Dan Peters
Like many people, I hate to fly. I’m on the tall side, and modern airplane seats are made for people the size of pre-schoolers, or residents of Munchkinland. Leg cramps are not my favorite way to start a vacation. And don’t even get me started on airport security, or flight attendants. As a result, I avoid NMRA national conventions unless I can drive, or ride the train.
Regional conventions are a good compromise, for those years when the national convention is too far to drive, and school break happens to fall at the right time. A chance to get away from home, meet new friends, and do some model railroading at the same time. All the advantages of a national convention without having to fly. Like a national convention, a regional offers the best of the best. I’ve been to lots of PNR conventions, and always had a good time.
The 2013 PNR convention was held at Boise, Idaho last month, and the Third Division put on an excellent event. I didn’t see a single face that wasn’t smiling the whole time. True, the temperature was in the high 90’s and low 100’s every day, combined with high humidity. But most participants spent the majority of their time inside, where it was air conditioned. Even the hotel pool was inside the atrium.
They called it Snake River Special, although I don’t know anybody who calls these things anything other than “the PNR convention.” Like any NMRA convention or mini-meet I’ve ever been to, there was a lot more to do than there was time to do it.
The fun started bright and early Thursday morning, with a tour of three club layouts. Because of limited parking at all three locations, this tour traveled by bus. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since several of the clubs were located in far-flung suburbs, or were hard to find. It allowed participants to begin getting acquainted during the long road miles.
The Caldwell club is located in a building with a pair of storefronts that they managed to buy two years ago. See, the Great Recession in real estate had some benefits, after all, the building was sitting vacant, plus they could afford it. One storefront holds a large HO scale layout that they only started when they bought the building. The main line is operational, but many sidings and branch lines, along with scenery, are still in the planning or construction phases. The other storefront holds an N scale layout that they were able to move from their previous location, plus an extensive collection of magazines, books, videos, artwork, and research material. This club also owns NMRA standard modules, in both HO and N scale, which are stored in their building.
The Nampa club is located in the basement of a commercial building. Their large HO layout has been there a good long time, and all trackwork is fully functional. Scenery, which is complete in one long leg of their U-shaped layout, depicts the surrounding Idaho countryside. They also have a large and comfortable lounge room, with a library.
The Old Boise club is located right in the middle of downtown, in the top level of a mini-mall. Their large N scale layout runs great and looks great, it puts the best face on the hobby from its location which is visible to the public all day every day. Emphasis is on industry, both heavy and light, and mainline operation. Their layout fills the entire space.
Thursday afternoon was just as hectic as the morning. First a clinic on improving cheap rolling stock. Cheap, they must have known I was coming. Next a break to “enjoy” the 100 degree heat, on the way to a home layout. It was an excellent HO layout of the Nickel Plate and Pennsylvania Railroads in Indiana. Multiple levels. Outstanding scenery. A video of the layout, being played in the family room, took a few minutes before you realized you were watching a video of a model, not the prototype. Then it was back to the hotel, for a couple more clinics. One by our own CJ Riley on believable rolling stock, the other an excellent clinic on how to improve your scenery.
One more evening home layout tour, of a freelanced HO line set in Idaho, with a stop for supper on the way back. Finally, a late night and an early morning caught up with me, and it was a self guided tour to the land of nod.
Friday morning started with a clinic on building craftsman kits. The remainder of the morning was spent examining the contest models, with plenty of time and no crowds, and window shopping in the silent auction room. Friday noon was the luncheon, a strictly social event to meet one another.
Next, back on the road for more home layout tours. What a combination. Southern Pacific in O scale, with excellent scenery and many brass locomotives, a real smooth runner. Canadian Pacific in proto-48 (“true O scale”), in its own building (“coach house”), all locomotives heavily modified, and pretty much all the rolling stock scratch build. Scenery consisted of many scratch and kit build structures and bridges. The Pennsylvania Railroad in HO, in the coal fields. The Union Pacific in HO, with a large hidden staging yard capable of holding many entire trains, emphasis is on mainline operation.
Friday evening wrapped up with an after supper clinic, again on craftsman kits, these of the laser cut variety.
Saturday morning started with voting for contest models, since I knew the contest rooms would be off limits in the afternoon. Then, a clinic on scratchbuilding a stockyard. Yes, there is a stockyard on my layout. There are stockyards in Illinois and Iowa, you know. The remainder of the morning was spent looking at the portable and modular layouts which had been let up at the convention hotel, and shopping at the swap meet.
Saturday afternoon saw more home layouts. Western Pacific in HO scale, which takes advantage of the mountain scenery by also modeling the HOn3 Rio Grande Southern on “the other side of the mountain.” Another freelanced HO layout set in Idaho. And the Santa Fe in HO scale, up and over RatonPass.
In all, there were 30 home layouts to choose from. Some were open multiple days. Add half a dozen club layouts, and even if someone had spent all day every day, they still couldn’t have seen them all.
A pause to rest up and clean up after the heat and all the running around, and there was nothing left but the Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. The food was better than expected for mass produced hotel food. The “right” contest models won (the ones I liked), concluding with the popular vote category. This triggered a long and thoughtful discussion at my table, of popular vote contests that went over well in the past, and some that didn’t. The main program was given by the Divas (wives and girlfriends), a welcome change from that cringe-inducing term the Railettes, on Boise history. The banquet was followed by an extended social hour.
The convention didn’t officially wrap up until Sunday, but the only thing on the agenda was the public show, portable and modular layouts, and swap meet, all of which I had already seen on Saturday. So I took advantage, and headed for the Rocky Mountains to go camping. Heck, I was already half way there.
