Excellent, see you there!
Only two weeks to go and I am certainly remiss for not updating. I hope we can still recruit more of you to come to Bloomington on September 2nd. First there will be a table where Ken Karns and I will be to promote SWSM with several examples of kits, what and how to order and other info. Everything except Brett!
There will be at least 17 built up SWSM kits on display in addition to several in the contest room as there normally are. These include 4 from Ken Karns-the best modeler I know, the great O scale sawmill from Bill Obenauf, all 11 of the ones I have done over the years and the O scale sawmill that Ray Knight is finishing up.
Six clinics from Ken, Bill and myself. A party room for SWSM fans and all those on this forum. And if you haven’t been to a National Narrow Gauge Convention you will probably say that it is the best model railroad show you have been to. Neil Maldeis has his great layout on tour that features several Sierra West models and there are 44 other great home and club layouts.
The model contest at the NNGC many including myself believe is the best in the world each year. So others please jump in here to offer some other reasons to attend. Plenty of rooms still available at the DoubleTree by Hilton at the special rate.
See the convention website for all of the details.
And there is still hope that Sir Nick-O will make the trip over the Pond to surprise us!!
Excellent promo work here Mike. Sure hope to see more SWSM faithful at the show to talk shop, study built-up models, scour the vendor tables, partake in food and drink, and just have a ball! Providing a hospitality room for SWSM faithful is just over the top awesome! After each of my clinics, I’ll be adjourning to the SWSM hospitality room to answer additional questions and look at some specifics on a model or two. Really looking forward to this show and hope to see folks there…
Mike has been such an inspiration over the years and his handling and promotion of show and providing for the SierraWest crew is just incredible. Mike is the main reason I’m driving the 13 hours to the show and doing a clinic. Thanks Mike!
Afraid I won’t be making this one, but hope you get a good crowd. Hopefully someone can get some pics, and I will be watching the news to see what yall are up to lol
Sorry, Mike, that hope is fading fast , I am afraid you are going to have to cancel the convention as I won’t be able to make it . Which is a shame , as you have all been hoping that after 16 years away I would make a triumphal return to you fair shores. Not this year . It actually promises to be a great show and I wish I could sit at Grungy’s feet , hanging on to his every utterance and noting down his wise words on model building . I have so much to learn.
Have great time all who attend and I look forward to viewing the event on YouTube.
Sir NickO
I have been a quiet observer here for many years and finally (this is my first post ever) feel compelled to say how much I’m looking forward to meeting and mingling with the SWSM faithfull in Minneapolis next week!
Ned
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Hey Ned,
Alright, glad to hear you’ll be attending! Should be a great time and look forward to meeting you.
I sure will miss you all at the convention. I am having to continue to work for a living so that is keeping me from being there. I have no doubt the model contest entries and the home layout tours will be top shelf. Be sure to show us some pictures of all the cool trains.
Jaime
Sure wish I could join and meet some of you guys. Unfortunately, my wife is going to have knee surgery, and I better be here … 
Like Jaime, hoping to see some pictures!
Urs
I truly wish I could have been there to add to the Seirra West stuff…plans just didn’t work out for this year with the family travel had planned since last year…I even tried to add a few days to the trip and “detour” to Minneapolis…but the wife would have none of it…Hope to be there next year…but next year is so far away…But there’s always “Micro Madness” in January…
Have GREAT meeting guys! Send LOTS of photos!
Just a quick update. I attended Ken Karns clinic last night. Truly amazing, inspiring, and well thought out. This for sure ranks as one of the best clinics I’ve seen at Narrow Gauge conventions in recent years. Thank you for coming to Minnesota this year Ken.
Any chance of it being streamed or posted on the forum?
Hey Ray,
I appreciate the kind words here my friend! It was so nice meeting you and appreciate your hospitality. I wish we had more time to spend talking and hanging out. You were a gracious host, transporting our small group to a few of the layout tours, which were incredible of course, and wanted to thank you so much for the technical support during my clinic. I was able to connect my MacBook directly to the projector with the provided HDMI cable but I didn’t have a chance to set-up my iphone to remote change the slides. Ray volunteered to sit and change the slides for me! I was also given a bottle of Colorado Red Fine…no, not bourbon…dirt! I had mentioned I wanted to try changing up the look of my ground work from the basic brown eastern dirt to some of the orangish/reddish dirt often see in the desert SW. Ray came through with a container of Colorado dirt which is a beautiful muted red fine soil…perfect! Thanks buddy, I owe you some eastern Ohio Aged Fine! lol. You’re a wonderful modeler and even a better friend, and I can say that despite us only “knowing” each other for a short time…you can just tell about a person straight away!
Best show hands down that I have ever been to! Testament to the organizers and all those involved. Folks were just wonderful and I had many memorable conversations and enjoyed putting names to faces. Special shout out to Mike Engler who set-up a nifty SierraWest Scale Models support booth at the show. I had three dioramas on display and Mike had most of his inventory there as well. His models were a huge hit! I believe between the SWSM booth and my clinics, SierraWest made a big impact on the attendees!
Look forward to attending next year in North Carolina.
Ken
I sure hope I can attend next year.
I will not be missing Hickory…
Already planning that one. Trying to peer pressure Joel into joining me on the drive down. Only 6 hours from my place. Will be getting a couple tables in the vendor room for display/sell. That worked out really well in MN, as clinic attendees were able to see some of my dioramas and talk shop outside the clinic rooms.
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Right now I’m a little conventioned out. That will most likely change in the next few months. It would be nice to see a large Sierra West contingent gathered in one spot, if a good sized group gathered it would be worth the drive.
Right now I plan attend in Hickory but a lot can happen in the next twelve months.
Hickory is only a hop skip and a jump from my cabin in Virginia .
terry
Any news from the model contest?