Please share if attending the NMRA convention

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

Usually, the modular clubs are the ones that show up at these sorts of shows, and I can't find any mention of a modular On30 club in the Wisconsin area on the On30 Annual listing.  There may be one, but I can't find it.  I would suspect that the influence of Kalmbach and Walthers might make it a more prototypical HO/N area.

On the other hand, next years NMRA convention is in Sacramento, and California has lots of On30 activity across the state.  So hopefully the On30 representation will be better next year.

manager

[ebtnut]

Like most of us on this board, I was disappointed in the lack of new On30 stuff from Bachmann.  The Porters may have been re-engineered, but they aren't "new".  They did hold out some promise of something new towards year-end (which I take to mean the holiday season).  FWIW, I happen to think that the Baldwin industrial Mogul announced in Large scale would be a very nice addition to the On30 line. 

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

Personally, I really like the look of the new LS 2-4-2T for On30, although I know there is a lot of interest in other "geared" locos.  It would sure be cool to get an announcement or two at the National Narrow Gauge Convention, which is certain to have more people interested in On30 than the crowd at Milwaukee.

That's probably too much anticipating...

Manager

[ScottyB]

Yeah, there was just the one On30 layout.  It is a section from a local home layout - actually nicely done - the guy brings it to all the local shows.  Just a point to point section more for display than anything.  He will run a Forney or Shay or whatever he brings with him - back and forth.  They were right next to the "kid-activated" Lionel layout that was louder than all heck.  Bachmann did not have their On30 layout there.

The only other things On30 related were a few of the laser structure manufacturers that have O scale offerings.  There was one store that had quite a bit of Bachmann's On30 items, too.  Can't remember which one it was.  Their pricing was quite a bit higher than "street price" though.

No other narrow gauge to speak of.  I was also surprised at the complete lack of anything large scale at the show.  Just Bachmann's display booth and one retailer that had just a few of the standard gauge freight cars in the blue box.  No running models at all.  At Trainfest in Milwaukee each November there are at least 3 or 4 running large scale layouts.

Plenty of HO (snore) and a surprising number of N scale layouts - the quality of those little trains is really amazing.  There was also one 2-rail O layout.  A couple of Z scale layouts had spectacular scenery - one in particular I found absolutely outstanding.

But sadly, not much for us On30ers.

Scott