o-scale national

Dear All,

     As many of this thread already know, O Scale East has been discussed about for the past 2/3 years. Bob/Karen Lavezzi took the proverbial" bull by the horns" when it appeared no individual or group came forward to host the 2014 SONC. Due to the preliminary discussions w/ Bob Lavezzi(NYSME),John P. Dunn,Sr./Rich Yoder (Scale2Rail promotions), and the New England Club, I would only say to please be patient and there should be a announcement at the 08/10 Strasburg show.

Our immediate concern is now that a person/group has decided to host the 2014 SONC in Montreal, is the date of the O Scale East as the promoters of O Scale East were contemplating using the end of June/July, the time slot generally used by hosts of the SONC. Obviously, we would never want to be a conflict with any other O scale 2 rail shows.

I hope Tom Mapes is wrong that 2014 may be the last of O Scale West. Rod Miller has done a yeoman's job promoting this show and it would be incumbent for a individual or group continue this great landmark event. 

As a O scale promoter, Rich,Patty and myself can tell the hopeful new O Scale West promoters "if it ain't broke,don't fix it". 

                                                 Thanks, John 

                                    08/10/13-11/16/2013 Strasburg Shows

John Dunn,

I said 2014 would be the last time I attend. Rod Millers affiliation with O Scale West ends in 2015. Hopefully someone will take it over. But the crew Rod uses to run this meet is aging just like Rod. 

Tom Mapes

Montreal..humm very interesting...Nice, great place, wonderful French restaurants, lots of railfaning during the airport schuttle.  Level bike paths over the graves of old right of ways.  Did I say great French cooking in Old Montreal?? 

I share Joe's concern about taking say thirty items into Canada then returning with different items or piles of cash.  Model RRs could adopt the Loon as our honorary currency.  Wife says it would be fitting.

Rich, Bob and John have proven they can get stuff done. 

Please do not take this as anything other than assessing target concerns b/4 getting too far invested: 

What about the conversion factor loss, accepting the Canadian dollar, bringing back dozens of odd shaped boxes with wierd mechanical shapes in the X-ray, venders sales or value added taxing responsibility.

I remember hydroplane racing in Canada, we used to have to declare our inventory of parts and supplies.  It better match up with your returning stash-o-stuff on your return if you are pulled aside at the border.  At least that is what we went through driving in b/4 9/11.   It did not seem as though any of the border guards had a happy marriage, they searched our stuff with a chip on their shoulder.

Flying was typical international security stuff although I never transported train stock internationally.

The border search-declarations/currency/tax collection issues will need to have a close look.

Again, just notes for research.  Constructive concern. tt

Dear Allan,

     I have found that O scale 2 Rail is a scale that it evolved to from other scales, especially 3 rail modelers- where I came from in 1984.

     The O Scale Kings is a organization whose mission is to promote O scale 2 Rail

and have participated at NMRA National and TCA York shows.

     As a active participant in all the above, I found our participation at the TCA York shows 

to be our strongest area of promotion.

     The O Scale Kings try to dispel the myth of having to be a wealthy individual with a huge space to run our trains.

     Our displays of operating modules and switching layouts(2x6),(2x12) and bring a myraid of questions-

where does the power come from?,where is the 3rd rail?,what kind of couplers are they?

We will always be a minority gauge- I for one am very happy to be a member of this O Scale fraternity.

I am also happy to see at our Strasburg show a growing number of young modeler attendees with there young families in tow evolving from there current scale/gauge to 2 rail O scale.

And there entire cost to enter our show-$5.00 bucks!!!!!

And also Thank You for promoting O Scale 2rail by affording us this Forum.

                                                           John P.Dunn Sr. TCA-71-3781

I'm also doing my best to promote it in the magazine, John.  We have had a number of 2-rail layouts featured in the past and I have another one that will be our January issue cover feature.

Truth is, if I was back at square one with my own hobby pursuits, I would very likely be going with 2-rail O scale.  Going that route earlier sure would have made this a whole lot easier on my hobby budget, primarily because I only have a limited amount of space for a scale layout (or even my 3-rail layout, for that matter) and would have to far more sharply focus my interests.

I welcome submissions from the 2-rail/scale community and just wish more would come forward.

Yep, I bet some of the Big Brass dealers are licking their chops anticipating this experience! And WHO eats it if something is damaged going in or out!

Another little bit of bother: I could be wrong, but it seems to me one better have a PASSPORT these days! Wasn't necessary when I went to Toronto (lovely city) in '80, but life and the world was much simpler back then.

Simon

PS: Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking our neighbor Canada as it is a beautiful country, but the realities of travel these days are not what they once were, and that applies to many things within this country as well.

Absolutely CORRECT! You MUST have a valid Passport to enter/reenter the U.S.. We took a cruise to Alaska last year, and the cruise line (Norwegian Cruise Lines) Required us all to have valid Passports, before they would even allow us to book space & ticket us.  And we were only going to Alaska!!!  But because we would have been out in international waters or Canadian waters, Passports were a requirement.

Not in any way to try and down this effort to try a convention in Montreal, but the concerns about border crossing in this post-911 era are real. We cross the border regularly for family and besides the duty issues going into Canada, the return to the USA can be a militant nightmare. These simple fun family trips have turned out to be downright nasty at times. Therefore these concerns that have been raised by John and Joe need to be carefully considered.

Since I have the floor here, I will mention that I did attend the convention on Thursday and had a great time meeting old friends and in many cases saying goodbye because we are moving to SC. I made a few surprise purchases because I would not have seen the items under any other circumstances. Our railroad was not available this year because it is packed away, but there were a number of very good layouts on display and all were styles and construction of great interest. One railroad, the Buckeye, offered operating sessions for early attendees. Out of 12 slots available, only 2 were taken and the time was extended to make sure they had a satisfying time. 

It has been disappointing to me to see some of the disparaging comments on several groups by folks who do not attend conventions and have no idea the effort involved. If the national convention fades away it will not be from the efforts of those who sponsor them, but rather from the no-shows.

Regards, Ben

Thanks, John.  Also, for reasons that escape me, I had no idea Bob was Prez of OSK. 

I look forward to hearing and learning more facts about both show when in attendance at Strasburg in Aug.

I should have a few tubs of "stuff", e.g. cars, kits, engines, etc. for that show and will also be bringing a good sized box of scenery item castings.

While Montreal may prove interesting, I already have commitments in June and July of 2014 in NH, Prague, and Nante that will probably preclude my attending regardless of whatever logistical and security obstacles may exist.

The past Nat'ls I attended have had some layouts open on tour.  Beyond that level of participation, O scale is absent.

As an official of the Mid-East Region, I can also tell you that while we do get O scale layouts open for visiting at the regional conventions, participation by O scale modelers beyond that activity is just slightly above nil.  If there are more than 2 O scale modelers in attendance, it is a true rarity.  Despite assurances to the contrary, and there have been several NMRA presidents that were O Scale modelers, these event are almost exclusively dominated by HO.

Wishful thinking to the contrary is not going to change this dynamic.  You might also note that the N scale, the S scale, and the Narrow gauge communities hold their own separate conventions as well. 

Getting everyone under 1 big tent has been pursued and no group proved to be cooperative in that endeavor.  The animosity and anger that that pursuit was confronted by at times was truly amazing and saddening in equal parts.  And again, I can state that flowed from all directions.....

First of all, thanks to Allan Miller for providing us with this forum.  Might want to rethink Montreal.  I can't imagine what a vendor with a van load of model train boxes will encounter.  Most people are very protective of their models and I can say I really would rather not have someone rooting through my stuff.  

Chicago March Meet is an example of what an O scale show can be.  No need for other scales, there's enough to see and do as it is.  

>I can't imagine what a vendor with a van load of model train boxes will encounter.

There will be little problem getting *IN* to Canada, however a DETAILED list of all items going in will be required to avoid problems with the Dept of Revenue. 

Getting back into the US is a MAJOR hassle these days. 

Very important: Do NOT forget to stop on the Canadian side on the way back with your original copy of the list and a second copy marked up to show what you left in Canada.

That detailed list of items will be required by US customs too.  Be prepared to spend several hours going over each item with the friendly (they actually are friendly if you are prepared and of good attitude) customs agent if you have a van or trailer full.

Unless you have a special Michigan or New York driver's license that allows travel in/out of Canada you will need a passport to return to the US.

I was at the National in Hershey back then and it was quite an event however those days are gone. I suspect the commitee might want to rethink Montreal as a site for the next National, the logistics are not sounding good JMHO

I was going to say I haven't been to Canada since 9/11 but even before then going to and from the Canadian side was not a problem but US Customs was a different story all together.  Every single time I returned they made me feel like I was a gun runner, drug smuggler or the like and they were out to prove it.

One time when I was in the USAF returning in uniform curriering classified documents back they demanded I unlock and open the case (which I did not even have a key for) so they could examine the contents.  I got to sit there in the customs area for hours and hours until someone high enough told them to back off.