2018 NMRA National Convention and Train Show, Kansas City August 5-12

[Cajonpassfan]

Anybody here going to the KC event in August?
I don't belong to the NMRA any more, but do participate in OpSig (special interest group) and so I decided to go this year after a twenty-plus year absence.

Will any of you  :ashat:s be there? Or any KC locals? Layouts to visit? People to meet? Railroad sites to visit and photograph?
Suggestions and ideas appreciated!

Thanks,
Otto K.

[squirrelhunter]

Is the public show Saturday and Sunday only?

[draskouasshat]

otto, ill be there as I'm local and I THINK that's my week off. its been 20 years since its been in kc so I'm not sure if I'm only allowed in the public show or what the case is.
Rodney I believe will have his layout open as well as a few other big nscale layouts.
Ill be around if you have any KC questions and what not.

Drasko

[RBrodzinsky]

Is the public show Saturday and Sunday only?

Friday noon through Sunday

[mmagliaro]

I'm going with family to do family things around KC, but fitting in some time at the NMRA show (the convention and
the open train show at the end of the week).  As far as I understand, the convention events (clinics, railroad site tours,  model contest, etc) are only open to NMRA members who register for the convention.  The
National Train Show at the end of the week is open to the general public, but the first morning of it (Friday morning) is open only to convention registrants.

[Ike the BN Freak]

My son and I will be flying out from Las Vegas, and my parents will be meeting us there from Pittsburgh.  But we're only there for the public show dates

[JaxTerminal]

Jacksonville Terminal Company will be there, and are expecting to have some NEW N SCALE announcements. Please visit us at Booths 1914/2013, an End cap double booth.
BR,
Steve

[C855B]

I was planning to make it there Sunday for the public show. However, after checking my calendar, I have a concert Saturday evening which I originally thought was at noon. So trying to do the six-hour drive and then the show all on Sunday throws a big wrench into that plan, 'specially considering we're not early risers. Phooey. You guys have fun.

[Cajonpassfan]

Okay, the convention is ON, the weather is good but WARM, programs are GOOD, bars VERY accessible, even on a Sunday. This isn't Utah after all
A busy and enjoyable day and a half so far...

Union Station is a piece of art (and history), nicely reconstructed and maintained, and they have a great breakfast there at Harvey's, how cool. And very affordable, too.

We got to railfan the crazy Santa Fe Jct. the first evening out, it looks like something an overly ambitious modeler might build, not very prototypical; at grade crossings, wyes', a double decked bridge, and about 200 trains a day I'm told (by a visiting bloke from "across the pond"... must be true, right?). Wow.

Speaking of ambitious modelers, today we got to run on our very own @rodsup9000 's very ambitious but fabulous Western Pacific cca 1955, a fun afternoon filled with running 40 car trains between Sacramento and Reno. Thank you Rodney!! This is a model railroad to watch, with Feather River scenery just screaming to get started....

And they serve amazing ribs and beans and stuff at Rodney's too, (his wife must be an angel to not just put up with us all, but to feed us, too👌 So thank you both!!

Coming back to the hotel, we needed a beer or two, but left the bar at 8:55 pm to attend a 9pm clinic on realistic operations (really, who goes to a clinic at 9 pm??😝 We must be nuts...
To be continued,
Otto K?

[Ike the BN Freak]

Okay, the convention is ON, the weather is good but WARM...

What is "WARM?"  At my house its 2307 and 93 degrees, so it is starting to cool down.

[MK]

9PM clinics???!!!! Yeah, you guys are nuts indeed!   

Otto, can you give us a report on the T-Trak layout when you get to it?  Take some pictures if you can.

I just came back from Altoona and I saw a B size blueprint of the layout and it's mind blowing!  Over 300 modules (doubles!) and 40+ scale miles!   

[Rossford Yard]

Denver Road Doug and I will be there Saturday and Sunday for the show.  I am NMRA, but haven't signed up for clinics, or would be able to take off the entire week.

[superchief]

Otto, looks like your having fun, Kansas City Union Station, Santa Fe Jct, and 60 car trains at Rodney's does not get much better than that. BBQ, trains and Good times. Have Fun, wish I was there, Gordon

[atsf_arizona]

9PM clinics???!!!! Yeah, you guys are nuts indeed!   

Otto, can you give us a report on the T-Trak layout when you get to it?  Take some pictures if you can.

I just came back from Altoona and I saw a B size blueprint of the layout and it's mind blowing!  Over 300 modules (doubles!) and 40+ scale miles!   

Yes, at a good NMRA National Convention (which, knowing the modeler's that are in the KC area, this one will probably be a great one), the clinics start at 8am and probably go until 10pm at least.  It's a huge feast of Model Railroading expertise.

Yes, take some pics of the T-Trak layout.  Say hi to Bruce Arbo for all of us.


Now, my personal commericial for this coming Wednesday 8/8 at the NMRA Nationals....

All, IMHO, one of the great values of a NMRA National is the Layout Design SIG (Special Interest Group).  They have a specific room set up for that SIG, great modelers hang out there, and on Wednesday there is the traditional "Drive Yourself" daylong Layout Design SIG layout tour.

It's one of the best values you'll ever see, some amazing layouts and the focus of course, is on the design aspect and then the execution of those (often grand) layouts.  I have enjoyed arriving at a NMRA National, getting a one day registration (yes, I'm pretty sure they have those), and signing up to be part of the Layout Design SIG, then going to their room and getting the package of maps for self-driving yourself around to all these great layouts.  You'll be able to visit from approx 9am to 9pm.   You'll see amazing layouts being built by the really serious modelers.
 You'll meet some amazing model railroaders, both the owners on display and the others that you'll "happen to meet when you are there".

All the info is here:  http://www.ldsig.org/kansascity2018
List of *25* great layouts.   Photos of all of them so you can figure out which one you want to visit.

If you can find some fellow modelers who you enjoy company with, then it's even better to carpool together and enjoy a very long day of Layout Design SIG.

Some examples of this Wed tours, from Milwaukee 2010:

http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/jim_kelly_tehachapi_n_scale
http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/andy_sperandeos_ho_santa_fe_cajon_pass
http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/napm_nmra_natls_2010
http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/bob_perrins_ho_illinois_central

And Los Angeles 2008:
http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/nmranatl2008wed&page=all



Those of you who are in KC area, my humble recommendation = take advantage of this.  This is one of those kinds of things that are probably not well known if you're not hooked into the NMRA Layout Design SIGs.  But it is IMHO one of the great experiences that you'll have in our hobby.

Let me know if any of you take me up on my recommendation, and what you thought of it.

 

(no I won't be in KC, hate to miss, but responsibilities.....)

[Cajonpassfan]

John is absolutely right-on! We had another awesome day with the OpSig,  literally op till you drop on two enormous and very well implemented layouts: John Percy' Buffalo and Pittsburgh in N scale, and Mike Porter's HO Chicago Great Western. I just got back to my hotel room at 11 pm local time, too beat to do an update, so just a couple of teasers...
Tom, the happy engineer (and a new friend) on my B&P local, and some HO action in the wilds of Iowa. The social side of this is truly wonderful.
Good times!
Otto K.