For some 15 plus years I have been attending the NMRA Regional Conventions. With the boys leaving the nest, in 2004 we started attending the biannual Easter conventions in New Zealand. We found that conventions offered so much more to the modeller, they were the place to be if you wanted to grow in the hobby. Learning first hand from very experienced modellers. A big plus is the other modellers you meet, they may not model the same prototype or scale as you, but they have wealth of knowledge in model railwaying. After attending a couple we learnt of the local NMRA Conventions.
After the 2018 Gold Coast convention the NMRA conventions were to be a biannual event and the next one would be in Sydney in 2020. Covid came along and the convention finally went ahead in 2023, somewhat different to the planned convention for 2020. It was a five (5) day event, three (3) days of self-drive layout tours, Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Some 30 plus private and club layouts in about 100 km radius of Sydney were available to delegates to see and operate. The Saturday and Sunday activities were at the Rydges Hotel at Rosehill (Parramatta). Friday evening was welcome canapes at the convention venue, wow, you could tell there was a lots of catching up going on.
Saturday
morning kicked off at 8:00am, set up in the ball room was two traders (Casula
& Bergs Hobbies), convention store/information, five (5) layouts and tables
and chairs. Contest room also opened for entries in the photo and model comp
which I desired I would enter. 9:00 am was the Official Opening followed by a
forum on “Today’s Modelling Scene with a panel of five (5). After morning tea
at 10:45 the first presentations commenced. Most presentations were 45 minutes
with a few being double sessions of 1 hr 45 mins. There was three (3) break out
rooms for presentations, one was theatre style with 60 seats, the other two
were tables and chairs with a capacity of 45 and 25.
Session 1. - 10:45
Flat
Cars – Prototype to Model (Arthur Hayes MMR)
Scratch
Building Industries Sites (Jeff Lee (MMR)
A Newcastle Rail and Industry Museum (Garry Glazebrook) Double Session.
Session 2. - 11:45
LCC
– The current states of use in Layouts (Chris Minahan)
The second session was cancelled owning to ill health of the presenter.
Lunch. – 12:30 Provided in convention fees. Hot meal with sweets.
Session 3. - 1:15
Running
full prototype length model Trains (Terry
Flynn).
Wheels,
Rail, Pickup. (Gerry Hopkins MMR)
Setting
Up for Operations with JMRI (Duncan
Cabassi) Double Session.
Session 4 - 2:15
Decoders
– Preparation, Selection, Installation, Programming. (Gerry Hopkins MMR)
How
do you couple various makes of rollingstock. A primer on N couplers.
(Rob Peterson)
I
missed this session to do some official business with the A4 Diorama Challenge.
Afternoon Tea.
Session 5. 3:30
Focus
on composition and creative viewpoints. “Tell a Story” from many different
train locations and journeys visited overseas and Australia (Ruth Garbutt)
Baseline
Weathering (Steve Pettit MMR) Double session.
Moving
coal on the Newcastle – Fassifern Layout – (Garry
Glazebrook)
Session 6. 4:30
Getting
your Mojo back or finishing that project you started a few years ago.
(Gerry Hopkins MMR)
Get
the Tru-Blu Scoop on Blunami (Martyn Jenkins)
Convention Dinner 6:00. A
three course banquet
Awards, Presentation, Thank you
Sunday – 8:30 Welcome
Session 7. 8:45
Weathering
in a can and with an Accent (Craig Mackie
& PK)
An
Introduction to JMRI and Why you need it. (Ian
Sprent)
Layout
Operations – A workshop (Ian Barnes)
Bring your Grandkids – 9:30 Morning Tea, Operate Layout
and construct a card structure.
Operations. How to get started and enjoyment it adds. (Darren Lee)
Morning Tea – 10:30
Session 9 – 11:00
Servos
for Switches; War stories and Tips (Jeff
Lee MMR)
The
journey in developing an O scale layout of the New York Central West Shore
River Division (David Howarth MMR). Double
session.
Session 10. – 12:00
How to
Train Your Crew (Craig Mackie)
Tip & Tricks for Modelling in Styrene (Arthur Hayes MMR). Full house, awesome session with tons of interaction from other modellers with their methods.
Lunch – 12:45
Session 11. - 1:15
Planning
Your Layout using the rewards and limitations of your aspirations
(Graeme Barnes MMR)
Get
the Tru-Blu Scoop on Blunami (Martyn Jenkins)
Setting
Up Operations with JMRA (Duncan Cabassi)
Session 12. - 2:15
Logging
Railways – A Modeller’s Dream (Ian
Barnes)
Weathering
Rust and Grime (hands On Clinic) (Rob
Barker)
Afternoon Tea – 3:00
Session 13. – 3:20
Build
a Farm Shed (Hands on styrene construction) (Arthur
Hayes MMR)
3D
Printing (David O’Hearn MMR)
Proto
Throttle by Lowa Scaled Engineering prototypical operations (Paul Cassar)
Session 14 – 4:15
JMRI
Software Installation and Configuration (Ian
Sprent)
Trees
for the Forest (Steve Pettit MMR)
Using
Online Tools to Enhance Your Modelling (Gary Ruming)
Convention Closing – 5:10.
Raffles
Auction
Closing
address
Saturday
- Three hour harbour lunching Cruise.
Sunday
– Bus tour visiting historic sites of Parramatta. (Hambledon Cottage & Old
Government House).
Photo
Comp. Junior/Senior. Prototype & Model in colour and B&W.
Model
Comp
A4 Diorama Challenge
Convention Shop; Shirts, Patch’s, Coffee Mugs and rollingstock (HO & N)
Various raffles were conducted both days. (Substitutions to Model Railroader, models & a DCC System)
Overall, around 100 attended the convention, I was able to chat with modellers from Cairns, Bowen, Mackay, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Brisbane (all Queenslanders) and from interstate modellers from Coffs Harbour, Taree, Sydney area, Bowral, Batemans Bay, Canberra and Hobart.
Following
is a slide show of photos from the convention.
I entered two Guards Vans in the Modelling comp in the passenger cars section and was awarded a 1st and a 2nd place. In the photo comp I submitted a number of photos in the colour section for both prototype and model, a photo of Wyandra on the layout was awarded 3rd place in the model section.
Over all it was awesome weekend picking up tons of information I can use going forward, plus the shot in the arm to finish off a few more projects and maybe to start a few more.
Another plus for me was on Thursday night before the convention I required some detailing parts. I email Casula Hobbies with my request, next morning I had a reply and on Saturday morning at the convention I was able to purchase the items at the convention. Thank you Casula Hobbies for great service and for digging me out of a hole.
On the Monday we booked a couple of train trips with the Transport Heritage Expo 2023 being held at Sydney Central station, I leave that for another post.
Happy modelling to next time.
Arthur.
Thank you Arthur for the coverage. I would have liked to have gotten there too, but the dates just didn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rob. Yes, would agree, not the best date with so much going on in Sydney that weekend.
ReplyDelete