That’s okay, because the visitors see only the things that are there. (How’s that for wisdom?) They won’t know I wanted there to be a row crop in the field by the Southern Pacific helper spur. (I did at least place a wagon there so they wouldn’t assume it was going to be a lake bed.) Nor will they miss the animated grade crossing signals that never got installed at Caliente.
Still, because they were coming, I probably made double the progress I would have this past spring. As I write this, just days after the convention, I’m still in recovery mode, but the effort was certainly worth it. I had about 110 visitors, including some from New Zealand, England, Australia, Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Thankfully, the layout behaved nicely and I was able to spend my time talking to visitors while friends Andy Sperandeo and Gordy Spiering ran the trains.
I’ve started this column with the visitors coming to my house because for me that was the highlight of the convention. But that was only a small part of the big picture. Mine was only one of six layouts on the Friday tour.
I had time to enjoy two other layout tours. I saw a half-dozen very nice N scale layouts that I had never seen before. As a bonus, I really enjoy seeing the world from the higher vantage point you get riding in a bus.
This 17th annual national convention was put on by what is now known as the N Scale Enthusiast. Wick Brandon founded the organization and publication as N Scale Collector, but later the name was changed to be more inclusive of N scale modelers.
Still, collecting is a primary interest of many who attended the convention. These folks like the special runs, particularly those by Micro-Trains Line. Companies and organizations, none more than the N Scale Enhusiast itself, commission these special-run cars. Such cars fall into two main categories: prototype and fantasy.
Other manufacturers also make collector cars, but Micro-Trains remains the king. In fact, if you join N Scale Enthusiast, you receive a special M-T membership car. If you attend the National N Scale Convention and go to the banquet, you get another.
Certainly not all those who attended the convention are special-run collectors. Many are there to look for bargains or pick up items they missed out on or didn’t know about. They also want to meet manufacturers, find out what’s coming, and perhaps most important, enjoy the company of those who share their interest in and love for N scale.
If you’ve been to other types of conventions, National Model Railroad Association regionals or nationals for example, you’ll find most of the same trappings: layout and other tours, clinics, modeling contests, a banquet, an auction, a public show, and modular layouts.
One event I especially enjoy is the manufacturers’ breakfast. After the meal, the manufacturers report on their plans and upcoming products.
Besides the emphasis on a single scale, I’d say the main difference is the amount of commerce going on. N scalers go there to buy, and buy they do.
Every N scaler I’ve ever met has been a collector to some extent. I like to collect cars from the railroads of fellow modelers, especially if I’ve met them. I’m talking about the likes of Allen McClelland’s Virginian & Ohio, Tony Koester’s Allegheny Midland, or John Armstong’s Canandaigua Southern.
None of these lines were N scale. They are all freelanced, but faithful to prototype practice. They have their own identities, themes, time periods, geographic locations, and paint schemes. To me, the V&O is as real as the Pennsylvania or the New York Central.
I also like the special cars that model railroad companies release from time to time to commemorate special moments in their histories. I’m especially partial to Model Railroader magazine anniversary cars. (I still cringe at the memory of Gordon Odegard stripping some two-dozen of the N scale 40th anniversary cars and repainting them for Schlitz.)
And even though some of the special-run souvenir cars you get for attending conventions can be a little cheesy (like the Micro-Trains cheese flatcar shown above), I enjoy them.
