Let’s get started.
There are a few things you can do to learn more about the
hobby and to get ready to operate. One of the first things is to
join the Speeder email list. This is a community of speeder
operators who exchange email on a regular basis. When you join the
list, you'll begin to receive regular email communications about
many issues. Some will be technical, others will be news about
events or people. You'll probably want to "lurk" for awhile to get
the "lay-of-the-land," but soon you'll be in there posting with the
rest of us. You'll find information
http://www.narcoa.org/info/email_list.htm
You’ll want to think
about joining NARCOA. That’s the North American Railcar Operators
Association. They play an active role in providing many needed
services for the motorcar hobby. You can
click here
and download a PDF copy of Rulebook #5 (you'll need to have Adobe
Acrobat Reader on your system. If you don’t have it,
click here
to download a copy).
Next,
download a copy of the
application for NARCOA membership. Fill out the application,
enclose your check, and mail it to the address on the form.
While you're studying the rule
book, write to obtain a copy of the rules test. This is a 25
question open rule book test to determine that you are familiar with
the rules. In order to pass, you must answer 20 of the 25
correctly. If you fail to do so, you'll be sent another test, and
you can try again.
In order to run a car at a
sanctioned excursion, you must have both a Rulebook Certification
Card, and a Certificate of Insurance (more on that later). You can
obtain your certification without holding insurance, but you cannot
obtain insurance without the rulebook certification. First things
first.
You get the test by sending a
snail-mail, along with a long, self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Al McCracken
Safety and Rules Committee
2916 Taper Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95051
When you get the test, sit down
with Rule Book # 5, the questions and the answer sheet. Once again,
take your time. Answer the questions carefully, and return the
answer sheet along with another long, self-addressed stamped
envelope to Al. If you have answered at least 20 questions
correctly, Al will mail you your certification card. At the same
time, he'll notify the NARCOA insurance administrator so that you
may buy your insurance.
Hopefully by this time you will
have made contact with that experienced operator we talked about
earlier, and maybe you will even have had the opportunity to go for
a ride or two during a sanctioned meet. You'll have had the
opportunity to view the hobby up close and personal, and to meet
some of the people. We strongly encourage you to ride with someone
else, more than once, to get the feel of what riding the rails is
like, and to start to learn about the various kinds of equipment.
Sanctioned meets, by the way, are
the only way to ride. So-called "bootlegging," or unsanctioned
running, is illegal, and is strictly prohibited for NARCOA members,
or anyone else for that matter.. Getting caught can not only get
your NARCOA membership suspended. It can also get you a date with
the magistrate. Even worse, you can find yourself in the situation
where the light at the end of the tunnel really is an oncoming
train.
At this point, you might want to
learn a little of the history of the hobby. Jeremy Winkworth has
written a wonderful piece on the early days, and
you can read it
here.
Next: What Kind of Motorcar
to Buy
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