Looking for fellow Bay Area modelers

[CaptOblivious]

So, I am getting settled into my new home in Berkeley, and am ready to dig back into model trains! But I wonder: Surely there are others on this forum also in the Bay Area? Would there be enough interest to tentatively start up a club, even, or at least a meetup to work on someone's layout or run trains? Or even interest in just a beer-and-conversation night ala the Sydney meetup?

[Martijn Meerts]

I'm nowhere near you, but if you start a club, build a layout and get invited to a show, I'll come visit =)

[cteno4]

me too! have not had my berkeley fix for a while now!

 

jeff

[CaptOblivious]

No one? :(

[cteno4]

were you able to get in touch with any of the AsiaNrails folks?

 

not seen a lot of peeps on japanese rail modeling in the bay area in the past. i was getting into it about the time we moved away so never searched for folks, but i did find the modeling community to be a big scattered for being such a dense metro area, but i didnt spend a lot of time trying to get into the us rr modeling going on there as i transitioned to japanese pretty soon after getting back into the hobby there in the late 90s.

 

you would think with a substantial japanese population and influence in the area that there would be more folks!

 

maybe put a classified ad in the local japanese weekly to see if any bites that way? leave a card/flyer at some of the local hobby shops? 

 

i put a call out on jrforum to see if there are bites there, i think i remember one chap maybe out there, maybe south bay.

 

jeff

[CaptOblivious]

Never did hear from the AsiaNrails folks, nope. Checked with some modelers I do know around here, and they had never head of 'em. I've put out some feelers through those friends, but they don't know of anyone else doing Japanese modeling around here :( I too am very surprised!

[Blevins18]

Hey, I live in Central Kentucky. Try finding anyone modeling Japanese rail around here! Theres a relatively new chapter of the NMRA in Lexington I need to get involved with but for me that's pretty much it.

[bikkuri bahn]

My family lives on the Peninsula.  I go back during the year-end holidays- I would be interested in a beer meeting. I'm hoping the Bruins will play Cal at Haas this winter holiday too!

Edited July 9, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[Martijn Meerts]

We could just start a sect, get some billionaires involved, buy an island, build enough simple homes for all of us, and then a HUGE building for layouts ;)

[CaptOblivious]

Bikkuri, my current plans have me with my own family in Arkansas and Louisiana (during said part of the year increase their Japanese modeling population by 100%! I know your pain, Blevuns18!) during the year-end holidays :( but perhaps there will be a window when we're here simultaneously: shoot me a PM when you know your schedule, and lets try for that beer!

Edited July 9, 2013 by CaptOblivious

[Densha]

I don't know how it is in the US, but sometimes I spot a Japanese train here and there on Dutch modelling or marketplace sites. They may not be interested in more than just some Shinkansen, but there are more people that actually own Japanese model trains than I thought. Just an observation.

[bikkuri bahn]

Capt'n: Yeah, I figured that would likely be the case. Typically I stick around until past Jan. 4 or 5, when the airfares get cheaper (but not too far past- coz I want to get back to Japan to do my winter holiday railfanning in Tokyo- Caltrain and BART just doesn't cut it for fixing my habit.)

 

 

As far as numbers of Japanese prototype modelers/railfans, I think this conversation has been done before, but basically, it's a niche within a niche, so you're looking at tenths of one percent (optimistically) figures, and less than that for people who are motivated/serious enough to join and regularly post on forums.

Edited July 10, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[cteno4]

We seem to have a concentration here in DC or for some reason when we bubbled up enough of us to end up coagulating into a club it keeps a small stream coming. membership of jrm hovers around a dozen and we loose/pickup 1 or 2 a year and via other contacts seem to have a few dozen in the greater metro area. I cant think that we are that weird here. but we have never hit a huge untapped vein, so probably does not exist! I do think exposure is something. also some are not joiners and just lurkers. ive had a few folks talk to me at shows saying they had seen us several times and were modeling japanese trains some or had strong interests but this was the first time they actually talked to us! we try to be approachable, i think its just some are more shy.

 

but like you say its a fraction of a fraction of a fraction! hobby > model trains > Japanese trains. ive found just having a true hobby is actually pretty are in our modern culture.

 

I may be out in late sept to monterey, ill see if i can get the time to pop up to the bay area for a visit!

 

jeff

[tossedman]

Capt, don't know if these two are on JNS or if you know them but I stumbled across two blogs from your part of the world. N-Rail and Tokyo in N Scale.

 

Todd

Edited July 14, 2013 by tossedman

[nscalestation]

Never did hear from the AsiaNrails folks, nope. Checked with some modelers I do know around here, and they had never head of 'em. I've put out some feelers through those friends, but they don't know of anyone else doing Japanese modeling around here :( I too am very surprised!

Hey Don,

 

I'm one of the AsiaNrail folks.  Glad to have you in the Bay Area.  You're in luck because we actually have a layout planned for the weekend of September 14th and 15th at the Los Altos History Museum.

 

Here's a link to the Museum - http://www.losaltoshistory.org/index.html

 

 I know it's a bit of a drive from Berkeley but it's a good excuse to explore your new surroundings.

 Hope to meet you there !

 

Brad

[CaptOblivious]

Brad, thanks for the welcome! I totally plan on making this exhibit!

[nscalestation]

Brad, thanks for the welcome! I totally plan on making this exhibit!

 

Don,

 

There actually is N scale life here in the Bay Area.  Almost all are modeling American prototype but a surprising number have at least one Japanese train.   

 

I've put together a little list of clubs and shops that I know of with the ones closest to you being listed first.  Because of real estate prices here all the clubs listed are in some sort of publicly owned building.  I really don't know of any large private N scale layouts in this area but there must be some.

 

 

Clubs:

 

• Golden State Model Railroad Museum, 900 Dorman Road, Point Richmond, in the Miller – Knox Regional Park.  N, HO, and O Scale layouts.

http://www.gsmrm.org/index.shtml

• Bay Area Ntrak, 900 Loring Ave, Crockett.  In old depot in front of C&H Sugar plant.  Permanent layout made up of Ntrak modules.  This group used to do shows but have not seen them at any recently.  http://bayarean-trak.org/home_main.html

• Niles Depot, 37001 Mission Blvd, Fremont.  N and HO layouts in a recently restored depot and freight house.  http://www.nilesdepot.org/niles/home.html

• South Bay Historical Railroad Society,  1005 Railroad Ave, Santa Clara.  N and HO layouts in restored 1864 depot.  http://www.sbhrs.org/

• Peninsula Ntrak, Layouts at most local shows, no regular meetings or permanent layout.  Membership centered in San Jose area but has members all over the bay area and beyond.  http://www.trainweb.org/pntrak/

• Silicon Valley Free-moN, http://www.sv-free-mon.org/

• There is also an N scale narrow gauge group based in San Francisco who sometimes setup at shows.

 

 

Good N Shops:

 

• Feather River Train Shop, 25 Mitchell Blvd, Suite 14, San Rafael. Owned by an N scale WP modeler.    http://www.featherrivertrains.com

• The Train Shop, 1829 Pruneridge Ave  Santa Clara, CA 95050

  (408) 296-1050.  All trains, all scales, great for scratch building supplies.

[SHOWAKOKUTETSU]

I am in Bay Area (South Bay, San Jose), and enthusiasm of Japanese railroad, train. I ONLY collect Japanese train, and nothing else. However, I have no idea if there is any club in Bay Area that is just for Japanese railway.

[miyakoji]

I am in Bay Area (South Bay, San Jose), and enthusiasm of Japanese railroad, train. I ONLY collect Japanese train, and nothing else. However, I have no idea if there is any club in Bay Area that is just for Japanese railway.

I like the username

[SHOWAKOKUTETSU]

No one? :(

I am the one. I live in South Bay, San Jose

[malcoJOJO]

Hey there

I just saw this (years after you posted! :)  )  Did you ever get a meetup started? I don't get out much, but might be interested in a beer and chat meet to talk trains from time to time.
My blog: http://n-rail.blogspot.com/

Cheers!

~M~

[serotta1972]

Hello guys, I've gone through pages and pages of old postings and never saw this one. Glad you found it MalcoJoJo. I'd be interested in meeting up and chatting about Japanese trains and stuff. Im in SF. I've actually met one of the members, Pual aka Railtunes at a couple of train exhibits for Peninsula NTrak and AsiaNrail.

 

-Junior

[serotta1972]

BTW, nice blog and layout malcoJoJo! I've been a lurker and secretly admiring your work. Would be great to meet and see your work. Sorry, for sounding kinda creepy! Im uncomfortable writing this.

[SHOWAKOKUTETSU]

It looks like I missed the thread......

[cteno4]

There are a number of Japanese train folks around the Bay Area! Sure serotta will pipe in! Also there is the AsiaN rails group in the area that does Asian themed modules and are at a few of the local train events.

 

Jeff