Trainfest 2009 TRAINS.com Forum Meeting

[kschmidt]

 Greetings,

Trainfest 2009 is drawing nigh.  For the last couple of years we have attempted to organize a TRAINS.com Forum photo at Trainfest.  We have met with mixed results and nuimbers.  So lets try it again.  Trainfest is held in Milwaukee, WI  home of Kalmbach Publishing.  So we usually meet at the Kalmbach booth at Trainfest. 

Lets try 12noon on Saturday November 14, 2009 at the Kalmbach Booth.  Here are some particulars for Trainfest. This isn't set in stone lets see what works for folks.

When Saturday November 14, 2009 9am to 5:30pm

          Sunday November 15, 2009 9am to 5:30pm

Where: Wisconsin Exposition Center - Wisconsin State Fair Park

For more information trainfest.com

Keith Schmidt

[dknelson]

Keith I will post this same invitation in the Model Railroader, Classic Toy Trains, and Garden Railroads parts of the Forum.  Needless to say Kalmbach staffers past and present (Bergie are you there?) are very welcome to join us.

Dave Nelson

[zardoz]

Meeting some of the forum members, as well as perhaps meeting some Kalmbach staffers, are the main reasons I attend.  Although some of the model railroad layout are rather cool.

But otherwise, look forward to tripping over strollers from obnoxious parents (who don't know a drawbar form a candy bar--but little junior wants to see some choo-choos), plus not having anywhere to sit, and constantly bumping into other people.

Having said that, I hope to be there, at least for the noon meeting at the Kalmbach booth.

[Matt Van Hattem]

Count me in for the photo! I'll be working in the Kalmbach booth on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., as part of the Meet the Editors program.

So stop by, say hello to the other forum members, and flash a big smile at noon!

Matt Van Hattem

[kschmidt]

Matt,

It was good to see you and your presentation Friday night.  Great to hear that you will be part of the big photo on Saturday at the "Booth".  

Keith

[mikeyuhas]

I'll try to be there!

[edblysard]

Ok Mike, so where are the photos?

[jeaton]

The picture was taken at Noon today.  The film is still at the camera store?  

[edblysard]

Film?

No, really, did he use film?

[jeaton]

Just kidding.  Three shots were taken with Keith's Canon Digital.  Looked pretty good on the back of the camera, but maybe it needed major work at the photo shop.  I could probably use about 20 years taken off.

[kschmidt]

Well here it is.  The 2009 edition of the TRAINS.com Forum Photo.  They actually let us behind the cash registers.  Probably because we had two very well known and trusted Kalmbach employees with us.  I believe the dknelson has the attendance sheet and can fill in all of the names. 

Thanks for letting all see the faces behind the names. 

To see more pictures from Trainfest 2009 check out flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22338037@N04/sets/72157622693465175/

Keith

 

[dknelson]

kschmidt

Well here it is.  The 2009 edition of the TRAINS.com Forum Photo.  They actually let us behind the cash registers.  Probably because we had two very well known and trusted Kalmbach employees with us.  I believe the dknelson has the attendance sheet and can fill in all of the names. 

Thanks for letting all see the faces behind the names. 

To see more pictures from Trainfest 2009 check out flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22338037@N04/sets/72157622693465175/

Keith

 

Film did someone say film? 

Well unfortunately Zardoz/Jim did not join us, or maybe he saw the group and backed away.  But here we are from left to right:

Kalmbach's Matt Van Hattem

Mike Janke/WSOR 3801

Keith Schmidt

Chris Keating/Gluefinger

Jay Eaton/Jeaton

Me, Dave Nelson (behind Jay, wearing the Milwaukee Road shirt)

Kalmbach's Mike Yuhas

And Max Koehn/Lord Atmo

-----------------------------

Dave Nelson

[blhanel]

Oh come on, Jay, you don't look any older to me!  A fine looking bunch, maybe one of these days work will slow down to the point where I can think about attending one of these events again...

[zardoz]

dknelson

Well unfortunately Zardoz/Jim did not join us, or maybe he saw the group and backed away

Ha ha.

Actually, I had every intention of attending.  I got in my vehicle promptly at 10am, turned the key to start the car, and...nothing. Dead. Not even enough juice to cause the clicking sound. (A plate had cracked in the battery. My fault, though, for being too cheap.  The battery was the original one (my vehicle is a 2001 Explorer), and I was trying to get as much life out of it as I could.)

Of course, my wife had already left to do her thing that day. And also (of course) the one neighbor that I get along with was not home. 

By the time I got a new battery installed, it was already 1230.  I was ticked!  But it could have been worse; it could have happened when I was out of town.

The only bright spot of the day came about a half hour later, when Ed from Sussex called me to advise me about the UP1995 (CNW) unit leading a southbound out of Butler. And it was daytime AND it was sunny (at least it was when he called). So at least I finally got a chance to see one of the fancy paint jobs.

[CShaveRR]

Wow, Jim--I didn't realize that you hadn't seen any of those units yet!

I was thinking about you folks who could get up to Milwaukee on a Saturday morning, as I was stuck at work, sending freight cars in your general direction, among others. I'd love to make it to one of these gatherings one of these years. Seniority apparently will never permit it for me; perhaps retirement will.

[Matt Van Hattem]

Keith, this is a great photo! Thanks so much for posting it. Dave, thanks for getting everyone's name.

It was certainly a fantastic day, and quite busy! I'm glad I got to meet all of you, and was thrilled to be a part of the "official" photo. (It's not official without Dave's hand-lettered sign.)

Thanks for being part of a memorable afternoon.

Matt Van Hattem

[dknelson]

The group Trainfest photo is a good tradition that I hope we can keep going.  We missed a few other regulars this year, partly due to the economy I fear, but also due to guys like Noah Hofrichter getting to be college age and such.  Sorry to hear of the automotive conspiracy against you joining us, Jim.  It sounds like an expensive problem to fix.  Were you there Sunday? 

I being to wonder if may be we need to have a Saturday photo and a Sunday photo .... For example, it seems that Rene from Garden Railways (who I chatted with Sunday when it was her turn to hold forth at the Kalmbach booth) will never be able to join us Saturdays and believe me she is not only very nice and wants very much to join our group photo, but is considerably easier on the eyes than anyone in our Saturday group ....

Dave Nelson

[Noah Hofrichter]

My problem this year was that I was at the Badger football game on Saturday (a friend got a few of us tickets in the student section... good times!). Glad to see there was still a decent size turnout though. I recognize several faces, though there are others I've yet to meet.

I always like the show, but after a couple of years of going I didn't see much different to make it worth the long drive every year. Of course, part of that stems from the fact that while I see lots of stuff I'd like to buy, being a college student makes funds rather scarse. But I still hope to make it back to Trainfest one of these years soon, and early enough in the day that I have no problem making the forum gathering. I also want to go back to the North American Prototype Modelers open house on Saturday evening. IMO, It's one of the best layouts I've personally seen.

Noah

[tree68]

Noah - I've found that it's best to attend such shows with a "shopping list."  Through the year I'll invariably come up with something I'd like to add to my layout.  It adds interest (and gets me to look through more displays) to have something more or less specific to look for.  One year it was a fluted side baggage car to match the rest of my passenger cars.  I found one at a reasonable price.

I'll invariably blow it, but I try to go to such shows with a budget.

I always pick up one package of scale people - and try not to duplicate something I already have.

 

[zardoz]

dknelson

Sorry to hear of the automotive conspiracy against you joining us, Jim.  It sounds like an expensive problem to fix.  Were you there Sunday?

Thanks, Dave.  The only repair costs were that of a new battery ($100), so it wasn't too bad. 

I didn't go Sunday because my main reason for going is to meet the gang at the Kalmbach booth (as Noah said, the layouts are about the same every year).