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JLS Railroad Club Info

• Basic Information
• Membership Types
• Membership Fee
• Run Days
• Work Days
• Committees
• JLS Railroad Members Directory
• Back to the JLS Railroad HomePage

Basic Information

The JLS Railroad Club was formed in March of 1997. It started out as a very informal club with 2 members: myself, Jonathan Landon, and Joe Barcia. The club remained in this very immature state for almost a year. Then, in the Spring of 1998 a third member was added to the roster, Al Rapp. With construction of the helix and H-Yard tightening it's grip on the railroad and expansion on the minds of all three of us, the club charter was formed. It set up a President, Jonathan Landon, a Vice President, Joe Barcia and club member status was given to Al Rapp. That was the start of the JLS Railroad Club. At this point, we have 15 members and are nationally registered with the NMRA, or, National Model Railroad Association. Check the Club Members Directory to see information on the members.

Membership Types

There are three varieties of members on the JLS Railroad. Active members are just that, very active in the club. These members attend almost every Thursday night operating or work session and participate a great deal in the club. Semi-Active members show often to the Thursday night gatherings, though not on a regular basis. Non-Active members rarely attend a Thursday night session, though usually make an appearance for a major event or TrainShow. These people wish to remain members of the club although their busy schedules prohibit them from stopping by frequently. Regardless of member type, all members have equal rights to operate the railroad.

Membership Fee

The JLS Railroad has a small yearly membership fee of $5. The $5 is pooled into one "fund" and utilized to purchase a yearly club car voted on by all dues paying members. The club car can be "borrowed" by any member for use on his home layout at anytime except during TrainShow weeks.

Membership is very informal. Basically, it gives you the right to operate on the layout. For more information, please contact me personally and we will discuss your options.

Run Days

The JLS Railroad has regular Operating Sessions every Thursday night from 6:30pm till midnight. Usually anywhere from 5 to 8 members are present during any one session. When there is an ongoing project, the Operating Sessions are replaced with a Work Session. These informal gatherings allow members to participate in any construction on the layout. For information on the operations of the JLS Railroad, click here.

Work Days

Work Sessions are usually just a replacement of the Thursday night Operating Session when there is an ongoing project. Those members in attendance are given a job or sub-project to accomplish by an officer or a committee head. These sessions are kept very informal, after all we are not running a labor camp. The atmosphere is usually very light and relaxing as the various tasks are completed. Furthermore, members find that they acquire new skills and techniques during these Work Sessions that they can add to their repertoire. Various members who display skill in a particular area are nominated to head a committee. The head of a particular committee becomes in charge of that particular area allowing for the ability to make decisions and plan projects of his own. For a list of the committees, see the Table below or click here.

Committees