>>7442963If you haven't visited the one you're looking at joining, I highly suggest you do so first. Have a good look at the layout, how it is run, and try to get a feel for the other members. If they're outgoing with the visitors, they'll probably be the first people to befriend you if you join.
As an alternative to a club, jump on the Faceshill and see if there's a model railroad presence for your local area on that. You may be able to connect with people who are looking for operators for their basement layout.
I can say for certain that there is a significant facebook presence for model railroad groups. I'm in an HO scale one of like 30,000 members, then one for my local area that covers all scales.
