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In lugnet.org.ca.nalug, Dan Parker writes:
> Fantastic job, NALUG members! When do we get a show report?
> Size of layout, unique features, who participated, anecdotes, new
> ideas discussed......
Well, I forgot my camera, and it's not as good as Chris', Kevins, and
James', so I guess it's up to me to use words instead of pictures.
Friday
I leave work early in the hopes of having enough time to finish getting things
ready for the show. In doing so, I miss Michel’s e-mails and arrive after
much of the setup is already done. OK in a way, since my monorail has to
wait till the train track and buildings are in place anyway. We setup the
grain elevator and James manages to convince it (John’s functioning grain
lifting Technic) to work. I am aghast to discover that the train layout goes
right to the edge of the tables – there’s no room to run the monorail to the
“north” of the train bridge and container yard. The cranes for the containers
are the same height as the bridge deck, and cover that entire section of the
layout, from table edge to table edge. I decide that if I can’t go around,
I’ll go over. I put two pairs or monorail inclines end to end (without
support in the middle) and create a monorail arch over the container crane.
This turns out to be a favorite part of the show – “Watch - It’s gonna go over
the bump…” Several support pillars that won’t block the train track are also
improvised. Kevin and Chris are almost finished making 60 pillar extensions
out of black 2x2s when I mention that I only need 20. :-) Chris has made a
logging camp for the on top of the mountain-tunnel, and James has made a
monorail platform and some buildings, including a “James Jessiman memorial
garden.” The bridge falls into the canyon its spanning, and we’re kicked out
by security – they’ve already let us stay ten minutes past the scheduled
closing time. James’ pager hasn’t told him he’s a new dad yet, but we’re all
expecting it to beep at any moment…
Saturday
I arrive an hour early and finish off the setup – onlookers with questions are
already there. A few thousand people pass through our quarter of the aircraft
hanger (the only double long double wide WWII hanger left in the world, by the
way) during the course of today and tomorrow. The line of people around the
layout is usually solid, with excited kids on shoulders and the restraining
ropes seemingly moving inward on a continuous basis. Unfortunately the grain
lifter doesn’t like us, so the grain elevator is a static model for today. A
typical “best part” of the weekend is when a kindergarten age boy (already
excited by all the model trains) sees our layout for the first time. “LEGO!”
is exclaimed, and he lunges towards the nearest part with both hands. The
kids (and probably some of the adults) are jealous of Michel’s (8 yr. old?)
daughter as she operates the layout like the seasoned veteran she is,
directing which train to show where and when while daddy swaps them between
the layout and the Tupperware. A hottie from the local college is taking
photos and notes to do a report for her journalism course, and Chris (the
lucky dog) talks with her at length. (The relevant issue should be published
and available Oct. 11th – who’s going to ensure we each get a copy?) I spy
cameras from at least two local TV stations, but several local fires preclude
us making it to the airwaves. James – his pager still silent – heads out to
catch the 20% off SW LEGO sale at TRU, and half a dozen UCS sets go to new
homes Sunday evening. (Jokes are made about parking lot deals from backs of
cars.) We peruse the other train displays, marveling at the attention to
detail, and agree to charge John extra to view the mobile crane display. The
layout that (rightly) takes first prize features a large trestle bridge over a
mountain canyon stream, (including a millimeter tall eagle in its nest in one
of the trees) a mine, a train barge, and even a working lift bridge.
Hopefully Kevin and/or Chris took photos of the non-LEGO train displays,
and you can see for yourself. (nudge, poke, prod) I spoke at length with
one of the attendees, and I expect he will be our newest NALug member.
The end of the day arrives, bringing with it a blue ribbon. We suspect
a large contingent of underage voters have influenced the outcome. :-)
Sunday
Now that John’s finished with his wedding duties, he arrives with a NALug sign
made entirely of LEGO. He and Michel perform some minor surgery on their
baby, (James’ pager is still silent) and the north grain elevator wall swings
open 180 degrees to show the buckets now moving inside. The wall makes a
perfect backdrop for the ribbon, now proudly displayed. Four boys for whom
I’m “Uncle Steve” show up, and I get to make their day by letting them run the
trains for awhile. One of them (too short to see over the tables) is too
excited to keep the speed down, and derails the eight wide. (Don’t tell
Kevin.) Many family and friends stop by on Saturday and Sunday, including my
AFOL brother and John’s father. The two of them hang around long enough to
take a few group photos just before we begin the tear-down. Chris has wisely
brought a couple of brick separators which make a world of difference with the
1x4 plates. (Anyone who’s taken apart monorail will know what I mean.)
Dismantled pieces are distributed to their owners and the display quickly
vanishes. Michel somehow manages to cram all the display tables, legs,
trains, track, mountain, etc. into the back of his van, (with the back seat
still in place) and he sets off for home. Before he leaves, we ask if there’s
anything we can do to smooth things over with his wife, but he figures it’s
too late for that. Hopefully he has a comfy couch… 8-)
SRC
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