Well, I went and registered for the National N Scale Convention this coming June 2022 in Nashville. Never been to this event before and in a brief email conversation with someone else that will be going, it sounds like it will be an interesting adventure. Anyone else going or interested in going? Or have stories of previous conventions to share?
Although I am a Z Scaler, I have been to a few. I actually officiated a wedding between a published N Scaler and published a Z Scaler at a National several years ago. You will find lots to see and do. Consider taking some of your best modeling efforts to show and enter into contests, and bring stuff you want to sell or trade off. One of my favorite things is the room sales, where everyone from hobby shop owners, and custom painters, to small manufacturers and just plain hobbyists bring stuff to sell, and you go to their hotel rooms, where you can find things to buy, meet and talk with the who's who in the hobby, see stuff up close that you only ever seen before on the internet, and make custom orders, Have a beverage with them, etc. The local layout tours are loads of fun, and there is always a couple really fantastic layouts that you may have seen in magazines to examine closely. Clinics will be available for many different interests, and what ever you do, make sure to purchase a Banquet ticket and a hundred raffle tickets, as there are usually an hour's worth of prizes raffled off. Usually 2 or 3 people at each banquet table wins something. You will have fun and meet really great people. Everyone is approachable too, lay out a compliment on something they are associated with and they will want to tell you all about it.
PM me and I’ll send my email to you or if you are on the N Scale List post there and I’ll be glad to share with you. I live near Nashville and set up the local layouts for tours. I’ve been to a number of NSE and enjoyed every one. Charlie Vlk
Colleen and I are signed up! Looking forward to it. We're doing the Thursday event that includes the Songwriters' Hall of Fame since that was on my to do list anyway. Cheaper to go via the tour than admission plus parking! And there's lunch. Be sure to buy the raffle tickets when I am not around. If you look up "Bad Luck Charm" in the dictionary my picture is shown.
I've been to 2 NSE conventions and really enjoyed them both. I'm looking forward to 2023 when it's scheduled to be in the Reno area.
Can you PM me to start the conversation Charlie. Wouldn't let me initiate the conversation Ray, That had to be a cool place to do that wedding. Looking forward to experiencing it and meeting any of you that are there.
I went to the convention in Milwaukee a few years back and agree with the comments posted - great experience, friendly people, lots of stuff to see/buy from vendors and room sales. If you're in the area, I'd definitely recommend attending.
I've never been to one but I'll have to go to this one. I live in Middle Tennessee and on the rare occasion I go into the office (since I mostly work from home now) it's less than two miles from the hotel where the convention is being held.
Not to take anything away from the full convention but there is a public show on Friday afternoon and Saturday as part of the overall event. I don't know what admission charge there might be.
Some years ago, when the NSC convention came to a location that was within a reasonable driving distance, I went to the public show. To me, it was underwhelming. There were a few dealers, a few manufacturers and one NTRAK layout. But, mostly, it seemed to be individuals with tables loaded with "rare" and overpriced Micro-Trains cars that they were trying to unload. There was no mention of the room sales and I was unaware of their existence. Likewise, I didn't partake in the breakfast or dinner gatherings, nor any of the layout tours or other peripheral events. If you're a die-hard MTL collector/accumulator, then a trip to the public show could well be worthwhile. Otherwise, maybe not so much.
Sorry Point 353 had that experience some years ago, but we try to improve things year over year, I think you would find things very different at the convention these days. For Nashville, we have 10,000 square feet of layouts curated by NRail featuring FreemoN, Ttrak, Ntrak, and others. We find that many times the layout folk will allow registered attendees to operate on the layouts at the show. The old way of 'collector' tables are pretty rare at this point- about the same time the N Scale Collector evolved and grew into the N Scale Enthusiast- with the offerings being more in line with what one would expect at a train show (although we do discourage wooden train whistle sellers) The speculator market has collapsed, and the real collectors pretty much have their own network, or close up their tables when the public part of the show opens. These days there are are a LOT of bargains at the Swaparama. The opportunity to go one on one with representatives from most of the manufacturers in our scale is one of the biggest benefits of the show. Spending time with folks who determine the course our scale will take, and finding out that they hold the same passion for the scale that I do is an amazing thing that you don't get to the same extent at any other show. We were asked to have the public show to make it worthwhile for our manufacturers to justify attending the convention. An added benefit was allowing people who had to work, or had other commitments to attend in a limited way. The reason we do not/can not advertise room sales as part of the public show is that the hotels do not allow us to invite non-registered attendees into the hotel proper for reasons of security and liability. The best way to enjoy room sales, which often go well into the night with not just sales but train talk and modeling tips, is to register for the convention. We have live and silent auctions, layout operations, tours, special events, clinics, contests, and other events that make the convention much more than a train show. This one is going to be fun, and I look forward to touring the Oakville Sub and seeing all of the folks here at the event. Just a thought- is there interest in a Trainboard meetup at the convention? We would be happy to host. NSE George
I've always loved you're layout but never realized you were in Middle Tennessee. I'll definitely have to come see it.
Thanks for the info, George. Clearly, what I had attended was one of the "old way" collector-centric (public) shows. For that show, I only found out that I would have free time available on Saturday at the last minute, so registering for the full show wasn't really an option. I understand, now, why there was no notice to "outsiders" about the room sales. If the convention ever comes within range, again, I'll have to give it another chance.
The shows in Green Bay and Milwaukee were the same in the past. But then both while moving into large convention centers have grown and improved greatly. I just can't get to them anymore. So I have to settle for the local National Guard training center that's still like those old ones. Rich
Well let me know Brad, I will be going too! You drive up to Sac, and I will drive the rest of the way!
One thing that MANY model railroaders have in common is that they tend to be more of a Lone Wolf type of person. To really get the most ,and have the best time at these conventions, you really have to take a leap of faith and step out of your comfort zone, and talk to strangers. That's right, when you arrive, say hi to others that have their convention packets, say who you are, and ask who they are. If you are a more outgoing person, walk up to one of the more introverted looking attendees, and introduce yourself. You may be surprised and meet someone who has an NMRA MMR, or has published lots of N Scale articles in the past. I know many have their own good old boy network that they see and hang with at every convention, but try to include someone new. Also, sign up for everything you can pack in timewise. This is a vacation after all, so make it a holiday, keep busy, take lots of photos, talk to everyone you can, if someone ignores you do not feel bad about it, just talk to the next guy, and next yet. Again, key is to step out of your comfort zone and meet strangers, because they are all N Scalers, and have something in common with you. You WILL meet some lifelong friends. Invite someone to lunch. Don't hang with just one other person alone, rather convince him to go invite a third and forth person to your group, and do something together that you have never done before, like ask to attend an operating session if possible, ask for modeling tips from someone in the contest room, etc. I used to be really introverted at these type of events, but I forced myself to extend the reach out of my comfort zone, even to the point of hosting a clinic, volunteering to watch/help man someone's table, inviting bored looking people to lunch, etc. This all makes convention time so much more rewarding, and you have a better time. So far I have attended 3 N Scale Nationals, 2 Z Scale Nationals, 7 NMRA Nationals, and countless Regionals since Boise PNR NMRA 1989. I have also participated in close to 50 train shows from GATS, GTE, WGH, NTS etc. Stepping out, meeting people, talking trains, and having fun. That's what it's all about!
