Announcing the National Z Scale Convention

Joe D'Amato Aug 13, 2009

  1. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

    1,532
    80
    32
    Me thinks there is a little craziness somewhere in all of this.
    I agree, MTL is putting their money up front to get this going, however, I'll bet Eric would have been happy for me to spend my thousands or maybe Tim to spend his, or Rob to spend theirs, but MTL simply thought it time to get Z into the air and stake a place in the sky with the rest of them.

    I have known Joe personally for almost five years now, eaten with him, traveled with him, worked train shows together, rail fanninng with him, and even having differences of opinion and some hurt feelings thrown in there to boot.

    Joe does not need me or anyone else to be his champion and defend him, but I will say that his extremely heavy work schedule has caused him on more than one occasion to actually 'forget' something, (for which he has apologized) so I know exactly how it may have seemed Tim when Joe apparently snubbed you. Believe me, he did not snub you. He gets pulled in more directions than salt water taffy and even then he hits most of the balls thrown at him.

    It kind of bothers me how Joe and Rob have to take it on the chin so often when something doesn't quite suit folks. Let them be human and actually screw up occasionally, or maybe not come through, or even say something that isn't quite 100% accurate !

    I know more about Joe than anyone else in Z scale and I've never seen a guy pulled so many directions at one time.

    I actually worry about his health sometimes and I marvel at how he can keep all his ducks in fairly straight rows without going bonkers.

    I am not defending him, but just stating facts that I know to be true.

    I recall years ago, my pastor's wife was accused of being a snob and ignoring people just like Joe is being accused of and I saw first hand that she was pre occupied with another conversation and simply did not hear the greeting by the person who thought they were being snubbed. Or she was thinking about something else and didn't focus enough to tune in. The person went away thinking that she didn't value them.......not true.

    I know the emotions and personal feelings by many are very sensitive right now, all over apparently some wording which in my book doesn't count for much.

    Remember the famous line of Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind?........"Frankly my darling, I don't give a damn" Maybe that isn't word for word, but close enough.

    Well, I feel about the same way.

    Call it the "first national, second national, first wannabe, or 2nd fiddle round up" I simply don't give a rat's rear.

    Let's quit examining everything under a microscope and trying to dot every i and get on with the program.

    Good grief Charlie Brown, don't we have enough problems with Z scale without picking everyone or everything apart?

    Let's all take some deep breaths and begin again.

    My quarter's worth and no more,
    Loren
     
  2. Fred Ladd

    Fred Ladd TrainBoard Member

    301
    14
    15
    I believe Loren has put forward correctly and succintly the track to follow. In the words of a "great" :) American -- "Can't we all just get along?" There will always be bumps in the road but that should not derail us from the fun in the HOBBY, and I applaud any efforts to bring Z into the mainstream, and additional Z items.
    My only complaint ;) is that it looks like the WEST might get the first two annual meetings. But then, That is where Z REALLY shines!
    Fred
     
  3. david f.

    david f. TrainBoard Supporter

    1,266
    28
    30
    "i pledge allegiance to the Z trains of the United States of America (ok, Europe too)."

    the rest is republicans and democrats. competition encourages improvement. no one has a corner on a specific car, or loco, or idea. in fact, we are all depending on someone making a better thing than the other guy -- or even making their thing better. more and better -- that's what we want from Z manufacturers. but there will be differences -- maybe some painful difference at times, as i think we are seeing. all that now duly noted, let's get back to "vive la differance."

    tim's post shows us some of the water that has passed under the Z world's bridge, he left out a lot -- like Nelson Gray, etc, but we still get the point. there is history here, some of it grand and glorious and some of it fecal. but getting on with Z today means leaving the past crud in the past and doing the best we can today to make it all good for the forseeable future.

    thanks for $1600 engines i can't afford, but i drool over; thanks for good running plastic locos that i can tweek to my heart's delight; thanks for couplers, couplers, and more couplers -- along with a growing assortment of wheels: there is a need and use for all of them. thanks for people who stay up late making all this stuff so we can have more and better; thanks for all the people who make Z happen -- who deserve SO MUCH MORE CREDIT THAN THEY ARE GETTING, but whom most of us either don't know about or hadn't realized the depth and length and personal cost of their investment.

    thanks for a forum where we can cheer, and jeer, and strutt our stuff -- because we like what we do (and the group of people we are doing it with) and because we are trying to make things happen in our own small way.

    beyond that, i think we all need to clear the decks, forgive and forget if we have to, and enjoy what we have ... and what we have coming. i'm riding on the crest of the Z wave, and i don't really want to stop and fight the war between the states again.

    so next summer i will get on with it with MTL in medford, oregon, after that i hope AZL/Z-track invites us to their house. Z is a family and we know that mom is from planet MTL and dad is from planet AZL -- the kids are fully aware that there are differences between the two, but we still want the family as a whole to be the main priority. Z isn't about any single one of us, it's about all of us.

    dave f.
     
  4. Joe D'Amato

    Joe D'Amato TrainBoard Member

    1,749
    352
    38
    Fred, if we can get someone to pick up the ball back East, there's no reason it can't happen there in 2011. We have no interest in keeping this in Medford, we just want to get it started and let it grow. I suspect over the next 8 months folks will step forward and begin some sort of leadership and we will offer what ever support or assistance needed or wanted. Interested?? :eek:)

    I just want to remind everyone this is an attempt to give Z more power in the market place and in the hobby press. Right now the impression is that we are an introverted nerdy bunch that operates on the fringes. Ever wonder why you don't see more articles on Z Scale in the railroad press? Part of it is a lack of participation (submitting articles) and part of it is this impression that we lack organization. There's power in organization. We are blessed to have Rob and Z Track Magazine as our flagship, and it's visability on the newstands. But we also need to be in the other magazines as well, and we need to be there strong. By having an organization we have a body that speaks with and for us and help showcase Z. And to the fears expressed elsewhere that some how MTL will financially benifit from this...sure we will, and so will AZL and Pennz and and even Hobo Tim and his photo etching enterprise. The idea is to make all boats rise, the higher we float and the more folks (people with wallets) we can bring to Z...the more product ALL of us can produce...and the more stuff Loren can sell!


    I don't know how the modular layout in Columbus was portrayed in the modeling mags after the show, but this is a case where an organization could take it to the next level and turn it into a marketing coup and draw more to the hobby. Again I don't have access to the library right now and this could have been done, but just using it as an example.

    Joe




    QUOTE=Fred Ladd;615066]I believe Loren has put forward correctly and succintly the track to follow. In the words of a "great" :) American -- "Can't we all just get along?" There will always be bumps in the road but that should not derail us from the fun in the HOBBY, and I applaud any efforts to bring Z into the mainstream, and additional Z items.
    My only complaint ;) is that it looks like the WEST might get the first two annual meetings. But then, That is where Z REALLY shines!
    Fred[/QUOTE]
     
  5. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

    1,532
    80
    32
    I will say that I hope the convention does get more Easterly in 2010, but I also hope it ends up in Sacramento in 2011 so it can be part of NTS just like Rob's first convention was part of Cincinnati in 2005.

    No matter where it goes or does not go, it will always be inconvenient for some to attend
    Miles very much count in this situation.

    And Joe, I really don't want to sell more.......I am too busy with selling and lasers, and such.
    What I want to do is have more time so I too can model like others. Sitting on the side watching is NOT as fun as getting your hands, face, and floor dirty with modeling :eek:)

    Speaking of lasers, see you later this afternoon....I going to Railroad park after lunch to help with a special train run for a while, but then do come over after about 4?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2010
  6. Joe D'Amato

    Joe D'Amato TrainBoard Member

    1,749
    352
    38
    I'll be there...can never get enough of Laser Radiation!! :eek:)

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2010
  7. Torsja

    Torsja TrainBoard Member

    598
    32
    19
    To do even the small”international” ;) event like the ZMOD Show in Oslo is a bit job to do.
    Not easy to get everybody to come and even harder to get the time to talk to EVERYBODY when you have a hand in arranging the show. You always feel that you missed someone after a show, and you wish that you had more time. So the last show was even a bit smaller for that reason so that the ones that came got more one on one together for chatting and building.

    Good luck and with the event planning and perhaps I also get the chance to plan my holiday next year to attend the show. That would be cool, and also to perhaps be able to se the MTL plant and how some off the things are made. :)
     
  8. Fred Ladd

    Fred Ladd TrainBoard Member

    301
    14
    15
    Joe and Zer's-- Not to be missunderstood-my "Complaint" had a smiley wink happy face ;). I don't want to kick over another bucket of bees.
    I too think the Z convention should track the larger NTS-- The more hobbiest that see Z, the more they will realiZe the error of thier ways.:)
    Fred
     
  9. jim29t

    jim29t TrainBoard Member

    59
    0
    13
    Lessons learned

    There were many things to learn from the Columbus convention. Lunch in a tent with virtually a cloudburst is to be avoided. To see the attendees wandering around in their bare feet was worth the price of admission.
    The attendance was greater than anticipated. Some presentation spaces were too small for the crowds. There were no alternative spaces available. Some presenters assumed there would 5 or 10 people at their presentation. They were not prepared for auditorium sized audiences.
    These are just some of my memories; I was not part of the planning but there are probably more recollections if I work at it. I hope this helps. Jim Thomas
     
  10. Alaska Railroader

    Alaska Railroader TrainBoard Supporter

    285
    6
    14
    Hey, good news! It sounds like this thread is turning toward the positive side. So lets do our best to keep it that way? Keep the negatives inside? Encourage everyone to come, and make special convention items available if they can't.

    And Torsja, it would be fantastic if you could come over here!!! You and Jurg could have fun at a North American show and yet bring us ideas too. I've been to Sweden before it would be fun to go to your ZMOD show sometime in Norway. I am hoping that Harald can attend, wish Garth could from Canada, and Alex from Japan, on and on. The tour through MTL is fascinating and I don't think you would be disappointed in that tour alone. Like I said before, this is like a family reunion and if you can't make it you WILL be missed and in your Z heart you will be sad as that weekend is happening and you're not here. I'm already saddened by those who have expressed their inability to attend, we'll miss you.

    This has opened, or reopened if you will, the opportunity for all future NTS events to be grander than they have been in the past couple of years. I do believe that as the future locations are decided we'll have men and women step up and take the leadership as needed.

    Thanks for the positive shift guys. Now lets plan for some F-U-N!
     
  11. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

    9,813
    14,199
    147
    Will there be a "special edition" car for this?:rolleyes:
     
  12. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

    3,007
    1,020
    62
    Wow, Torsja comes to the US ! NASCAR time and, you can pick up more MOPAR parts too ! Just get to the West Coast and we can get you to Oregon. As you did for me, you are welcome to stay at my place and we can all drive up together.
    .
     
  13. RobertAllbritton

    RobertAllbritton TrainBoard Member

    348
    47
    20
    Hi Guys,

    Looks like lots of passion on the past few posts. I have to admit, I'm on vacation so I didn't bother to read them all, but here is my 2 cents worth anyway:

    I will try to make it for the show. I don’t care if it is called the 1st national pickle eating contest, it looks like a good Z scale show to me, and that’s all I care about.

    I know Rob Kluz put a lot of work into the Columbus show, and we both put quite a bit of effort into the DC show (hell, I hosted the damn thing) We had a great turn out from MTL and Marklin - least I can do is try to get to Medford to return the favor. I'm sure Kluz will do the same. For those who don't remember, Kronenberger and Billy Roden put a bunch of work into the Dallas meet in 2000, and we all put a bunch of work into NTS 2001 in St. Louis. In my mind, those were the defining moments for Z scale, because for the 1st time, we really came out in force for a national show. If MTL wants to sponsor something, hey that sounds great. Glad to have Eric and Joe on board.

    Anyway, if you have no idea who Bill Kronenberger is, go check out
    http://www.zbendtrack.com/html/bill_kronenberger.html
    In the mean time, let the record be clear: AZL and MTL do work and play well with each other, and we all grow our scale with each new product that is introduced.

    Anything else is just stirring the pot for fun - and I'm sure it is fun to create some sort of phantom menace - but its just not true.

    Now go build your layout - preferable a Z-Bend Track module or two - and let’s get back to the fun bit: our tiny trains that look sooooo much better than all of those other scales.

    Cheers,
    -Rob(A)
    AZL
     
  14. Alaska Railroader

    Alaska Railroader TrainBoard Supporter

    285
    6
    14
    :thumbs_up: Great post Rob, and thank you for saying it!
     
  15. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

    1,532
    80
    32
    Fred,
    My sentiments exactly......I like the way you think.
     
  16. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

    1,532
    80
    32
    Jim,
    I well remember the mad dash to get out the tent while the water was rising....that was so funny. The memories of that day will never be forgotten by me until the day my brain finally goes senile, but until that day happens, the entire event makes me smile all over again.

    I seriously doubt any event in the future could ever eclipse the very first convention we were so fortunate to be able to attend.

    For those who weren't there, you missed the best time, especially when we packed the pizza place and 'took' over. What a wild bunch and fun galore.


    And you and your lovely wife were certainly long suffering as well as Rob and Jenny while hordes of Z scalers tromped through, around, over and under your homes to see your layouts.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2010
  17. RSmidt

    RSmidt TrainBoard Member

    899
    0
    19
    One big (or should I say little) happy family! That's the way it should be.
     
  18. RSmidt

    RSmidt TrainBoard Member

    899
    0
    19
    And Rob, thanks for posting the article on Bill K. I just read it again and smiled, just like Bill always was.

    "Anyway, if you have no idea who Bill Kronenberger is, go check out
    Bill Kronenberger
    In the mean time, let the record be clear: AZL and MTL do work and play well with each other, and we all grow our scale with each new product that is introduced."

    Randy
     
  19. ddechamp71

    ddechamp71 TrainBoard Member

    2,153
    653
    46
    Hey Plugsy, if I win the lottery I'll be able to refuel the airplane I'm rated on! But otherwise, if I catch you up on my trip it will be a 18000-mile leg!:ru-biggrin:

    Dom
     
  20. ddechamp71

    ddechamp71 TrainBoard Member

    2,153
    653
    46
    I don't know how long and strong Medford's main runway is, all I can say is that we operate our 747s on Saint Martin's (TNCM/SXM) runway which is barely 2200-meter long.... My hope should be all Z scale worldwide community hiring one of our 747s for the trip to Meford! Of course I should be very pleased to be on duty for this flight!:D

    Dom
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 25, 2009

Share This Page