I was there, and enjoyed Portland, which is a cross between tourist hotspot and rustbelt detritus. The Maine Narrow Gauge Museum is truly a great collection of equipment, and its trip on old mainline trackage is very scenic, trundling along Casco Bay. I also went out to ride the Wiscasset line, and was very impressed at the all-volunteer effort,its great trackwork, and how they stepped right along at 15-20 mph with their beautiful little Vulcan Forney, which started out in the cane breaks of Louisiana. The crews on both little roads were gracious to us visitors. The seaside towns of Wiscassett and Bath are postard-beautiful.The weather was excellent, and the convention put on a lobster bake on Peak Island, across the bay from Portland. the Convention was very well-attended. Logistics were problematic as the hotel had no parking except for guests and Portland's parking situation was atrocious. Of course, El Coke and Laurie love sea food so we gorged, a high point was a bucket of steamed clams and a Bombay Blue martini on the waterfront.
As I was working, peddling my art I was not able to attend clinics or even make it to the contest room, though I heard there was a record number of entries, especially photos. the list of clinics looked great.
The usual suspects were in attendance. We joked the the orcas in the bay looked hungry and we agreed that Dan Pyzel would be a great offering. Jim Booth and I couldn't stop laughing on the trip back from Wiscasset. Best not to say about what.
The trade show was the usual. Offerings from scenery outfits is getting better. Way too much 1:20.3 large scale stuff, a bit of Sn3, and little in the way of HOn3. A big hit was a virtual model railroad computer program. Manufacturers agreed that not much money was being dropped at this show, which is typical of Northeast shows anyway. I had a first-no cash receipts-all credit cards. I didn't make a whole lot, but had an expense paid vacation to Maine. All in all the show seemed well-run. "down Mainers" are not as friendly at the outset as Westerners, but were fine once you started talking to them. I wish the NNGC oArganizers woyuld get off the idea of having these shows Labor Day Weekend! Everything is cheaper and easier to deal with a week after this end-of-summer holiday.
