OK, I’ve been keeping a secret. Kid-zilla and I snuck off to attend the 40th National Garden Railway Convention, 18-22 June 2025, in Sacramento, California. I apologize for not reaching out publicly to see who might be attending, but, while we live in an idyllic town, we are a bus ride away from a large city with large city problems. I cannot advertise my travels as a consequence.
I also want to come right out and thank the Sacramento Valley Garden Railway Society. I am sure the hours spent putting this together numbered in the hundreds. I point to the convention’s flawless execution as evidence. I cannot imagine the preparation and trust it takes for 26 families to open their homes (and their bathrooms!) to hundreds of strangers. To all members of that club, my heartfelt thanks. We felt welcomed and appreciated. What we would call the “spirit of Aloha” abounded. They all earned the right bask in the glow of their collective achievement!
This was our first convention. We had planned to go as a family in 2020, when all the kids were into the hobby, but COVID put an end to that. Other financial obligations and the expected if mourned drift of the older kids into other hobbies kept us from attending post-pandemic. Kid-zilla’s continued interest, to include earning his way through his Bachmann 10-wheeler projects, my parents’ ability to join us in Sacramento, and CINCHOUSE’s emphatic “Go!” sealed the deal! We were off!
I’ll start posting pictures in subsequent threads, but I thought I’d throw out some general observations below:
- Railroads. We visited 23 of 26. Almost all featured elements of California railroading. Only one appeared to have “operations” as a goal. Most railroads meandered to fit themselves to the terrain. A handful of railroaders essentially terraformed their yards, and one built terrain where none existed. Battery power was almost universal. LGB motive power predominated, with USA Trains a distant second, and a smattering of HLW/Kalamazoo/Delton and Accucraft rounding out the rosters.
- Demographics. Most railroad proprietors were of grandparent age. A number of railroads were multi-generational affairs, with kids and grandkids not just maintaining but improving a family’s piece of living art. Conventioneers were decidedly older, but, let’s face it, you need money and free time to attend. Kid-zilla was the only person under 50 to attend all four days of bus tours.
- Vendors. There is a LOT of stuff out there. I am forced to wonder how much of this stuff goes from consignment sale to consignment scale without ever gracing the rails. The LGB guy actually said, “We are our own worst competitors. Our stuff is so good, people go to the used market.” Given I doubt much of it hits the rails, why not? That being said, we had some good deals on bits and pieces, raiding all the parts bins for hard-to-find and expensive-to-ship repair parts. I wish one of the vendors would have come with a wall of LGB repair parts!
- Addressing the Future. Everyone bemoaned the aging state of the hobby (I have heard this about reenacting and SCUBA, too). Still, ONLY ONE RAILROAD had dedicated area for the grandkids to play with, what else, PLAYMOBIL. Hats off to USA trains and Making Trains Fun for aggressively tackling the issue of building the next generation. I chatted with GRNews about this issue, and I opined the issue is not the next $1,500 model, but the lack of stuff between the first starter set and high-end models to allow people to bridge the gap between 18 and 62. I suggested articles that discuss addressing the known issues with older B’mann 10-wheelers (i.e. swapping out gears and fixing pilots) or “Americanizing” LGB STAINZ as practical and affordable ways for people just starting out and perhaps still very mobile to participate. GRNews is looking for articles, folks, and there is a lot of talent here at LSC!
That overall impression and review out of the way, let’s board our plane…
…get comfy…
…and head east!
More to follow in the coming days!
Eric
