Cellar Dwellar or Club

Inkaneer Nov 18, 2021

  1. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    First, yes, I know that 'dwellar' is not the correct spelling but there is such a thing called 'poetic license'. Anyway I would like to know who and how many amongst us models 'lone wolf' style in the confines of their home and who opts for the club environment with its social aspects. I, myself belong to two model RR clubs, one is NTRAK while the other is multiscale. I also have a home layout which is too small for my liking. I have room for expansion to around 24' x 18' but retirement did not produce the oodles of time that I thought it would. Maybe someday, maybe. So which are you, lone wolf or club guy?
     
  2. Sumner

    Sumner TrainBoard Member

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    Lone Wolf, but also don't live within 300 miles of a club layout. Still the majority of my life regardless of my interest I've been pretty much a loner but living 15 miles out of town in Wyoming for years and now in a small town 80 miles from the nearest Walmart (no loss) I'm still one but actually enjoy it.

    Before COVID when we would visit Phoenix to see Dottie's family I would usually try and hit a couple of the club layouts. If I was there (hope I never am) I think I would join a club but would still primarily work on my own layout. The guys I met in the clubs there were nice and I'd probably like hanging out with them.

    I'd probably end up 70% lone wolf and 30% club,

    Sumner
     
  3. Bookbear1

    Bookbear1 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Solitary bear, and for the reason listed above... miles and miles from the nearest N-scale club. I do participate in NMRA events and conventions.
     
  4. bman

    bman TrainBoard Member

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    Both. Matter a fact I am moving and now have a 16x12 room instead of a 3x12 space dedicated to my many hobbies. Planning is underway.
     
  5. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Lone Wolf.
    Like others...no n scale clubs within a days drive...that I am aware of. There is an HO club in town. They have a nice layout in a big room at the local museum...once again Horribly Oversized. :(:rolleyes:
     
  6. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    I didn't have the time when I lived near the big city. N gauge then. I moved north and wanted to switch to HO but the nearest club is O gauge and the HO club was way over priced. Now in retirement and live in a little apartment so I am 100% home body in HO and N gauge. But I need two bedrooms and a garage.
    Will be 72 on November 23.

    Rich
     
  7. Sepp K

    Sepp K TrainBoard Member

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    Ntrak for many years. Test track only at home.
     
  8. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    When I want to do something different I can thus no club for me.
     
  9. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    There's a multi-scale Club nearby I could join, but I'm a loner and often a homebody. I just prefer to work on my (N Scale) railroad when I want and on the things I want, and run trains as I want. I'm afraid by joining a club that order and expectations would prevail and I'd feel like I was out of retirement and back at work.
     
  10. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    I once belonged to a Lionel club, but after a year or two it became obvious that some of the members didn't like the fact that I brought my then young son along to meetings. One of the club members (the wife in a husband/wife team) once scolded my son for taking interest in some crappy large scale stuff on a shelf. It was so bad that another man (a more respected club member) intervened and told her that he was a good boy and didn't pose any threat to the highly valued trains. It's not a perfect world....
     
  11. Moose2013

    Moose2013 TrainBoard Member

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    Moose is alone with an n scale layout, but recently submitted an application to a local horribly oversized club. Moose enjoy the solitude of Moose own layout, but Mrs Moose seems to think Moose might have fun playing with other MRR'ers...
     
  12. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    Lone Wolf in the Living Room. During my table top gaming days I found I just don't do well in groups. I have my perception in / of the world and am prone to inovate. It is not looked on kindly by most.
    I run Shinkasen beside diesel and steam.
    Wiring: 3 lines 3 power supplies. 2 lines kept separate by power routing turnouts.
    Sound: Supplied by cell phones and blue tooth speaker.
    Backdrop: Includes pics from Mars
    etc
    The list goes on.
    Sometimes I make a breakthrough.
    Sometimes I make a mess.

    Ironically there is the 'BSMRE', 'Bay State Society of Model Railroad Engeneers' less than 15 minutes from my home. I have visited during their open house. Nice group.
     
  13. Traindork

    Traindork TrainBoard Member

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    There's probably a half dozen clubs in my town, including one specifically N scale. A bunch of great guys there. I however, don't share well, especially my toys. So yes, I'm a lone wolf.
     
  14. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett TrainBoard Member

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    Mostly lone wolf, I do visit two clubs every once in awhile. One N scale and the other HO. My main focus is on my N scale Boston Mountains Sub Division and second HO Ft. Scott and Beyond layouts.

    Cynthia and I just moved into a two bedroom apartment after living in a small studio apartment for the last year. Didn't have room to do anything in the studio but we do now, if everything works out will start scratch building a coal mine and sawmill very soon.

    Joe

    Will start moving the layouts early next month from storage to our new apartment.
     
  15. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    I am a social person and love being around friendly, good, people so it would seem a club would be ideal for me. However, I have heard/experienced way too many stories/situations with certain members acting toward others like it's THEIR club and all other must obey, similar to certain forums (definitely NOT this one), one of which I requested that I be removed from their membership which, as far as I know, still hasn't been done, well over a year later.

    So, I model alone.

    Doug
     
  16. Bourkinafasso

    Bourkinafasso TrainBoard Member

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    I think we're all ARTISTS. Being an artist includes a part of madness and therefore misunderstanding from others... so yes lone wolf

    Envoyé de mon SM-G970F en utilisant Tapatalk
     
  17. Mark St Clair

    Mark St Clair TrainBoard Member

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    For the past three years it has been all lone wolf. I was a club member in our former community. Overall a positive experience. Yes, it was a group of humans, so there was occasional drama. After about a year in our new town I started looking around for a group. Covid19 intervened. I enjoy the hobby in both settings. Ask again in three years and I will be interested to read my answer.

    Stay safe,
     
  18. MetraMan01

    MetraMan01 TrainBoard Member

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    I’m a lone wolf, but I wouldn’t mind spending time in a pack every once in while to learn something new. There are clubs out here in Tokyo that mostly do railfanning but I don’t speak Japanese. There are lots of places to rent track time on a n scale layouts (Kato flagship store in Shinjuku, every Popondetta store(chain hobby shop out here that also deals in used stuff)) but I haven’t found any club in the sense they exist in the US. So I’ve got my 2x5.5 for now and a bookshelf full of trains until I get back to somewhere in the US in a couple of year and find a pack with some wolves I can stand from time to time.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  19. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    I had been a lone-wolf for over 70 years, mostly track laying with little scenery. Finally built a nicely scenicked (in my opinion) N system over 10 years. I then joined our local model rail museum after my wife passed. There we each build our own exhibits to our own tastes. It is a club in the sense that there are usually 6-8 comrades in the area at any one time. But it's also a lone-wolf environment because we each are working on our own layouts. I've found it to be the best of both worlds.
     
    BoxcabE50, nscalestation, Kez and 7 others like this.
  20. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    I have had very similar experience. The difference was I brought my 2 year old daughter and once my daughter and niece that most thought were twins. Both were very interested in watching the the trails but also how the layout was assembled.
    Not only children - but two GIRLS - that enjoyed learning about mechanical/electrical things. :eek: It was FUN!! :love:
     

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