NWHS 2008 Convention

[NW Mailing List]

Well, Dave, since I was one of the presenters and was lightly involved in the planning, I was hoping someone else would reply, but, here goes.

I think just about everyone who attended had a good time.  Yes, there were bocoo diesels, but if you wanted to watch trains this was certainly in the top handful of conventions.  For heavens sake, we spent half our time in a sort of U made up of two double track north-south lines crossed by a double track east west line.  That's 8 diamonds in the space of one block, with a station--restored nicely and with a good model railroad club in residence--in the U, and a restaurant with some of the best steakburgers I've ever had.  We also got to see the restored and moved interlocking tower (the tower that a grant from Kalmbach helped with the moving).[and you know, when we went to Strasburg and got to ride behind A Real N&W Steam Locomotive, there were those who didn't like the fact that we weren't on the N&W.  Aaaargh!!]

I thought the tour to Bellevue and Bucyrus was excellent.  The people at the NS yard were helpful and courteous to an extreme.  Actually watching a working hump yard is interesting.  Restoration of the Bucyrus depot is truly a labor of love (and expense)that's coming along remarkably.

Steve and John made it clear that there would be more presentations (I guess we're calling them seminars; COHS is now calling them workships.  I still think of them as clinics)than usual.  All were good, I thought (not judging my own, of course).  Some were exceptional.  Bob Hundman gave one on coal mining and one on scratchbuilding a depot; I think we're very lucky to have him on board.  Karen Parker has been a good friend for several years, so I may be prejudiced, but her presentation on tweaking photos with Adobe Photoshop elements was excellent and was well received.  Gene Huddleston's slideshow was up to his usual (very very high)standard, as was Everett Young's. Dick Argo gave a neat show on transition era freight cars.  We were treated to several travelogue type slide shows covering a lot of Ohio railroad, and they were given by some pretty knowledgable people.

Banquet was good.  Ambience was good.  Model contest was, yes, light.  Had to miss the business meeting, but I'm sure it was fun.  
Can't speak to the non-rail events.  Bob Bowers ran the company store well, and there were a handful of other dealers present that deserved to do well.

Of course part of the fun is getting to see people that I only get to see once or twice a year, and make some new friends.

Apologies to anyone I forgot to mention.  It is said that opinions are like noses: everbody has one.  That's mine Dave.  Now others can take their shots.

Frank Bongiovanni


--- On Fri, 6/27/08, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:


> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Subject: NWHS 2008 Convention

> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Date: Friday, June 27, 2008, 8:20 PM

> Marion was the first convention I missed since Bristol ca

> 1994.  Maybe it's just me, but I haven't seen many

> comments about the convention so far.  Since neither Sally

> nor I were there this time, I was depending on the list for

> comments on the various presentations, venues, model contest

> and other events that are usually covered here in the week

> or two following previous conventions but before the

> feature article in The Arrow.  What was happening?

> 

> Dave Stephenson

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

>       

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