NGRC 2019 Updates REGISTRATION IS OPEN Register online for the Convention here Register online for the DoubleTree Hotel here This is our NGRC 2019 Updates Newsletter. You should have already received our Welcome Letter when you signed up for e-mail updates about the Convention. You may have also received previous newsletters. These updates will be published periodically, providing valuable information about the upcoming Convention in Portland, Oregon. As we continue to add new subscribers, important information will be duplicated for their benefit. In addition, special articles will be published providing in depth information about Convention Events. Past copies of the newsletter are available on our website. You may view them by clicking on this link.
A word from the 35th NGRC Chairman Bill Derville Everything is right on schedule for a great convention. Already, over 540 people have registered for the convention which is pretty amazing since the convention isn t until August. The trolley ride has already sold out for both Monday and Tuesday. See the article elsewhere in this Newsletter for more information. You may sign up for the waiting list in case additional seats or trips become available. We should know by mid- summer. The BBQ, with a ride behind the 4449 GS-4 Southern Pacific steam locomotive, is expected to sell out. So far, over half of the available 660 seats have been sold. The Friday evening banquet features Doyle McCormack as our keynote speaker. Although over half the seats are sold, there is still plenty of room, but they are going fast. Doyle was the driving force behind the restoration of SP4449. We have increased the room block at the DoubleTree Hotel as we have already registered over 60% of the available rooms at the special Convention rate. You may use the link on our website to reserve online, or call the hotel directly at (503) 281-6111 or 1-800-996-0510. Please note the special Convention rate is only available until July 27 th or until our room block is filled. Please mention our Event Code of LNY for the special Convention rates. We have added a Model Contest to the Convention schedule. This contest will be judged by popular vote of the attendees. See the article elsewhere in this Newsletter for more details. We look forward to hosting a wonderful convention and are excited about seeing you there. There will be frequent updates on our web site as the Convention date gets near. We suggest you bookmark this page so you can find it quickly and visit often. Thanks for signing up for our updates. We will keep you posted as things develop and show you many pictures about some of the layouts you can visit next year. See you in Portland in August!
Convention Registration and Costs We re sure most of you are wondering What is this going to cost me? We wanted to get this part right up front. Event costs are per person. REGISTRATION Individual Convention Registration (Until May 31st, 2019) Individual Convention Registration (After May 31st, 2019) Family Convention Registration (Until May 31st, 2019) Family Convention Registration (After May 31st, 2019) OPTIONAL EVENTS/ACTIVITIES (See details elsewhere in this Newsletter) Trolley Ride & Dinner (Monday and Tuesday) SOLD OUT Layout Tour Bus (Each Day) Early Mailing of the Layout Tour Book SP4449 Ride and BBQ (Wednesday) SP4449 Cab Ride SOLD OUT Ice Cream Social (Thursday) Gary Lee s Whistle Stop Station Make and Take Clinic (Thursday & Friday) Banquet (Friday) Convention Car (Centerbeam Flatcar with Lumber Loads) ACCOMMODATIONS DoubleTree Hotel Standard Room (Convention Rate) DoubleTree Hotel Premium Room (Convention Rate) $85 $100 $125 $145 $50 $30 $15 $55 $250 $5 $65 $60 $80 $169(+tax)/night $189(+tax)/night Model Contest One ballot per name badge will be included with the Welcome Packet. Popular vote will determine the winner in each of the following categories: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Engines: Diesel, Electric, Steam Rolling stock Structures Diorama Railroad-iana (craft items) Photo (garden railroad only) Best of Show Entries must be submitted Wednesday between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. The room will open for viewing at 3:15 PM Wednesday, Thursday afternoon, and Friday until 3pm. Models can be picked up before the banquet Friday evening. Complete rules may be found on the Convention Website. The ballot box will be located in the display room. Winners will be announced at the Friday Night Banquet.
Willamette Shore Trolley Ride and Dinner We are offering a special excursion on the Willamette Shore Trolley Monday and Tuesday evenings. The trolley runs from Lake Oswego to downtown Portland. This is a very pretty six mile trip along the west bank of the Willamette River and takes about 45-minutes each way. The route includes breathtaking views of the Willamette River and a 1,000 foot S-Curve tunnel. When we arrive in Portland, we will have a short walk to the Old Spaghetti Factory for a spaghetti dinner. We will reboard the trolley for the return trip to Lake Oswego. Attendees will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the WST Station in Lake Oswego, about a 40 minute drive from the hotel. At this time, the Trolley is sold out. If you are interested, please sign up for the waiting list when you register. Those on the waiting list will be contacted if seats become available. Read more about the Willamette Shore Trolley on their website at http://wst.oregontrolley.com/. Just one of the beautiful trestles on Gary Lee s Baker & Grand Ronde RR featured in the April 2013 Garden Railways magazine. See it on Wednesday s Layout Tour
Operating Sessions Long a standard in smaller scales, railroad operations are gaining popularity in Garden Railroading. This is evidenced by the cover story in the June, 2018 issue of Garden Railways magazine by Nancy Norris and Stanley Ames. For those with an interest in operations, have we got a treat for you! On Tuesday evening at 5 pm we will be opening several layouts for operating sessions. Whether you have an idle curiosity, are an avid operator, or anything in between, there is a place for you. We will start with a brief introductory session at each layout, then run trains for a few hours of operating fun. This is not just following a train around a layout. Using a waybill system with two-man crews, dispatchers, yardmasters, and others, you will operate a freight train in a busy environment. Dropping off loaded cars, spotting empties, collecting cars, and moving between locations under the watchful eyes of seasoned coaches, we guarantee a good time for all. There is no extra charge for the operating sessions and attendees will be responsible for their own transportation to the layouts. We suggest you grab dinner on the way, as food will not be available at the layouts. Due to the high interest, we have opened additional slots for Tuesday s sessions. If you have already registered and found the sessions full, please drop an email to the Registrar if you would like to be added to the list. Our Operating Session Coordinators will be in contact with those signing up to discuss which layouts you will be assigned to and additional information needed to attend the sessions. We haven t forgotten our younger visitors. On Friday we have added some special Family Operating Sessions. Under parental supervision, our Junior Engineers will be able to run trains on the big layouts. You may sign up for these sessions when you register. If you have already registered, please contact the Registrar to be added to the list. (Convention Contact Info can be found at the end of this Newsletter.) Don't miss the Bearspaw Southern RR on Thursday's Layout Tour
Layout Tours We think the highlight of any National Garden Railway Convention is the layout tours. Portland in 2019 will certainly not be an exception. We will have over 30 layouts on tour. The Portland Metro area is home to some of the finest layouts in the country, a number of which have been featured in Garden Railways magazine. In our Newsletters we will feature some of the great layouts on tour. Of course, pictures cannot do justice to these layouts, so we hope you will come see as many as possible. Layouts will be open Tuesday through Saturday with each geographical area open one day. We will have buses available each day and, of course, selfguided touring is welcome. Please sign up for buses when you register. Bus tickets may also be available on a space available basis when you check in. Your Convention Registration is your admission ticket to these layouts, so be sure to wear your lanyard when touring. The Wednesday bus tour will be exceptional with a visit to the acclaimed Baker and Grand Ronde Railway (featured in the April 2013 Garden Railways) of NMRA Master Model Railroader Gary Lee, followed by a stop at the famous Multnomah Falls, then crossing the Columbia River over the Bridge of the Gods to tour layouts in Camas and Vancouver, Washington. This is a trip not to be missed. We expect the buses to sell out early. Convention books may be ordered for early mail delivery for a nominal fee. This may be handy for those desiring to lay out their routes in advance of arriving to the Convention. These books will contain maps, addresses, and information about each layout. There is also a list of guidelines for visiting layouts. Please be sure to read these guidelines prior to touring to ensure an enjoyable experience for all.
Wednesday Night Barbecue No National Garden Railway Convention is complete without a Barbecue, and what better way to go to a barbecue than riding behind the famous Southern Pacific GS-4 Daylight steam locomotive 4449? SP4449 was restored in 1974 to be used as the American Freedom Train, which toured the United States during the American Bicentennial in 1976. The two-mile ride will take us up the beautiful east shore of the Willamette River to historic Oaks Park. While the cab rides have sold out, we are taking a waiting list in case of cancellations. There is a minimum age of 12 years old. All cabs in steam engines are somewhat dirty by their nature, so wear clothes that can stand to have an oil stain just in case. Those signing up for cab rides will be contacted to schedule your trip.
Our train will have 4 passenger cars with a total capacity of 220 people per train and make multiple trips to Oaks Park throughout the evening. We have 660 tickets available for the BBQ, so be sure to sign up early. Sorry, there is no handicapped access to the train. Buses will transport attendees from the hotel to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center where they will board the train for the trip to Oaks Park, enjoy a barbecue dinner, and return by train to ORHC for the bus trip back to the hotel. Your ticket for the barbecue includes the bus and train rides. There will be a schedule for the train posted at the Registration Table where you will be able to sign up for your desired train. Seats are available on a first-come-first-served basis when you check in. Ice Cream Social/Vendor Hall Thursday afternoon we will kick off the opening of the Vendor Hall with an Ice Cream Social. You may purchase Ice Cream tickets when you register or at the Registration Center when you check in. Come enjoy some tasty ice cream and fantastic fellowship with other Garden Railroaders then check out the special deals offered by our vendors. Be sure to show your appreciation for their support of our hobby as they show off their latest offerings and answer your questions. The Vendor Hall will be open Thursday 4-9 pm, Friday 1-4 pm, and Saturday 9 am-4 pm. Make and Take Clinic Whistle Stop Station We are pleased to offer a special twoday hands-on clinic by NMRA Master Model Railroader Gary Lee. In this clinic, you will build the Whistle Stop Station that you may take home to your layout. Under Gary s expert supervision, you will learn various construction techniques and tool usage to help you further enjoy the hobby. You don t have to be a skilled craftsman to attend, Gary will lead you every step of the way. We will have to limit attendance to enable the desired level of individualized assistance. Fun for newcomers and experienced hobbyists alike, this clinic is sure to fill up fast. All materials and supplies will be provided. (Signage, figures, crates and barrels not included.) A limited number of tools will be available. Attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite modeling tools if desired. There will be a $65 charge for this clinic.
Friday Night Banquet We are excited to present Doyle McCormack as the keynote speaker at our Convention Banquet. Doyle, a retired Union Pacific locomotive engineer who is now the president of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, led the restoration effort of Southern Pacific GS-4 Daylight steam locomotive 4449 in 1974. He then served as Chief Engineer as 4449 pulled the American Freedom Train around the country for America s Bicentennial in 1976. He will be sharing about his adventures in locomotive restorations. When you sign up for the Banquet, you will be offered three menu options. Please select your choice for each member of your family. Doyle McCormack at the controls of SP4449 Smoked Tri-Tip Chipotle Demi-Glace Buttermilk Fried Walla Walla Onions with Cheddar & Chive Potato Cake Seasonal Vegetables Crab Stuffed Salmon Brie, Lemon Beurre Blanc, Bread Crumbs Yukon Gold Potato Cake Seasonal Vegetables Vegetable Wellington Grilled Zucchini, Squash Peppers, Carrots, Onions, Fresh Chevre, Tamari, Roasted Tofu wrapped in Feuille de Brick over Harvest Rice and Red Pepper Coulis. Enjoy the sprawling Coeur D'Alene Branch of the Northern Pacific RR on Friday
Staver Locomotive Saturday evening at 5 pm, Staver Locomotive will be holding a special open house for Convention attendees. With extensive yards and long mainlines, the layout at Staver s occupies a good portion of a restored historic warehouse as well as a large outdoor segment. Known nation-wide for their semi-annual Steam-Ups, the facilities at Staver Locomotive are top-notch. Attendees are welcome to bring their own battery or live steam equipment to run. Sorry, no track power is available. Attendees will be responsible for their own transportation to and from Staver s. Staver Locomotive, located in a restored historic building in the heart of Portland s NW industrial area, is home to a growing ecosystem of 1:32 scale model trains, buildings, and environments. Staver s is also home to a machine shop with a collection of 3D printers, CNC machines, lathes, and all the other equipment we use to cut, carve, machine, and mill our growing community of models. Visit http://staverlocomotive.com/ for more details. Wednesday return to the 1890's Old West and the Crooked River Railroad
Lone Pine & Western Railroad Owner: Tom Gaps (Featured in the June 2014 issue of Garden Railways Magazine, visit this exciting railroad on Thursday s Layout Tour) The LP&W RR started out as a flat back yard. But after adding 150 yards of drain gravel, 95 yards of top soil, 36 yards of ¾ crushed rock, 12 yards of ¼ minus crushed rock, 15 tons of hand selected mossy rock, 4 tons of Iron Mountain Slate, 4,000 square feet of landscape fabric and 500 square feet of pond liner, you end up with the Lone Pine Mountain Range, a 6 foot high mountain range that meanders for a total of 100 feet from one side of the back yard to the other. The LP&W RR, a branch line that was built into this mountain range, starts at the yards in Lone Pine Junction, a connection point with the transcontinental railroad. The LP&W works it's way up the mountains to reach the mines at Summit. Along the way the railroad follows the 70ft long Clear Water River, with its three water falls and crosses the river by bridge at three locations. In order to maintain a less than 2% grade, the builders had to tunnel through the mountains at seven different locations. One tunnel is over 35 feet in length. This is a 1:20.3 scale, all battery powered railroad that was featured in the June-2014 issue of Garden Railways Magazine. The motive power on this narrow gauge branch line is all steam. It is designed for operations as a point-to-point railroad with optional return loops at each end for those times when you just want to run trains and not have to stop and turn the locomotives and trains around at each end. There is a total just over 400 ft of mainline track, with an additional 300 ft of track used for passing siding and to create the yards at Lone Pine and Windy Ridge near Summit. Visitors can walk all the way around the railroad, but at any given viewing point, by design, you can see no more than 1/3 of the railroad. So, if you want to follow the progress of a train, you have to walk along with it. If you choose to stand at one location and watch, a train will
come into view, travel through your viewing range and disappear, not to be seen again for several minutes while it is on the far side of the layout. The railroad is elevated so that us old folks don't have to get down on hands and knees to work on it. The elevation varies depending on where you stop to view the railroad, from 12 where you first enter the back yard, to 24 in the yards at Lone pine, with an elevation of 36 on the back side at the town of Halfway and finally 42 at Windy Ridge Yard, located in the railroad storage shed. All of the track is from Sunset Valley. With four exceptions, all of the switches are also from Sunset Valley. The four exceptions are hand-built switches to deal with switch requirements for which an offthe-shelf Sunset Valley switch that would meet the requires was not available. All of the structures are made of wood, hand-built, and of stick construction. Some are based on purchased plans, some are based on pictures found on the Internet, and some are total freelance. A few of the buildings have sound effects incorporated into them. The Story of The Lone Pine & Western The town of Lone Pine is a mythical crew change point on the transcontinental railroad. In the late 1800s gold was discovered in the nearby Lone Pine Mountains. A branch line needed to be quickly built into the mountains to service the newly established mines. This branch line initially achieves a water level grade by following the Clear Water River into the mountains. At Headache Falls, the railroad diverts from the following the river but the surveyors were able to maintain the same 1% grade into the mountains by blasting a series of tunnels. Due to the rugged nature of the mountains, this branch line is limited to single track operations with occasional short passing sidings. The town of Half Way is located part way up the mountain. It consists of a small switching yard, a freight company and a small wood products manufacturing business, all of which help to provide additional revenue for the branch line. Continuing on past Half Way, the branch line again follows the upper reaches of the Clear Water River for a short distance before again diverting to follow a canyon further into the mountains and more tunnels. The line eventually arrives at Summit Station, located near the gold mines. A small yard was built near Summit at Windy Ridge to turn the trains around for the trip back to the town of Lone Pine.
Contact Info Questions, questions, questions. There are always questions. For yours, please use the following addresses: 2019NGRCregistrar@rcgrs.com: To ask questions, resolve issues, make changes to your registration, or be added or removed from waiting lists 2019NGRCnewsletter@rcgrs.com: To ask questions about things in the newsletter or to submit material to be published in the next newsletter 2019NGRCsupport@rcgrs.com: To ask questions or get help related to the web site 2019NGRCinfo@rcgrs.com: To ask questions of a general nature about the convention itself Thanks for reading NGRC 2019 Updates. This Newsletter is published periodically to advise of any changes involving the Convention. Future editions will also contain in depth articles on Convention events as well as previews of some of our great layouts you will be able to visit during the Convention. Past copies of the newsletter are available on our website. You may view them by clicking on this link. We hope you enjoyed this report. Of course, comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome. Contact us at 2019NGRCnewsletter@rcgrs.com. Visit our web site at https://ngrc2019.org for more info and to register for the convention. Copyright 2018 2019 NGRC2019, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in the 2019 National Garden Railway Convention. Our mailing address is: NGRC2019 16055 SW Walker Road #206 Beaverton, OR 97006 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list by clicking here.