# 26th NGRC, Tacoma, Washington



## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi all,
Anyone else going to make it to the National Garden Railway Convention in Tacoma this August? 
The wife and I are going to try to make it up for a few days as this is the last time it will be on the West Coast
for at lest the next 4 years.

Later
Rick Marty


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm intending on going... and seeing some mls'ers up there too.... 

Regards, Greg


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm hoping to go too....cept this damn economy is causing some gad-about money issues here.


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Rick, I can't make it (we're going to Yerp), but there arew some great layouts up there. A classic in the Seattle area is Cranis Garden Railway (assuming the widow Chaudiere is still alive), which appeared in GR back then. There's also a lot of neat suff down in Portland. Of course, no trip to Seattle would be complete without a visit with TOC. Ya can chat about couplers


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, *She Who Must Take Pictures* needs a mule to carry around her extra lenses, memory cards & batteries, so I guess we's both going!


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm going. I already have train tickets.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Hmm... the coast starlight up from San Diego? Did not think about that... 

Greg


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg,
If your going that route better leave 2-3 days early








Later
Rick


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, that's the only downside, it takes a lot longer, and I should plan for at least one major delay. 

But it would be nice... 

Regards, Greg


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

You might want to drive. It looks like they are planning on having around 15 layouts open in Oregon before the Convention for those driving up. The latest PSGRS newsletter also states that they will have around 87 layouts open during the convention with the tour book being over 100 pages!
Russ


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Wow! But TOC and I will be spending so much time smoking cigars, I might not see any other layouts! 

TOC if you are listening, now is the time to place your order. Mostly cubans, but Partages, Montecristo, or Cohiba? 

Regards, Greg


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

The Coast Starlight is a really beautiful trip (scaenery wise) from Redding/Mount Shasta all the way to Seattle. We took the trip a few years back and I was really surprised by the scensey even though I have driven most of the route many times. If you go that way get a Roomette or a room, DON'T GO COACH, you will regret it. 

Lots of layouts open before, during, and after. I am really hoping that Tom Miller's layout in Portland will be open as I missed the opportunity to see it in person during 2008's Narrow Gauge Convention. If you haven't seen this F scale indoor Colorado layout your missing something. Here is a link to a film clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9UyEKFLN0Y

We will probably only spend a couple days at the convention it's self as we want to see some other things like Camp 6 etc.

Later
Rick


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm only taking the Starlight home. I'm taking the Empire Builder to Tacoma. 

From where I live, it is about 20 hours to Tacoma on the Starlight. Late can be good. Going around Mt Shasta in the daylight is beautiful.


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

I think I'll pass. I don't know what the convention rate is but at $179 a night for the cheapest room plus 8.8% city tax and 4.7% lodging tax plus charging to park in the hotel lot.....! I think even the convention rate will be a tad high. Finding a cheaper, less convenient place to stay, it will still cost $10 a day to park at the convention center. I'll spend all my fun money just to sleep and park. Might be okay for an extended vacation but just for a bed. Of course if we didn't eat while there....... Yep, this is one time I'll be cheap! Sounds like fun though!


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## benshell (Oct 1, 2008)

I'll be going with my wife and our 2-1/2 month old (will be born in mid-May). Fortunately her parents live up there so we can stay with them and get free babysitting! I really hope to meet some MLS'ers as well as hang out with the local Sacramento club members that are going.


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

No, going to give this one a miss. But plan on being at the next one in Kansas City (1st place I lived in the States as a child) If it is convenient for Marty, we plan on a visit up that way too. 
Rod 
All this is of course, dependent on the economy over here............... 
Rod


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## jlcop (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't know what the room rates are as I live up here but I read in the club newsletter the parking fees will be $5.00/day. 

Oops, just checked the website?! Parking at the hotel is $8.00/day and the rate is $119.00 The $5.00 must be at the convention site which is walking distance from the hotel.

John


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Well actually if people from out of town stay at different hotels or even come up for the day you can find free parking at the Tacoma Dome parking garage (it's a commuter parking lot) and then you can hop on the Tacoma link light rail train (free also) and ride 10 minutes or so to the convention center. That's what I'll be doing on the days I come down from the Kitsap Penninsula. And the Tacoma Dome station and parking ride are a lot easier to access off the freeway too. There's also other hotels in the Tacoma Dome area so the prices might be cheaper, but I don't know, but just a thought! 
http://www.tacomaconventioncenter.com/Files & Forms/GTCTC_LinkLightRailMap.pdf 
Craig


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By bnsfconductor on 30 Mar 2010 01:19 PM 
Well actually if people from out of town stay at different hotels or even come up for the day you can find free parking at the Tacoma Dome parking garage (it's a commuter parking lot) and then you can hop on the Tacoma link light rail train (free also) and ride 10 minutes or so to the convention center. That's what I'll be doing on the days I come down from the Kitsap Penninsula. And the Tacoma Dome station and parking ride are a lot easier to access off the freeway too. There's also other hotels in the Tacoma Dome area so the prices might be cheaper, but I don't know, but just a thought! 
http://www.tacomaconventioncenter.com/Files & Forms/GTCTC_LinkLightRailMap.pdf 
Craig 
That's an interesting possibility. I'm not so much against paying to stay at the convention hotel as I am feeling ripped off to pay those prices and then have to pay to park there too. Even the Convention Center's site said $5 for 4 hours and $10 for over 4. Just irritated me no end. Guess I've been rural too long. hehe!

I'll check the light rail map & maybe work something out. Thanks for the link.


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Glad to help out. Personally I think those prices are high too. 
Not to many people out of town or even in town realize that the Link light rail in tacoma is free and the parking is free too so don't feel bad. When the city of Tacoma and Sound transit were developing the idea of tacoma light rail they wanted to promote ridership into the downtown corridor. I think it's a great idea to promote ridership. 
Another interesting tidbit for model railroaders when they are in Tacoma, the Washington State History Muesum located just down the street from the convention hall ( one light rail station to the east) has a great HO scale model railroad layout up stairs. I don't know the days that operate the layout, but if people are interested in checking it out it's quite worth your time and money to get into the muesum. 
Craig


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Craig,
Great information thanks for posting in.

Another thing I haven't seen mentioned on the convention web site is "Camp 6 Logging Museum" just up the road at Ruston/Defience park.
Restored Logging camp turned Museum with Logging train rides, haven't been there before but will be going in August.

Here is a link
http://www.angelady.com/c6.html

Later
Rick


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## jlcop (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's the scoop I recieved today by e-mail from PSGRS:


Garden Railroaders Host National Convention in Tacoma This Summer

The Puget Sound Garden Railway Society will sponsor a weeklong program based at
the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center from 1- 8 August. It is the 26th
Annual National Garden Railways Convention, which will draw over 1500 attendees
from all over the USA and several foreign countries. Conventioneers may make
reservations just across the street at the Hotel Murano, which will offer
specially negotiated $119 per night rates to registrants.

Over 50 garden railways in Western Washington will be open for tours during the
week, in locations ranging from Mount Vernon to Vancouver, Washington, and east
to the Cascades crest. In addition, selected garden railways in Oregon, British
Columbia and eastern Washington will be open in the weeks preceding and
immediately following the Convention. Visitors may drive their own vehicles each
day, or take chartered busses to each of the scheduled sites.

Vendors of large-scale equipment have reserved over sixty booths in the huge
convention center for sales of their specialties. Access will be limited to
registered conferees from Wednesday through Friday; the public will be admitted
on Saturday and Sunday. Both electric and live-steam modular layouts will be in
operation whenever the vendor hall is open.

Over 40 hours of "how to" classes (clinics) will be presented by
nationally-recognized experts featuring all aspects of train control, large
scale model building, waterscape and miniature landscape design, and the
creation, building and maintenance of garden railways. Several clinics will
allow registrants to actually build small projects for their own railways.

An ice-cream social will herald the opening of the vendors' hall and railway
models contest exhibit. On Friday evening, a barbeque dinner at the Northwest
Railroad Museum Restoration Facility in Snoqualmie will also feature rides on
their operating train between North Bend and Snoqualmie Falls.

Saturday evening, at the Hotel Murano, a closing banquet will be highlighted by
a presentation of Northern Pacific Railroad's operations in the northwest by
noted local historian and railroad photographer Jim Frederickson.

Attendees may choose to "wind down" after the convention with a weeklong cruise
to Alaska aboard Holland America's M/S Statendam. Port stops include Juneau,
Ketchikan, Skagway and Glacier Bay, with termination at Seward. A special steam
excursion on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad is also offered.

A complete convention description, costs and on-line registration is offered at:
http://ngrc2010.com, or telephone 360-652-2311 and speak to the Registrar,
Dwight Malott. The site offers links to all scheduled activities and
participating organizations.


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

Tom is planning on being open, plus Staver Locomotive live steam, Nick Rose City GRS


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This event is on my "maybe" list for either Friday or Saturday, as it will probably be my only opportunity to attend such a show anytime in the foreseeable future.


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## stanman (Jan 4, 2008)

My indoor layout will be open Friday August 6. Stop by if you can!


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