# We're at 74 layouts on 2016 NGRC Tour



## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Well I just received our latest report on the layouts that will be open for the 32nd Annual Garden Railway Convention.

It looks like we will have 12 layouts available for tour during the Pre-Convention days of July 1, 2nd and 3rd.The pre-convention tours will be North of the San Francisco Bay Area. For Friday we show 2 open layouts (so far) up in the Redding area and we will have 10 layouts open both Saturday and Sunday in the Santa Rosa area and Marin County. We did this as these layout are more than a two hours drive from the Santa Clara Convention Center. Now visitors have the opportunity of driving across the Golden Gate Bridge and staying a night or two up in the North Bay visiting layouts and other tourist destinations, like the world famous Napa Valley and the Sonoma Wine Country.

We have 53 layouts scheduled to be open during the convention proper. The breakdown right now is 9 layouts on Monday, 12 (!) on Tuesday, 9 on Wednesday, 8 on Thursday, 7 on Friday and 8 on Saturday. Sunday will be an "Encore" day with many layouts that were open during the week open again for tour in case you missed one or want to go to one again.

Our post-convetion tours in the Sacramento area now total 9 layouts. Besides visiting layouts, there are some incredible museums in the area including the outstanding California State Railroad Museum. After touring Sacramento, you can stay a little longer and visit the *National Summer Steam Up*. One of the largest gatherings of small scale Live Steam Enthusiasts west of the Mississippi...

We have put a lot of work into our new and expanded website. There are over 60 pages of information available to look through. We are striving to make this the best NGRC ever and we are looking forward to meeting all of you!

*www.ngrc2016.org*

Please look through the website and let me know if you have any questions... Enjoy!

Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman
#ngrc2016


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Russ thanks for the update. Pete


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

We've just added a few more. I won't be surprised if we hit 80 layouts for the 2016 National garden Railway Convention! Of course I expect some last minute changes and cancellations but I still think we will put on a fantastic show.

Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman
#ngrc2016


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Russ, glad to hear you are being so inclusive. I offered to have my layout for the Denver convention this year but was snubbed.

You're doing a great job, keep up the good work!

-Jim


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay Russ, that's enough now.
Really. Stop.
Please!
You know there ain't no way that anybody will be able see all of those layouts and still maintain their sanity! 
As it is, all us self-drivers will be forced to make some tough decisions each night as we look at your maps and mutter "go this way... or that?" And I pity your bus drivers -- "Everybody back on the bus -- NOW!"
It looks like it will be a great convention, and I'm sure we'll all have a good time In the meantime, take a breath before going on to the next of what I'm sure will be many concerns befor July.

And I'll go register!
P.S. Whoops! Your server's down right now! I'll try again later.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I would consider putting the Low Rider Train in the Whimsical contest, but that would interfere with seeing the garden railroads.

Hey Gary, do you and Carla want to get a place with a kitchen with Linda and I?


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Gary Woolard said:


> P.S. Whoops! Your server's down right now! I'll try again later.


Well it seems to be working again: * www.ngrc2016.org*


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

This is the third time we've had this problem. We are trying to trace it so that it does not happen again.

Gary,
The good news is that the layouts open each day are fairly close to each other. BAGRS has done the 9 layouts in a 5 hour day many times and it works if the layouts are close enough to each other. You'll notice that we started the week with the furthest out layouts and they get progressively closer to the convention center as the week progresses. 

Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman
#ngrc2016


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Russell Miller said:


> This is the third time we've had this problem. We are trying to trace it so that it does not happen again.
> 
> Gary,
> The good news is that the layouts open each day are fairly close to each other. BAGRS has done the 9 layouts in a 5 hour day many times and it works if the layouts are close enough to each other. You'll notice that we started the week with the furthest out layouts and they get progressively closer to the convention center as the week progresses.
> ...



But you must recognize that SWMTP can easily spend well over an hour at each layout and still want more time there.


Quality takes time.


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

toddalin said:


> But you must recognize that SWMTP can easily spend well over an hour at each layout and still want more time there.
> 
> 
> Quality takes time.


Yes... I'm sure that's why Carla and Gary self-drive the tours.  We are going to be making thorough maps and descriptions so that choosing which layouts you want to see will be as less stressful as possible. Thankfully for us, the buses just can't get to some of the layouts so that reduces the number of layouts that they will visit. Also, the outstanding layouts on the pre-convention tour are sort of centralized around two cities, Santa Rosa and San Rafael so it is easier to get a hotel up there and see some great layouts. I was kind of disappointed when I got a hotel this year in Colorado Springs and found out that there were only three layouts on the pre-convention tour.

Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman
#ngrc2016


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd enter your low rider. I seen pictures of it it ROCKS. Pete.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I didn't see it listed on the web site.

We know the categories for the contests, but at this time, do you know/can you say what prizes/trophies are to be awarded?

Thanks


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## benshell (Oct 1, 2008)

I think there are 10 of us now on the post tour in Sacramento. I'm surprised we don't have more yet, but as I've been talking to people about opening their layouts, I've heard a lot of concern about whether or not it's even worth it.

So, what do you guys all think? Do you plan to come to Sacramento after seeing so many layouts all week long? Will you come again even if you went to West Coast Regional Meet we hosted in 2014? Will you come if you're going to the National Summer Steam Up afterwards? 

I'm just really curious. I'll be open regardless. I love deadlines for helping me to get stuff done that I want to do anyway! And I love having people over, even if it's just a few. 

But I'm wondering if I should work on getting more Sacramento club members to sign up to be open?


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Ben,
There will be people visiting the NGRC from all over the country and from all over the world... Of course it will be worth it! I do not expect the post convention layouts to receive the same number of visitors as will the layouts open during the convention, but I still think they'll get quite a few visitors. Our Hotel Block is already 1/3rd sold out and it's not even 2016 yet! My best guess is that conservatively you should receive 100 or so visitors.

Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Just a quick update...
We now have 88 layouts scheduled to be open! We have 30 presenters lined up for clinics and featured speakers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Our block of rooms at the Hyatt Hotel is now 60% sold...

*Follow us on Facebook*

Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman
#ngrc2016


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Well it looks like we will have *92 layouts* open if you include the pre- & post-convention tours to the *National Garden Railway Convention.*











One layout just cancelled. They won't be ready in time...
Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman
#ngrc2016


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

We are starting to work on the Convention Tour Book. It looks like it will be so big we cannot call it a booklet...
Russ Miller


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