Is anyone here going to the NMRA convention in Hartford? I just found out I can get the time off from work to make it to Hartford. (woo-hoo!) What clinics and tours do you recommend as the "must see" items? Thanks!
I'll be attending the National Train Show on Sunday the 12th..... Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the actual convention...
Hi, The clinics at an NMRA are usually great and well worth attending. In particular, I suggest you check out both the LDSIG and OPSIG (Layout Design, Operations Special Interest groups). The LDSIG 'drive-yourself' layout tours (usually on Wed or Thurs or both) is great deal because you car-pool or drive yourself, and with a GPS you get to visit perhaps 10+ layouts in one day, and far cheaper than bus tours. You do have to join the LDSIG, but the low fees are worth it for this alone. More importantly, you get opportunity to meet some of best/brightest/most famous names in our hobby... they tend to be LDSIG or OPSIG members. There will be a LDSIG / OPSIG room.... go there and that's where you'll see these folks hanging out and you can meet them. In the same room, they usually form car-pools for the Layout Tours. You can join OPSIG too and space permitting, maybe able to operate on world-class layouts. Check it out! Here's some photos from last year's LDSIG layout tours: NMRA National Convention 2008 pictures from Anaheim - Wed Photo Gallery by ATSF_Arizona John Sing at pbase.com Hope this helps, email me if you've more questions. John Sing Modeling the Santa Fe's Peavine Line (Ash Fork - Phoenix, Ariz) in the 50s and 60s http://home.comcast.net/~j.sing NMRA PCR Coast Division Model Contest / Photo Contest / Show and Tell web pages: Model Contest Information
I won't be at the convention but I will be at the National Train Show all three days. I will be with my group the "Amherst Belt Lines" modular group. Come see our layout. It promises to be even larger than the one we have each year at our annual show in West Springfield, MA. Looking forward to it. See you all there.
Like many others, I'll be passing up the convention itself because of the cost to attend, but I'll cetainly be taking in the National Train Show on Saturday. NYW&B
I haven't seen any TB pictures of the convention yet. Many of our club Local San Antonio members were back from Hartford last night and they said that the registered attendance was about 1000. That is about the same number that attended the Louisville N scale convention in 2008. I haven't heard how many attended the N scale 2009 Portland convention. As for San Antonio, I think we had more of our SAMRA club members go this time than ever before.
I was at the show on Saturday, and had a great time. I spent 6 hours on my feet checking out all the booths and layouts. Great fun. I got to chat a bit with Joe Fugate, even. I picked up a few small things, but I don't go to shows to shop, mostly just to enjoy, learn and observe.
Thanks for the brief on the Convention. I was beginning to wonder; there had been No News on the Convention. :ru-confused:
