Gateway 2022
The 2022 NMRA Convention in St. Louis was a huge first for me. I've read the reports on blogs and in journals but seeing it in-person was a thrill. Spending several days with folks who do railroad modeling is a boost to my enthusiasm for building my layout.
Despite his busy schedule, Brad Joseph took some time to chat about the convention and train show. I've see Brad a few times on Ken Paterson's What's Neat This Week and Brad is just as friendly and engaging in person. Besides Brad, I talked with many folks about their projects and desired clinics to attend.
I learned an incredible amount by attending many clinics. A big problem was deciding on which clinics to attend since a few time slots had multiple interesting offerings.
I participated in 3 layout tours - all amazing works of art which are truly inspiring. Railroad Model Craftsman and Model Railroad both include layout articles in each issue but it is no substitute for seeing another modeler's layout in person.
The final stop on the tour I took was Ken Paterson's the studio and layout. I had visited Ken about 3 years prior by myself - this time it was full of fans!
For his contributions to my modeling endeavors (as well as others), I presented Ken with a gift of a watercolor painted by my artist wife.
On Saturday, I hopped over to the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, IL (via provided shuttles) to visit the National Train Show. I was able to see more layouts set up by clubs as well as vendor booths and loads of folks milling about.
On the final evening, I attended the banquet which featured an excellent talk by actor Michael Gross, an avid model railroader.
The whole week was an amazing experience that I anticipate doing again!