Page 26 - NMRA Roundhouse March-April 2018
P. 26

 A Guide to NMRA National
Conventions and Train Shows
 Mike Arnold
What is so special about an NMRA National Convention?
Firstly, its bigger, way bigger than a Region Convention. Many of you will have attended our Region Conven- tions over the years – the format has changed little: it is usually three days (Friday through Sunday) at a hotel with space for a train show, with clin- ics on Saturday and Sunday, a Con- test Room, and bring and buy tables. National Conventions on the other hand take place (on all bar three or four occasions) in the USA and last eight days from Sunday to Sunday inclusive in either July or August.
At a National Convention you get a three day Train Show on the Friday through Sunday, a week of clinics, layout tours, prototype tours, general interest tours, SIG presentations and displays, and a silent auction plus the contest room.
But is bigger better?
You bet it is. Although National Con- ventions are on for longer they also have far greater depth in the variety of attractions on offer. For example at many National Conventions the or- ganisers will provide registrants with a handbook detailing all the events, hour by hour, day by day. On most days there will be many layout tours to choose from – organised coach tours to a selection of layouts in certain areas around the Convention city. Members will throw open their homes to allow Convention regis- trants to visit and view their model railroads. It can be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see and enjoy
26 ROUNDHOUSE - April 2018
some classic layouts (and others less well-known but excellent nonethe- less) you might only see otherwise in magazines or on the internet.
Likewise there will be a full schedule of tours to prototype locations such as railroad maintenance facilities, yards or popular railfanning spots, often at locations on railroad or pri- vate property where permission is not normally given. An example of this was a trip to Tehachapi in 2008 when access to the inside of the famous Loop was granted by the farm owner.
The tourist is not forgotten either with daily tours to places of interest for
all the family. For example in 2016 there was a tour to the raceway in Indianapolis, home of the legendary Indy 500. In 2015 there was a dinner cruise on board a stern wheeler on the Columbia River. Those are just the highlights.
Back at the Convention there will be a full schedule of clinics from Sunday through until the Train Show on the Friday. They are repeated to allow as many to attend as possible. It is an opportunity to hear direct from rail- road modelling heroes Tony Koester, Lance Mindheim, Bruce Chubb etc, depending upon the location of a particular Convention. You will never have a chance to see and hear from a better collection of modellers lead- ing their various fields.
What can our other halves do?
Many members attend with their wives, girlfriends, partners who may have no interest in railroads. They are well catered for both in the Con- vention Centre and out on the road. Sessions in non-railroad interests such as needlecraft, wine-tasting, quilting etc are the norm, with visits out to local shops and suppliers. In addition they can also join the tours.
 Tom Dill’s Ashland in HO on the Portland PDX 2015 Convention layout tour
 

















































































   24   25   26   27   28