NTS 2011 Sacramento

The National Train Show will be held Friday, July 8th through Sunday, July 10th. It will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, California. Z scale will have a very large presence during the show.

The Z scale layout section is in area 811. It is a 60' x 40' space. This will be an impressive module display that is set to show the crowd the true potential of Z scale! The BAZ, SOZ and ZoCal clubs will be making up the core of the the groups connecting modules. Jerry Craig of the Cascade Z Club is planning on attending with a number of modules. The BAZ Boys will be unveiling their new yard modules.

Mister Dave George will have his amazing Z display at the show. Dave will be in area 874. It is a must see!

Many noted Z scale manufacturers will be in attendance. Look for these popular names at the following booths:

172, 173 - American Z_Line
274 - Aztec Manufacturing
364, 374 - BLMA
280, 290 - Bowser Manufacturing
140, 150 - Fast Tracks
281 - Fox Valley Models
184, 194 - Intermountain Railway
121, 122 - Märklin Inc.
350, 351 - Micro-Trains Line
620 - Norm's Train World
900 - RSLaser Kits
190 - Searails
493 - Stonebridge Models

If attending the show, please make sure to come by and say hello. I will be assisting in the American Z Line booths.

Rob Kluz

Sounds like Robert Ray won first and third at the NTS. Congratulations Robert! Great for Z!! Our local reporter on scene is quite busy and has yet to file a report. He may be sore from all the arm twisting,talking,and gawking.
Fred

Actually Z took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd! Besides Robert's 1st and 3rd Hein took 2nd place for his bridges module. Sure wish you guys could have been here to see Z victory of the west coast. Probably the most impressive (and embarrassing for the larger scales) display of model railroad operations at this Convention is the huge Z scale Yard module that the ZoCal/BAZ groups put together with the help of David K Smith's Any Rail track plan. The Rokuhan track with dozens of turnouts helped Super Z Scale to leap tall buildings that the other scales could only DREAM they could do! I cannot describe adequately for you what an accomplishment, and milestone, these guys reached this year. I do believe that NTS 2011 has solidified the credibility of Z scale with the NMRA that began at NTS 2008. Congrats to all Z scalers everywhere for persevering with a scale that was once looked upon as a novelty, and thanks to ZoCal and BAZ for all their hard work and endless hours of work for this week to turn out as it has!!!!

Congratulations to Robert Ray and Hien Nguyen!

Thank you for the report, Karin. I hope sales are going well for you.

Where are the photos?!

Thanks Stony for 142 picture tour of Z at NTS. Karen saw some interesting bridges and trestles on display in your booth. What I have not seen yet is what AZL and Micro Trains were showing and if there was anything new. In Sony's pics I saw the AZL booth and the back of Lajos but could not see what was on the table. saw a thomas engine on I think a Lajos chassis which had run into ta tunnel portal and of course the yellow bug in various locations around the layout.

looks like people are having fun and once again Z scores on the west coast. Hein and Rob way to go guys.

cheerz Garth

Stoney, Thanks for the photo trip. It was 15 minutes well spent. Z has come along way. I enjoyed seeing some of the peeps. Where was Karen? Jim

Thanks Stony for the pix and Karin for the report. Where are the BIG announcements (and pix) from AZL and MTL? Saved up for Sunday?

Stoney,
Thanks for the postings. I just couldn't afford to make two trips to Northern California tis month. I'll be in the Bay Area for EuroWest at the Hillier Aviation Museum, San Carlos on 24/25. It's mostly HO but I'll be bringing my SBB/BLS items to run on my mini-layout.
Robert

Stony has taken a lot of nice pictures of NTS. Many, have our brothers and sisters Zers.
If possible, those of you that can identify the pictures, it would be great to get names with faces. This is a great oportunity.
Thanks Fred
just make identification in comment section under each picture

Some one left a green plastic bag with some expensive items in it, one a Lajos motor. If you can tell me what else is in the bag, I can mail it all too you.

I have posted my photos of NTS 2011 to a shutterfly.com shared site , nts2011sacramento.shutterfly.com/ . They include a mix of photos taken on the Coast Starlight on the way down from Seattle, at the show, and on the way back.

As an aside, does anybody think that some of my shots of the Southern Oregon Cascades give one pause to wonder if Nature is modelling Loren Snyder's mountain modules?

Mike