also, if anyone in the club is a member of national clubs like TCA, LCCA, LOTS, you may want to do some direct mailing to local members, or maybe consider hosting an event in conjunction with the national club.

Just my $0.02 worth...

Andy

Some great ideas here fellas - many thanks!

We will look around the area again for a free space (no luck previously when we looked hard for 6 months) and try some of the other ideas here like advertising for members and getting more media coverage. We have a nice brochure that we hand out and that are placed in some tourist outlets in the area as well as local shopping malls and the like.  

Have not heard of the GO FUND ME before and will discuss this with the others to see if it would be a viable short term solution. The real issue here is attracting new members to where we can cover the rent until a new venue could be located. Will check some of the museums mentioned. We're about 30 miles west of Asheville.

Here's a couple more shots 

Sam

if you have good coverage in the local papers see if you can get one the reporters to do a local interest story as a membership drive. Extol the benefits of membership.

Our club is currently at 80 members and it is always a never ending struggle to manage dues and cover the rent on a 4,000 SqFt property. We run several open house events per year and profit only  from donations and Raffle sales, however we always have membership opportunity notes posted throughout the room. Unfortunately we are in a hobby that has an aging demographic so attracting new members is a constant effort. Best of luck

I am impressed with the great ideas and experience with clubs that many folks have contributed.   I also will make a contribution to a gofundme account.   Let us know if you give it a try.   I think you need immediate cash now to float you for a while as you try some of these ideas to raise membership.

Meet the Club's President / There are clues on how to save your club in this video.

The club was established in 1935 and is currently located in the old theater in historic downtown Holly, Michigan. The club owns the building. The club’s O scale layout depicts the fictitious Detroit Union Railroad, a freelance double-track line running from Detroit to Dorrance, Michigan, with continuing single track and branchline service to Keatington, Millersburg, and beyond. Narrow-gage tracks interchange at Millersburg and serve customers up in the mountain region.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfLXSp_ibHI

Good Luck / If you would like more information drop me an e-mail. / There are links to the club in my OGR Forum Signature.

After trying a couple local clubs (HO, mostly) I, personally, have given up on the 'clubbie' option.  Too political, period!  ('My way or the highway' -itis)  However, from this forum and elsewhere I am very aware of successful clubs with enthusiastic, participating, sharing, helping, dedicated members.....for which I'm somewhat jealous, but very thankful for their success!

That said, one of the HO clubs I visited once many years ago was in the north Pittsburgh, PA area.  I was very impressed with their dedicated facility ( 2 story), membership, funding, outreach to the younger generation, etc.  The layout was based on an actual re-creation of the railroad history in that area, trying to accurately model scenes, towns, topography, et al.  And as a result of this commitment and focus was able to get supporting funding from the township, city, or even state as a museum/tourist site/historical site/...whatever.  They were featured in several hobby publications.  The summer day I happened to stop by, the place was well populated with sightseers, kids, workers, and the like.  The large HO layout occupied the entire upstairs with excellent aisle width,  generous visitor flow path, ample ingress/egress doorways, and photos of the prototype scenes being modeled.  

Downstairs was a large O3R layout, a Thomas area (wooden push trains) and other train-related things for kids.  There was also a library, meeting room, and small refreshments window, as I recall.  All in all, it was well thought out and, apparently, quite popular.

And, BTW, I'm aware there are/were other model railroad clubs similarly based and supported, although I imagine it's an increasingly difficult thing to do/sustain.

Soooooooo....  Extrapolating to your situation,.....and since it appears a move is in your future...., you might consider if some local/county/state pols and business/community leaders could be persuaded to support a similar idea with a long term funding commitment.  Then, having a plan with such support and shared vision/enthusiasm, you could build a media campaign for recruitment and participation at the personal level.  I don't know about your specific area, but around here there are lots of vacant facilities that could...with some funded improvements....be similarly ideal for such an effort.  And I certainly don't see why an O3R layout couldn't be as fundamental to the arrangement as was the HO layout in Pittsburgh.  It's just a matter of how you want to approach it.

But, going back to my first comment.   If the core group of folks aren't committed to democratically and unselfishly growing such a club/organization, I'd fold the tent and quit now.  It's sort of like your occupational experience....'if it ain't FUN, it ain't worth doin'!'

Best of luck.  Keep us up-to-date on the outcome/future.  Were I 700 miles closer, I'd be honored to help get this turned around.

KD

Years back when I was a member of Central Operating Lines on Long Island we used to get a table at the Greenberg shows (which they provided free) where we set up a TV and showed videos of our club layout and chatted with prospective members. We often recruited 3-5 new members at each show. We had a pad out for folks interested in getting on our mailing list and they received postcards announcing our open houses and swap meets. I would imagine some of the larger shows might be willing to let you set up a table for recruitment purposes. I'm thinking of the Asheville shows, Easley show, perhaps Metrolina in Charlotte (but that's a bit afield). 

We also invited anyone remotely interested to come by on Friday nights which were work nights until about 8 PM, after which trains were run. We would tell interested folks to bring an engine down to run on the layout. They also left our table with a map with directions to the club and the dates of our open houses. We were not allowed to distribute flyers with our swap meet dates as they were considered competition by Greenberg, and we always respected this limitation. An effort was made to make visitors comfortable and everyone would introduce themselves and talk with prospective members.

If your club is going to make it, you need more members and a recurring source of revenue. COL ran 5 swap meets/year and that income was very helpful in paying for rent and keeping member dues at a reasonable level. To get the shows up and running, five members kicked in $60 each for 5 months so we could rent a hall. Postcards announcing the show were sent to all known model train enthusiasts in the area.

The club president who set all of this up was an exceptionally hard working gent who earned the respect of all of the train dealers at the swap meets and motivated the club members.

I left the club in 2007 when I moved and I know the club is still going today, though it had to move from the old location. Rent on Long Island is very expensive.

Sam, good luck in your efforts to keep the trains running!

KD- I was an original member of the club north of Pittsburgh you visited.  Originally they occupied several donated sites  then would be forced to move. The site before the one you visited had a fire and the water destroyed the layout.  There was a lot of dedication and hard work plus good faith that went in to that building. It would make an incredible story for all clubs.  It is still operating although I don't belong any more.  The last I heard they are planning an expansion.

Sad to hear this if I could help in any way I would. My club is in the process of relocating, but we are lucky enough to have a member with a horse ranch and a empty barn. that he is letting us use. 

Sam, so sorry to hear about the club's troubles.  Especially in light of the fact that this, to the best of my knowledge, was the first O-Gauge club in North Carolina.  If I was up there, would definitely join and pay my portion, which would be much less than I am about to get into to play with my toy trains.

Lots of opinions here, albeit from those completely unfamiliar with the area.  One needs to understand the social economics here for the last 4 to 7 decades as related to toy train ownership, especially O-Gauge. And you are up there in the mountains at near the western tip of the state.  In a small town of less than about 9K.  Closest "big" town of 70K Asheville an artsy fartsy town .  Known as "San Francisco East"  there actual is a sign in San Francisco pointing to Asheville with that tag-line. 

I moved to Charlotte in 1978 from Ohio.  There were three large toy train shops plus a couple of hobby shops.  Charlotte is now over 1,000K and ALL the toy train shops closed 6-7 or more years ago.

As we have discussed before, we tried here in 2005 and again in 2009 to start what would have been the first O-Gauge Group/Club here in the Spencer area but no go.  One of the guys was associated to the NCTM.  Roger was one from the 2009 group.  He was successful later in the W-S area but you see his commit above.

Now the suggestions about attaching yourselves to a museum or something.  If you look that way be CAREFUL.  We were thinking the same here with the NCTM.  But were informed by an individual in the know  here that the then management might agree BUT the trains etc. would then be considered "their" property!

Personally I would go just modular.  And would scale back in size such that all the modules would fit into one trailer for easy movement.

My 2-cents, and best of luck.

Ron

CSAM,

I have been a member of three (3) clubs, one of which is not longer around because we could not foot the bill. Simple economics, lack of ability to generate interest in the hobby, folks with other interests from electronics, gas cars, planes and boats to the simple - the fact that they could no longer afford to be a member, to equipment pricing to changing interests. It was a shame as we had a nice layout but only 10 ~ 20 members. Annual dues were $150.00 and that barely left anything for upgrades. We closed up even after the landlord dropped the rent. Just could not make it. The layout was dismantled and thrown away as we had no place to store it. 

I have tried repeatedly, we all have, to get more younger people into the hobby - the problem is the generational gap. Born after 1980 to now most kids had other items to keep them busy. Heck, most of them never have thrown a baseball, a football, road a bike or climbed a tree. They pushed buttons.

In the two remaining clubs I am a member of the average age is 60 ~ 65 years old. We have one member in each club that is 24. The next youngest member is 40. 

My fear, when we are gone, the industry and hobby contracts even more. Possible consolidations but I can bet with 99.999% confidence most manufacturers will be gone. It is a shame.

All the ideas floated here great alternatives. You need a free building / space which means a local town, if they have the space needs to donate it. We are in a town owned Train Station, we get it essentially for free, very successful but membership is declining.

I would go with dismantling, storing the larger layout, use the modular one and try to find a town or county building. Short of that see if a local business owner in a mini mall with no space will be a partner.

Donations - I am in if you set up the site.

Best of luck.

Kevin

AS posted earlier, I was an early member of the Western Pa. RR Museum, the club north of Pittsburgh  and there are two O gauge groups in the area.  From what I have seen and heard I would go modular and try to arrange set ups at public functions. Plus set them up for your own enjoyment. I would also try to limit the overall size so transporting the modules and setting up doesn't become overwhelming. 

I agree with trying a church or hospital. 

PSU1980 posted:

CSAM,

I have tried repeatedly, we all have, to get more younger people into the hobby - the problem is the generational gap. Born after 1980 to now most kids had other items to keep them busy. Heck, most of them never have thrown a baseball, a football, road a bike or climbed a tree. They pushed buttons.

Kevin

I think you nailed one thing:  buttons on an electronic device with a screen.

Also, parents have kids too involved with things like sports.  No time for them to have fun with ANY sort of toy:  trains, Lincoln Logs, dolls, Tonka Toys.

Our modular set-up is only about 12' x 25' using plastic picnic tables from Lowes with two Fastrack loops of 36 & 48. We have dioramas that go behind the two mainlines creating quite a festive display. It has gotten pretty complicated however with a full county fair complete with several 'rides' and a rodeo that requires a lot of wiring to connect/disconnect each time.  Unless we can attract a few more fellas that are a little younger than we are, it is becoming a daunting task to display the layout.

Here is a simple idea that has worked for me and my local round robin club...make up a flyer describing your club, with a few pics and state that you are looking for a few new members, leave 25 of them on the front flyer table usually at the front of each of your local train shows, and York too.

c.sam posted:

 Unless we can attract a few more fellas that are a little younger than we are, it is becoming a daunting task to display the layout.

  Oh I feel your pain. One of the clubs I belong to has the same problem. Though at shows I have scene clubs do nothing more than put   4X8 tables together  ( tables provided by the event people ) throw a green rug on it with with a couple circles of track. Quick , easy and they still seem to have fun doing it.

Just a second thought is what the Detroit 3 railers do. It started out as 12 guys who all had layouts at their home. Every month the meeting was at someone Else's house.  Mostly it's just a social gathering , but sometimes it could be a workshop.

you could do the first one above, then have fliers and maybe recruit people for the second.

As a "trackmaster" for the National Capital Trackers and an officer of non-profit organizations who host shows where NCT participates, some observations on successful shows and recruiting members.  Getting visitors to see your layout is crucial.  When we do a show at a Greenberg or similar event, or at the B&O Museum, the event hosts do the advertising and the crowd is into trains and the layout is a prime attraction.  As Craig mentioned, we pass out brochures and encourage visitors to join, and have new members because of initial contact at a show. 

Shows at other venues have different challenges particularly with advertising and getting visitors to the event.  For our annual Festival of Trains on the Eastern Shore, we graduated from flyers and newspaper announcements and articles to buying radio spots.  Radio spots provided a big boost in attendance.  In the last three years we added social media promotion.  Based on answers to our greeter's question "how did you hear about our show?", we know that social media will be the most cost-effective advertising in the future and we are working on expanding our contacts network to get the word out.

With regard to revenue, donations in the show collection boxes have not increased appreciably in recent years.  The Festival of Trains now solicits sponsors which has grown revenue significantly.  Get your members out to ask for a sponsorship and provide sponsor recognition at the show.  We have posters on the wall and scale billboards on all the layouts.  Ask your sponsors to promote your event on their social media networks.

Finally, member recruitment starts with the kids.  Hands on play is essential and I'm always handing my Cab2 to juniors outside the layout (they learn quickly).  Our LionChief layout was a hit.  Run the engines with faces.   Provide push buttons for operating accessories.  The Festival of Trains added a wooden train floor layout this year which was hugely popular with kids who cooperated to build and operate ever-changing track plans.  Chat with the parents/grandparents and sign up a junior member.

I would suggest trying to hold a train show.  You get income from renting out tables and charging admission.  Set up one table with information about joining the club.    I would suggest advertising  a "limited time special"  with lower dues to create an incentive to join now.  That initiation fee is a killer.  I know you need it but that would scare me off.  Maybe offer an installment plan?  A discount if you refer a new member?

Make sure people know how to join.  I go to a train show that is put on by a club.  I have no idea how anyone joins this club.  If they have a layout I could run on I would be interested in joining.  No one at the shows has any badge or clothing identifying them as a member.  I keep meaning to ask when I buy my ticket but they are busy then and I forget.

Any hobby shops in your area?  If so see if you can leave flyers there.  I would leave flyers on grocery store buliten boards or any other place I could.  Some of the chain hobby and craft stores have spaces to leave flyers. List your club at the World's Greatest Hobby Webpage, http://wgh.trains.com/  Advertise on Craig's List.  It is free.

Congrats on renegotiating your rent.  I don't think you could get an out house in many places for $200/ month.  There was a club set up in a mall a few hours from where I live.  The space is empty now.  The landlord would rather have an empty space then lower the rent.

I wish you guys the best of luck.  

This is a generation issue. Even though my brother, myself a d my brother in law has layout in the basements our sons - most between 25 - 35 have no interest in trains.

 It not that did not have opportunity or access items like play station, hand held games, and other game consoles with a lot more bells and whistles - poor play on words but true - where more stimulating. Sensory overload which is what they wanted. Think EA Sport and what are we at Madden 30. Building a layout requires patience, talent, imagination - sorry to say the millenials do not see the world that way. They prefer game consoles, boating, etc. 

Plus 34% of the still live at home because their are unemployed, underemployed or can't find an affordable housing.

Lots of reasons including entry level buying on a decent engine is between $300 - $550. 

Bottom line - the hope is with the grand kids if you have them. That doesnt solve the immediate problem we all face which is how to capture new members.

c.sam posted:

Ou Unless we can attract a few more fellas that are a little younger than we are...

Sam...

I think I've found your 'problem'!....

How about a few gals??  Even the younger than we?  'Cougars' work, too! (Rowrrrr!)

THEN the 'fellas' will show up.  Oh, yeah......

Amazing how that works!

And, believe me, there ARE model railroaders among the fairer gender out there!!!  They may take a bit more encouragement to come out from the shadows (NOT the "Dark Side"), but they're out there!

Sometimes it's the more artistic side of the hobby that draws them out....backdrop painting, scenery work, placement of populace, etc..   But in other cases I'm personally aware of, they have a 'geeky' side that I'll never have....the patience to work through command control issues!!!!  (I wonder if that's because something that resembles a cell phone in their hand is to be coaxed , befriended, and revered into submission and cooperation!!??)

Lionel published an accessories catalog many years ago featuring several O3R hobbyists, some famous, some not.  Among them was a teen named Sarah Pennington.  A couple years ago I floated a forum inquiry as to whether anyone knew of her whereabouts and her continuing interest in the hobby.  Her photo showed her in the midst of a HUGE layout she had created.  I imagine some lucky guy has changed her last name by now.  But I have a copy of this catalog...dog-eared...at the store (LHS) and quickly produce Sarah's photo/bio whenever I'm confronted by skeptics and scoffers of female participation in the hobby.  It works well!

And I have a participating, enthusiastic wife to prove it!!

Just a thought...   I mean, you DO have  females in North Carolina, don't you???

KD

I will swim against the tide and recommend as new recruits-older men who have retired, have the time, a little $$ to spend, need some companionship and something to do. Their wives will be supportive because it will get them out of HER house and from under her feet. So they are older and don't last as long but there is a large pool of recruits that come to the shows.

I've had a female member in our club. It was one of the worst things I could've done. Very bossy!! Wanted things done her way. I also had a member who couldn't come to meetings unless his wife was with him. She was very suspicious of the members of the club.  She kept a lot of discord among the members of the club.......rogerw.

The Western Pa. RR club had wives of members but they were old timers and didn't get involved.  Some worked the gift shop and snack bar, i remember. Two or 3 of the most popular things for the kids were the wooden trains they pushed around the tracks, the small 2 loop layout where two trains raced each other(sometimes the kids would literally pulled away from that) and a pretty big O gauge layout. At first there was lot of opposition  to the O gauge from the "purists".  The place is open at Xmas for about 21 days/ evenings and they get about 10 thousand coming through. That is how they raise their money. They usually have, at least,  a table at the Greenberg shows. The O gauge people are busy at Xmas, too.  The club has to work at it.  You get a lot of women in and you are looking for trouble. 

Also, I would venture to guess most young adults were brought up under "soccer moms";  they had very little "free time", everything was on a schedule.  So as these people become adults, do you even think they want to join any organization?

And I wonder too, if there is push back from almost every everybody saying we need to "give back".  I think people are beginning to push back by not giving time, talent and/or treasure.  The bad part about this is the good and small non-profits are being hurt bt the larger aggressive groups!  

Also, many of this same age group DO NOT WANT TO MERRY!  They do not want to revisit the pain of what they went through as a child.  This is not a train or golf thing.  It is much larger!

10-4 Jim --- I agree, maybe the glass is half full 

Or is part of the problem just geography --- starting a surfers club in the middle of the desert --- just not enough "train guys" in the area ??? This is coming from a guy living in the northeast 

Things like the York train meet and train stores are just taken for granted

Wife wants to eventually move "down south" and I wonder how different my hobby will be if I leave the "world of trains"

Thx

Joe S

dorfj2 posted:

10-4 Jim --- I agree, maybe the glass is half full 

Or is part of the problem just geography --- starting a surfers club in the middle of the desert --- just not enough "train guys" in the area ??? This is coming from a guy living in the northeast 

Things like the York train meet and train stores are just taken for granted

Wife wants to eventually move "down south" and I wonder how different my hobby will be if I leave the "world of trains"

Thx

Joe S

 

 

Hey Joe,  It's really nice down here!  My co -founder grew up on Long Island and tells all his friends how 'mild' the winters are here compared to back home.  If you'd like to join I can even help you find and purchase a new home here! 

 

I've had a female member in our club. It was one of the worst things I could've done. Very bossy!!

Well, it's possible that....

...which I've learned can often be the case!

!

Women =trouble !!

Sam,

Sorry about the problems of your having with your club. 

I'm in the northeast near Philly and you would think it would be no problems getting members for a modular club but you would be wrong.

One club drifted away about seven years ago for lack of people joining. Trying two more times to get a club going was futile.  

It just seems nobody has the will or the time to join clubs anymore.

I am getting to the age now that I don't want to haul around modules anymore so it might be past my time to start a club, it was fun while it lasted. 

Maybe we need more women in the hobby. I have quite a few friends whose wives and daughters have done great work building a model RR. 

In fact, go to York and you will see women supporting the hobby buying equipment, selling accessories and more. Many are partners - Mr. Muffin, Alex and his wife, the Dunhams are just a few.

We need to attract people period and the manufacturers are trying. 

Kevin

dkdkrd posted:

 

I've had a female member in our club. It was one of the worst things I could've done. Very bossy!!

Well, it's possible that....

...which I've learned can often be the case!

!

dkdkrd, if you think that she is so great, I'll be more than GLAD to give you her number, being that she is no longer a member of our club!!!...lol........THANK GOD !!!!

Let the women collect dolls and other girlie stuff.  Dolls  make trains look cheap.

jim pastorius posted:

Women =trouble !!

Amen Jim!!!

The two women members of the G&O garden railroad club are two of our best modelers and among our hardest and most active workers.  We are very fortunate to have them and I wish that we had more women in the club.

I find the attitude expressed in some of the post above about women in the model railroading hobby  to be disturbing, ill informed and unfortunate.  

I was at the Colorado State Railroad Museum outside of Colorado Springs last week.  The entire hall in which their spectacular HO club layout is located is named in honor of a women, Carrie Arnold, club member who died when she was much too young.  (I wish that my photo was better.)

The model railroading hobby needs both men and women.  Women are outstanding modelers and contributors to this hobby.

New Haven Joe posted:

The two women members of the G&O garden railroad club are two of our best modelers and among our hardest and most active workers.  We are very fortunate to have them and I wish that we had more women in the club.

I find the attitude expressed in some of the post above about women in the model railroading hobby  to be disturbing, ill informed and unfortunate.  

I was at the Colorado State Railroad Museum outside of Colorado Springs last week.  The entire hall in which their spectacular HO club layout is located is named in honor of a women, Carrie Arnold, club member who died when she was much too young.  (I wish that my photo was better.)

The model railroading hobby needs both men and women.  Women are outstanding modelers and contributors to this hobby.

Amen, amen, and AMEN!!

A beautiful tribute to Carrie's contribution.  How fortunate and blessed they were to have her talents, passion,  and contribution to their club!  I'm sure she continues to be an inspiration to all....men AND women of the Colorado...and other...club(s)!

KD