Online Model Railway Clubs

Is this the future of Model Railway Clubs — an activity you do in seclusion and only interact with others on the Internet?

I received a link to this website at the club’s email address in the form of an annoying spam email. I almost didn’t even read it but as it was quite targeted at Model Trains I clicked on the link and got taken to http://www.modeltrainclub.org/. On casual inspection it appears to be a slickly produced web site with loads of content (quality unknown) that will be made available to you for “not $100+ per month, not $75 per month, not $50 per month, not even $45 per month — just $27 per month”. I presume that is US$ so ~A$34 per month.

Makes our membership fees of A$5 per month for belonging to a real club where you get to talk to real people face-to-face seem very reasonable by comparison! 🤣

But with more and more of this kind of ‘competition’ for people’s spare time, what is the long term future for club’s like ours? 🤔

5 thoughts on “Online Model Railway Clubs

  1. Self a pensioner and picked-up the Marklin model HO trains as a new hobby just after 65 years. I just started in 2017 just after stopping work and believed it was just enough 72 years.
    Have build 2 sets on analogue, but now changed again and build a combination of analogue and digital, digital is something new for me and have to read a lot of info what is available here and there. In the 3 years going strong got now 115 elec, diesel and most of them all the steam locomotives, that has something to do with my work and worked as a boiler engineer for about 35 years where most of the time in Indonesia.
    In short, I like if possible become a member and fill out the required details

  2. Hi Robert, Sounds like you are doing very well for a new hobby!
    At the present moment due to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 restrictions, the club is not able to open to visitors and/or prospective members. Once restrictions have eased further we will look at opening up again.
    Please check back again towards the end of June.
    Sorry!

  3. Hello, I am 77 years old and moved from South Aust last year. Have n
    Been involved in building/ owning and flying several sport aircraft for the last 50 odd years.
    Am looking for a club with a mechanical outlook. More interested in the building up of scale models than track running. Does your club support this.
    Cheers
    Ron Dunn

  4. Hi Ron,

    From your description I suggest you check out the Northern Districts Model Engineering Society (https://www.ndmes.org.au/). From what I know about them I believe they may be exactly what you are looking for!

    Regards,
    Ross.

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