N Scale Convention-Medford

marty coil Jun 26, 2012

  1. MioneRR

    MioneRR TrainBoard Member

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    Further observations to what Russ commented on, I know the Denver folks found it difficult to deal with the NSC. The NSC has been running their conventions to a very strict format and don't like to change anything. And it has worked for them. I know that in both Denver and Louisville, the NSC folks booked up tours that didn't conflict with NSC events very early and others didn't get a chance at them. Tours that were concurrent with NSC events were wide open. Louisville was able to schedule repeats of booked up tours. In Denver, I had seen all the layouts before but my wife had not and was not able to see them.
    There used to be the National N Scale Convention which was put on by any local N scale group that wanted to, with support from NTRAK. The the NSC started the NSC Convention. My understanding is that at some point the NSC copyrighted "National N Scale Convention" for their own use.
    I'm personnally not enamoured with the current situation and have found another venue, operations. Operators are not scale-aphobic and I'm spending my time building a home layout (1300 square feet). I have enough material to open a small hobby shop, so I rarely go to a train show anymore. Just a shift in my enjoyment of the hobby over the past 40+ years.
     
  2. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Just curious about the Z scale folks who showed up and displayed modules I heard. What was your impression of them? Wish there were more pictures taken than the couple of that canyon module. Someone said they were pretty neat.

    Kind of strange that Z would be shown at a N function?
     
  3. MioneRR

    MioneRR TrainBoard Member

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    I was at both and yes there was a lot of hard work. Chantilly had some outstanding tours and clinics as did Louisville. I never noticed the NSC presence at Chantilly. At Louisville I wandered through the swap-a-rama after a tour. The lineup of clinics at Louisville were the best I've attended and that includes NMRA National and Regional conventions, National Narrow Guage Conventions and other N Scale conventions. What helped Louisville was that there was a convention planned there BEFORE NSC decided to have theirs there and the original organizers had joined up with Greatest Greatest Hobby folks. It was a win-win-win for all three groups.
     
  4. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    I never even got invited to the Portland show, which is interesting because my N scale club is just about the only one with the word "Portland" actually in the name, and it's easily found through a simple Google, search, so I feel your pain.
     
  5. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Unfortunately, the NTRAK national organization has kind of dropped out of sight. In the good old days they used to sponsor not one but two national convention each summer, one in conjunction with the NMRA National and one somewhere on the opposite side of the country. Relations with the NMRA kind of went sour for some of the same reasons as the problems with the NSC, the desire to remain somewhat autonomous at the conventions and not participate fully in the other organization. And then the leadership never transitioned from the "Benevolent Dictator" style (Jim Fitzgerald) to some sort of board of directors. The last NTRAK convention I went to was sort of the add on to the convention already planned by a group of eastern clubs who were meeting in Danville, Virginia a few years ago. So, the only one left doing any kind of N scale convention is the new incarnation called the N Scale Enthusiast.
     
  6. OC Engineer JD

    OC Engineer JD Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I am a member of the N Scale Enthusiast and was under the impression that the name was changed from 'Collector' to 'Enthusiast' because more members and people attending the conventions were not collectors but runners and modelers. That would make me think that more operating layouts at the shows would better represent the majority of the membership.
     
  7. OC Engineer JD

    OC Engineer JD Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    On a side note.....the wife and I always find in amusing at the conventions when a guy will knock your modeling for weathering a car, but pay $500 for a boxcar because the 'E' is backwards.......LOL :)
     
  8. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Maybe we should run for board positions and try to take over. You can change the name but as long as the old leadership is running the show, change will be slow.
     
  9. Doug A.

    Doug A. TrainBoard Supporter

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    Russell! Revolution!?!

    I like it, count me in! :uhoh:

    Honestly, it sounds like there are some different ideas among their group about how they want to proceed. I mean, I totally get if they want to stick to their guns, and layouts aren't their deal...they have the right to run their organization how they want and in a manner that attracts the number and quality of members they are looking for. If they are wanting to expand their scope, that's cool too but it sounds like if that's the case they haven't quite got there yet as to the "what" and "how".
     
  10. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    An interesting way of observing the scenario, which seems very reasonable to me.
     
  11. EMD F7A

    EMD F7A TrainBoard Member

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    This all sounds like I didn't miss too much.... the Sacramento NMRA convention was fanTAStic last year. Also, I have to shout-out to the BAZ guys, I spent some time with them last year (?) down the road at a swap meet show; when budget allows, I'd love to get to work on a module & meet up with them again.... definitely top-notch folks with more talent in their caboose than I'll ever have in my whole yard ;) BUT be forewarned; they give off Z scale like a virus. One lap of their layout & you'll be itching for some AZL product!
     
  12. vmctee

    vmctee TrainBoard Member

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    So who was responsible for the T-Trak layout?
     
  13. atsf_arizona

    atsf_arizona TrainBoard Supporter

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    FYI, here is the Yahoo Group for the San Francisco Bay Area guys who joined with the Southern Oregon modelers to have the great Z scale layout at Medford: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BAZ_modules/

    Here's a 5 year ago report that I did on these guys, they call themselves the " Bay Area Z Cooperative " http://www.pcrnmra.org/coast/contest/June_2007_Bay_Area_Z_Cooperative.shtml

    And you'll see the BAZ group often posting on the Z scale forum here on Trainboard: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/forumdisplay.php?171-Z-Scale

    I know several of the BAZ guys personally and they are great folks and as you can see, very talented modelers.
     
  14. satokuma

    satokuma TrainBoard Supporter

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    Sorry for the delay in posting, but I still have a day job to catch up with. The links will take you to photos of the various parts of the Medford NSE Convention 2012 including the presentation of the Model Contest.
    To be Clear...the model contest is by popular vote and not a NMRA sanctioned event. It is intended to show (basically a show and tell) what can be accomplished in N Scale at all levels of expertise.
    The Best of Show, by popular vote, was Tom Hart (Southern Pacific MM3, locomotive 3930) who gave full credit to Dave Montgomery for the build and extensive modifications to both engine and tender. That is one of the requirements of the 'contest' is to give credit to everyone who had a part in the model.

    I got to spend much more time with the Z Scale bunch more than most since I was sitting a mere 20 feet away for most of the convention. The ZScale group was fantastic, both as individuals and the detail in their modules...shock and awe are good words for this group. My photos probably did not due it justice but most people I have shown these too thought they were a much larger scale due to the detail. My thanks to the entire ZScale group for being there...I noticed.

    I hope I am not violating any rules here by showing the link to another photo site.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/51133738@N02/

    This is the general order of the stream:
    1. Medford NSE Model Contest
    2. Medford Railroad Park and HO club layout
    3. Medford NSE Z Scale layout
    4. Medford NSE N Scale Layout
    5. Medford Train Mountain
    6. Medford Area Research-CORP, Yreka Western, items of interest

    Michael
     
  15. satokuma

    satokuma TrainBoard Supporter

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    VMCTEE
    Keith Lyons and one other person (sorry I did not get his name) brought in the T-Scale setup to help fill the void left when one of the NScale groups backed out with a schedule conflict.
     
  16. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

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    As BAZ member and avid Z scaler, I was glad I went to the show to get a better taste of what was available in N (my GF's and also what I work on at Niles Depot (www.NilesDepot.org). I can understand the point about layouts not being there and our group was glad to come up and just run trains. But I know people also want to see more of other N layouts, talk and look at all the special runs, collectables, etc. too. I enjoy seeing other's work, whether a layout, diorama or just the kitbashing/scratchbuilt stuff. (I got all but 2 of the 1st place winner picks ;) ). However, I thought that as a Collector or Enthusiast group, I would see a *lot* less of the everyday Micro-Trains stuff and see just custom runs or paints, scratch built stuff and truly collectables. Especially in hotel rooms ? Seems like it was nothing more than a typical GTE or whatever show. I'll try the Miwaukee show, get out and travel with the GF and get a chance to see a maybe really big show.

    BTW: half the modules there were from local Southern Oregon Z (SOZME) of Medford (they're the ones with the trees :) and Cascade Z of Vancouver and north. I liked that creative smoke on the N scale layout.
    .
     
  17. cfritschle

    cfritschle TrainBoard Member

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    It was made very clear at the banquet that this year's convention was an anomaly. The facility in Medford was not large enough to handle all of the functions that normally occur during a convention.

    Several clubs are involved in the planning for next year's convention in Milwaukee, and we were assured that the venue would be similar to the conventions of the last few years.

    Carter

     
  18. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    As far as I know none of the NSE leadership positions are elected offices. Jerry's take on the NSE being an attempt to "expand the mission of the N Scale Collector" is accurate.

    Disclaimer: I contribute to the NSC/NSE Magazine (an excerpt from my Unofficial Micro-Trains Release Report, which is not otherwise affiliated with NSE, NSC, MTL or anyone else for that matter). I do this mostly out of my fascination with the history that many MTL releases represent (even if the models themselves aren't perfect, which, like all models, are not).
     
  19. SecretWeapon

    SecretWeapon Passed away January 23, 2024 In Memoriam

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    And we apprecite it George. (insert thumbs up here)
     
  20. Logtrain

    Logtrain TrainBoard Member

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    I have only attended 1 convention and that was in Portland, Or in 2009. I went down on Friday afternoon because we were told that if we were displaying a layout we would be able to have access to the layout for operations and/or work parties. That turned out to be a hoax. The layout room was locked up tighter than a drum at 4:00 that day. I later found out too that you could ONLY attend the scheduled layout tours and activities IF you were not only registered but was also a member of the NSC. (At least that is what I was told anyway.) So essentially I went down Friday after work, got there about 7 or so and wasted $$$$ on a room for one night, when I could have easily spent the night at my parents house, just a short drive north from Portland.
    I ended up having a good time, but would have played my cards differently had I known all the facts.
     

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