RSJB18 posted:You guys do great work. Very dedicated bunch! Congrats! If I may ask- how do you fund this operation? I'm sure it's not cheap to keep this going.
Send some pancakes up north next week
Bob
Thanks, Bob......
Our dues are modest......$84 a year....
$60 for the River City 3 Railers.
$24 for the RF&P, our parent organization.....the Richmond Freelance & Prototype Railroaders......a group of N, HO and O interest groups that is our legal entity that holds our liability insurance.
We hold a raffle every year......we raffle off 2 sets and a 3rd prize $100 gift certificate to Tiny Tim's Trains......1st price is the set of their choice with a ~4x5 layout scenic with refurbished Plasticville-type buildings.....the 2nd prize is the remaining complete set.
We sell about 2000 tickets and get about $1500+ in donations.
We have been able to purchase 2 trailers......one is 24' for the big (20x42) layout....the other is 14' for the 12x15 layout. We have enough to cover their rent (parking spots) , tags and insurance.
We have done well. We have been able to finance a lot of "group" upgrades to the layout......the trains(for the great majority) and module scenery are all personal to each member.
Some of the trains were donations......we use them as "group" trains.
The modules are personally owned and decorated......you want a module.....we pair it with another member to keep it equal, you pay for the materials, and the group builds it to our group standard.....then you take it home and decorate it.....this is a process that has evolved over the 10 years we have been in existence.......
BTW.....I am planning to chair a seminar on setting up and running a modular group. I had planned to have leaders of successful modular groups come and talk on how they got it done. I had hoped to get it together for April York.....but, I really need to firm up the place. I have the Gold Hall, if I want it, before the Thursday York opening.....but I really need to inspect the venue 1st before I ask people to commit (if I had the Orange Hall conference room, I'd be OK with going ahead with April).
Peter
