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Post by bncascadegreen on Aug 16, 2023 23:10:29 GMT -8
Next week? A national train show? Just read that today
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Post by gevohogger on Aug 17, 2023 3:51:58 GMT -8
I think they do it every year. I've never been to it. Attendance isn't mandatory.
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Post by wagnersteve on Aug 17, 2023 4:52:43 GMT -8
August 17, starting about 8:46 a.m., EDT
The National Train Show traditionally overlaps with the last part of the National Model Railroad Association's National Convention. I've been to the train show in Philadelphia and to parts of the convention and train show in Boston back in the 1970's. Model railroad suppliers often make major announcements in connection with those events, which the commercial model railroad press and this forum cover quite well. I served as a local guide on several bus tours to model railroad layouts at the Boston convention and was able to comment on some of the railroad lines we saw while en route. Lots of fun. But I've never been able to attend the conventions and shows much farther my home.
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Post by 12bridge on Aug 17, 2023 5:08:24 GMT -8
The NMRA convention is shrinking. I have heard complaints from many manufacturers (hell, it's not cheap just as an attendee) about the costs involved to attend, thus many do not go any more.
NMRA really needs to get with the picture with the way the hobby is going, and Judged contests and MMRs are not it..
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Post by richardthomasatal on Aug 17, 2023 5:19:34 GMT -8
The NMRA convention is shrinking. I have heard complaints from many manufacturers (hell, it's not cheap just as an attendee) about the costs involved to attend, thus many do not go any more. NMRA really needs to get with the picture with the way the hobby is going, and Judged contests and MMRs are not it.. The NMRA show is a shell of it's former self. I had high hopes for the future of the NMRA but it's just not panning out with it's aging members even under somewhat new leadership. With Kalmbach now owning Trainfest and it only coming around every other year, I guess Denver and Amherst are the big shows. I don't even know if Kalmbach will keep doing Trainfest if it isn't a big money maker for them. Times they are a changin'. Companies can get just as much attention on their product without any travel costs or time by using the internet as their message delivery tool. |
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Post by carrman on Aug 17, 2023 10:02:01 GMT -8
Used to look forward every year to see what new products would be announced. Now it's a crapshoot to see if things are even announced.
Dave
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Post by markfj on Aug 17, 2023 13:38:55 GMT -8
When the NMRA convention was held in Philly several years ago, I was really excited to attend until I started adding up all the costs. Tickets, parking, and gas totaled close to $70. All that money just to walk in the door and I haven’t bought anything, no thanks! Of course these days, I wouldn’t dream of going to “any” convention held in Philly even if I had money to burn.
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Post by fishbelly on Aug 17, 2023 13:44:19 GMT -8
I agree with you Dave. I do not look forward to announcements anymore. They have lost their luster over the years. When the market was thin on the various equipment. I used to be very excited about what might show up next. Now it comes and goes without any hoopla. Just another announcement.
There are things I would like to see, but if they do not materialize. Oh well, just means I do not have to spend the money on it.
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Post by valenciajim on Aug 17, 2023 15:28:16 GMT -8
I have attended 8 national NMRA conventions. The last was in 2015. I always enjoyed them immensely. From 2016-2019, I attended regional conventions. I was planning on attending the one in Dallas, but I have a family commitment and I have to travel back east. It looks like there will be some really outstanding layouts this year.
I used to love visiting layouts, the modelling with the masters and several of the presentations. Next year's convention is on Long Beach, CA, so I will probably attend that one.
I am talking about the convention rather than the train show that is open to the public starting the Friday of convention week. I am less interested in those shows these days.
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Post by hudsonyard on Aug 17, 2023 15:34:08 GMT -8
the northeast regional NMRA thing is on long island this year, guy whose layout i occasionally operate on is the registrar, with only a couple months to go there is a lot of nervousness about only having 50 maybe 60 registered. it's like a 500 dollar weekend, i couldn't imagine justifying spending that kind of coin to quite frankly, see a lot of mediocrity.
30 years in the hobby and i've never had any desire to join the NMRA, our local here is a joke and I never really liked how they treat operations like another merit badge.
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Post by valenciajim on Aug 17, 2023 16:17:09 GMT -8
the northeast regional NMRA thing is on long island this year, guy whose layout i occasionally operate on is the registrar, with only a couple months to go there is a lot of nervousness about only having 50 maybe 60 registered. it's like a 500 dollar weekend, i couldn't imagine justifying spending that kind of coin to quite frankly, see a lot of mediocrity. 30 years in the hobby and i've never had any desire to join the NMRA, our local here is a joke and I never really liked how they treat operations like another merit badge. I have really enjoyed my experiences with the NMRA. In 2000 I attended my first convention in San Jose. At the time, I was designing my current layout. My oldest son and I spent about 45 minutes discussing my layout planning with David Barrow and John Armstrong. I really learned a lot. When the convention was in Cincinnati, I visited Allen McClelland's Virginian and Ohio and seeing the real thing is much different than watching a video or reading about it. I also learned a lot by visiting Bruce Chubb's layout. I have met a lot a great people and have seen some wonderful layouts. I learned a lot from the clinics. Before I retired, attending an NMRA Convention was really a refreshing break from work. (Public accounting is very stressful.) I still keep in touch with several people I met at NMRA Conventions. I understand that the NMRA is not everyone's cup of tea and I have respect for those who don't want to participate, but I have enjoyed it. I have not attended any NMRA events after the pandemic, so I do not know to what extent things have changed. |
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Post by lvrr325 on Aug 17, 2023 23:17:37 GMT -8
Funny, I just posted elsewhere my usual list of shows for upstate New York. It's pretty much all the same events.
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Post by alcoc430 on Aug 18, 2023 18:52:02 GMT -8
When the NMRA convention was held in Philly several years ago, I was really excited to attend until I started adding up all the costs. Tickets, parking, and gas totaled close to $70. All that money just to walk in the door and I haven’t bought anything, no thanks! Of course these days, I wouldn’t dream of going to “any” convention held in Philly even if I had money to burn. That was 17 years ago! LOL. Coming from NJ, I attended the trainshow portion on one day, even found on-street parking couple blocks away. I dont recall too much about it or if I even bought anything but do remember it was at a nice venue. |
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