For your planning purposes, Convention Registration, and Hotel Reservations, here is the Official Site for the 30th Annual Narrow Gauge Convention:

http://30ngconvention.org/

St. Louis sounds like an excellent venue, and Paul's exquisite photos from the 29th Annual Convention in Denver, Co., have further "stoked" my interest in attending the 30th Annual Convention. A brief summary of the 25th Annual Convention follows:

"I was fortunate to attend the 25th Anniversary Narrow Gauge Convention at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan. As many of you may recall, the Dearborn Hyatt Regency was also the convention site for the joint LCCA and LOTS Annual Conventions, in the summer of 2000.

The Narrow Gauge Convention was clearly one of the best conventions that I have ever attended. In addition to dozens of scheduled layout tours each evening,
each day of the Convention was filled with numerous Clinics on virtually every topic regarding narrow gauge railroading, including modeling clinics, and clinics regarding actual operations of narrow gauge railroads in the 1800's and 1900's."

For those who might be interested in Paul's excellent summary of the recent Denver, Colorado Convention, please see the companion thread.

Hopefully, a number of the Forum Members will be in a position to attend this Convention!


Cordially,

Dennis

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611,

The process for making hotel reservations for the Convention was quite simple as one would expect, using the phone number listed for the Embassy Suites of St. Louis - St. Charles Hotel & Spa, in the above link for the Convention. [The Convention Hosts have already set aside a specific block of rooms at a reduced rate for this purpose.] St. Louis is much closer than Colorado, although I would have loved to attend the 2009 Convention in that beautiful venue! Hopefully, I won't have "too many irons on fire" during the Convention time period in 2010!

In the past, actually staying at the Convention location has been much more convenient, and this would be particularly true for the Annual National Narrow Gauge Convention, given the numerous, high quality hobby seminars that are presented at the convention site itself. Since Convention rooms have sold out in the past, I have found that "delay is not delightful" when it comes to Convention room reservations.

Hope this helps!

Cordially,

Dennis

I'm planning to attend. It is a 5.75hr drive from my house. We'll turn it into a family mini vacation.

Most/all of the modern (cars built after 1897) C&Sng cars were built by St. Charles...so I'd love to see the AC&F's St. Charles location.

I doubt I'll stay at the convention hotel...a budget hotel.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by DSP&P Fan:
I'm planning to attend. It is a 5.75hr drive from my house. We'll turn it into a family mini vacation.

Most/all of the modern (cars built after 1897) C&Sng cars were built by St. Charles...so I'd love to see the AC&F's St. Charles location.

I doubt I'll stay at the convention hotel...a budget hotel.

Michael

Michael:

That's an excellent plan!

Cordially,

Dennis

I am happy the convention is not down town St. Louis. It will be a lot less stressful driving.
We will book the cheapest motel in Webster Grove, Our daughters home.

We might want to make reservations at a resturant for dinner so we can get to know each other.

Al

quote:

Originally posted by AL CLAIR:
I am happy the convention is not down town St. Louis. It will be a lot less stressful driving.
We will book the cheapest motel in Webster Grove, Our daughters home.

We might want to make reservations at a resturant for dinner so we can get to know each other.

Al

Gee Al, I thought you were going to invite all of us to stay at your place

Michael

Well, I guess if you want to bring your sleeping bags and tent you could use the back yard. I am sure Jim would be able to survive.
Al

quote:

Originally posted by AL CLAIR:
Well, I guess if you want to bring your sleeping bags and tent you could use the back yard. I am sure Jim would be able to survive.
Al

Thanks Al,

As a matter of fact, Sue and I will have just returned from three-weeks camping in Moremi Reserve in Botswana ... backyard camping would be almost like the Ritz!

Sue is not too enthusiastic about St Louis so I may go by myself on an abbreviated visit. Maybe I'll see if there is any interest in my cardstock clinic since I had to withdraw it from the Colorado Springs meeting.

We are already planning for the trip to Hickory in two years.

Jim