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Hi All,

After all these years of piddling around with model trains, I'm seriously thinking about taking up model railroading, and starting an O-gauge Hi-Rail modular train club for my area.  There's plenty of HO scale and N-scale activity around here, but as far as O-gauge/O-scale?: Probably somewhere between next-to-nothing to none at all.

Any thoughts, suggestions, tips, input, suggestions, or otherwise for such an endeavor?

Thanks in advance. 

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LCCA has a module program, it could be a head start rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.  Modules built to those specifications are brought to Special Events to become part of module layouts and the annual convention to become part of a rather large layout. I looked at our roster, four members live within the city limits of Topeka and a few in Lawrence.  The 2020 annual convention is in Omaha.  John in Lansing, ILL

Last edited by rattler21
rattler21 posted:

LCCA has a module program, it could be a head start rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.  Modules built to those specifications are brought to Special Events to become part of module layouts and the annual convention to become part of a rather large layout. I looked at our roster, four members live within the city limits of Topeka and a few in Lawrence.  The 2020 annual convention is in Omaha.  John in Lansing, ILL

Thanks for the input.  I checked out the LCCA website, and while I deem it to be a highly commendable program, it's not really what I'm thinking about.  I'm thinking more of a "Hi-Rail" club, one that is somewhere between toy trains at one end and full-blown 2-rail O-scale at the other end.  And not so much centered around any one particular brand.  A club that pretty much sticks around the general area (say maybe within a three or four hour drive maximum to any show), and not a national club that meets all over the country.

I envision a low-key, low-buck club.  One that doesn't take a lot of money, or time & effort to belong to.  For instance, for one idea I am thinking about, rather than opting for one particular control system, simply have members bring their own power supplies and control systems along with their trains.  If someone just wants to run their conventional trains on one line, then bring a transformer.  If another wants to run DCS on another line, then bring the necessary controls and power supply.  Run what they brung with their own stuff.  Just hook into the track line with a pair of banana plugs, and away they go!  No fuss, no muss.

If my concept means "reinventing the wheel", then so be it.  If I ultimately end up with only a few other members, oh well.  I'm pretty sure we'd have fun.  And so would the public, I imagine.

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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