When did the N scale convention get taken over by collectors?

[wcfn100]

I participated in the 1999 N scale convention in St. Paul and don't remember any involvement from the N Scale Collector group, now it appears as if they're running it.

Did I miss something?  When did this happen?

Jason

[peteski]

I don't think there ever were any national N Scale conventions which were not affiliated wither with  NMRA (indirectly) or with N Scale Collector (now known as N Scale Enthusiast). After all, who would organize such event if it wasn't done by one of those organizations?

Our club (Northeast N-Trak) does organize Winterfest at the Amherst show every Winter, but that is just a mini-convention which pales in comparison to the ones organized by NSE.

[pedro]

Weren't there ntrak conventions held in conjunction with nmra for a number of years? The n scale collector conventions were separate.

[DKS]

NSE/NSC have been hosting annual N Scale conventions for 17 years. It may be that the degree of their "presence" could vary depending on the activities taking place at each convention. For instance, if they hook up with local modeling groups, NSE/NSC's influence may not be as noticeable.

[Philip H]

I went to a national Ntrak convention in Orlando back in 1994 which was there because the NMRA was out west - California, I think. The NSC guys had a vendor table, but it wasn't their show.

[wcfn100]

Okay I see where I went wrong.

When I saw 'National' I thought it had something to do with the NMRA National Convention not just the collector convention.

In '99, we held an N scale convention in conjunction with the NMRA National, and it had no association with NSC who had held their convention a week earlier in St Louis.


Jason

[x600]

National N Scale Convention is a Registered Trademark
of the N Scale Enthusiast®

They're not just collectors anymore.........

Greg O.
mrns.org

[wcfn100]

National N Scale Convention is a Registered Trademark
of the N Scale Enthusiast®

I'll believe that when it shows in the records.

Regardless, I kind hope it's not true.  A manufacturer owning a name like that doesn't seem like a good thing.

Jason

[peteski]

Yes, NSE does come out with special run cars, but does that make them a manufacturer?

Anybody can contract "real" N scale manufacturers (like Atlas, MT or IM) to produce a batch of custom cars for them.  I could do that too. I could also produce a newsletter.  Does that make me a manufacturer?

As far as the copyright not being true, it is right on the bottom of http://nscaleenthusiast.com/
Do you think they are fibbing?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Eh, I get the N Scale Enthusiast mags at the Springfield show. With the exception of Carter's vehicle series and George Johnsen's crazy manic mug shots there really isn't much that I find interesting.

I remember NSC/NSE had its own show and there was also a National N Scale Convention, which was geared to modelers and Ntrak. Then one year they merged, then the NSC/NSE seemed to take over and let go of the modeler's perspective like a long, slow fart.

I have not heard anything good about the last N Scale Convention other than the patience of the awsome Z scale modelers who showed us with the ONLY operating layout.

[DKS]

I have not heard anything good about the last N Scale Convention other than the patience of the awsome Z scale modelers who showed us with the ONLY operating layout.

+1

[Sokramiketes]

Eh, I get the N Scale Enthusiast mags at the Springfield show. With the exception of Carter's vehicle series and George Johnsen's crazy manic mug shots there really isn't much that I find interesting.

I remember NSC/NSE had its own show and there was also a National N Scale Convention, which was geared to modelers and Ntrak. Then one year they merged, then the NSC/NSE seemed to take over and let go of the modeler's perspective like a long, slow fart.

I have not heard anything good about the last N Scale Convention other than the patience of the awsome Z scale modelers who showed us with the ONLY operating layout.

Well, the last convention was geared around being close to Micro-Trains.  Are there any N scale groups in the area that could have set up? 

The NSE convenstions, going back to the NSC days, are a different kind of convention.  There's a lot of family planning and day trips wrapped in with the train aspect.  Some years are in big cities with hotbeds of modeling activity, other years are smaller and out of the way a bit more. 

This year the convention will be in Milwaukee.  Modutrak will be there along with at least two other N scale group's.  It should be fun.

[Philip H]

There are plenty of n scale/ntrak groups that would have gone to Medford had there been an opportunity (I can think of at least three from Seattle who trek to Portland every year); I also believe there's a big N trak group in Portland for whom it would have been an easy drive.  But they aren't going to spend a day schleping down and another day schleping back if they aren't invited.

As to Milwaukee - I have heard a lot about the convention forthcoming - I'm hoping it's time well for a visit to the inlaws in Green Bay.

[sirenwerks]

Maybe there needs to be an alt shadow convention - the N Scale Modelers convention?

[bbussey]

Last year's NSE convention was an anniversary event centered around MTL and was an anomaly to the current format.  The annual N scale convention of the last roughly 15 years has been run by the NSE, of which the governing body is comprised primarily of executives from the N scale manufacturers.  The NSE itself is not a manufacturer.   The organization no longer focuses specifically on the MTL collecting aspect, and hasn't for a number of years.  NSE does offer special runs produced by a collective of manufacturers to help raise funds to finance the conventions.  Other than last year, the convention format and structure follow what had been established when Houston N Crowd held the first one in the 1980s - a five-day event with modeling clinics, layout tours, the model and photography contest, the flea market, the public weekend show, the silent and live auctions, the banquet dinner, the manufacturers' breakfast, convention cars, and various railroad and non-railroad related events themed to the host region.  A large majority of the manufacturers attend and participate in the breakfast event, including all of the majors.  The convention rotates between the east, central and west regions of the country, and usually is conducted with a hosting model railroad club which handles the local logistics in the two years leading up to the event.

You could try to create a shadow convention.  But everything was consolidated to the current format in the 1990s because the mini-conventions of previous years didn't have the desired delegate and manufacturer participation.  You're better off supporting the NSE conventions than trying to start your own.  Better yet, you can volunteer to be the hosting club, which would give you a fair amount of input into the planning of the event.  That would be your best avenue, as you would have the full backing and weight of the NSE organization and goodwill rather than trying to do the same task on your own.

To be honest, I was skeptical also before I attended the Chantilly convention in 2004.  Other than Medford last year, I've been attending ever since and been participating in the breakfast since 2009.