SUGAR LAND CONVENTION SCHEDULE

EXTRA FARE

Sunday JUNE 20, 2010
11:00 am to 5:00 pm Houston Area Live Steamers 
 
If you will be in the area early, we have a special treat for you - a visit to the Houston Area Live Steamers extensive railroad in Zube Park. The club, operational since 1992, has a 4,700-ft. long (and growing) mainline run. Steaming facilities include a 24-ft turntable, locomotive and car shops and a joy stick-controlled transfer table with a 6,000 lb. capacity. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served for lunch in the park’s large pavilion.   

Monday JUNE 21,2010
09:00 am to 5:00 pm    George Bush Library #41 Tour

We have a special tour set up for Monday, June 21, for those arriving in Sugar Land before the convention begins. In the morning, we will head to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas.

After lunch in the nearby historic downtown of the Bryan, we head to Richmond and a visit to the Richmond Fire Department Fire Station No. 1. Station No. 1 sits on the banks of the Brazos River with a superb view of the busy Sunset Route's river crossing. This was the first major rail river crossing in Texas, bringing the former SP mainline through the heart of Richmond. RFD officials will show their Mobile Command Center and other equipment, along with a presentation on how the department prepares for rail-related incidents.

Our day concludes with a visit to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, which sits alongside the busy junction of the BNSF (ex-Santa Fe) Galveston to Fort Worth mainline and the UP's (ex-SP) Sunset Route, which links Texas and Louisiana with the West Coast. The museum features the relocated Tower 17, one of the last manual interlockings to operate in Texas and a great place to catch the mainline action at the junction. Also at the museum are the Quebec, originally built as a "First Class Car" in 1879 for the Northern Railway of Canada and later rebuilt into a business car for GTR in the 1920s, and a large HO scale model railroad.

Arrival day - Official start of the convention
Tuesday, June 22, 2010

1:30 pm to 5:30 pm Registration

ARRIVAL DAY.  Check-in begins in the Sugar Land Ballroom. Pick up your registration packet. We will be continuing to have the best N Scale Vehicles contest run by Carter Fritschle so don’t forget to vote. Linda and David Reinhart will be handing out all of the preordered shirts.  Fred and his team will be displaying the new convention special runs that will be available for purchase.

Today we begin setting up some of the best modular layouts from many parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Want to run your trains?  Well this is going to be your opportunity.  Take some time and watch these set ups grow before your eyes.

1:30 pm to 5:30 pm AUCTION Check-in

Two silent auctions are being offered complimenting the traditional Live Auction on Wednesday evening. The first of the Silent Auctions will follow the Micro-Trains reception while the second will be during the Wednesday Live Auction. The primary Registrant may enter 2 items in each auction for a grand total of 6 items. Auction check-in (Silent and Live) runs concurrently with registration activities.

1:30 pm to 5:30 pm Model Contest Check-in

Bring your talents to the convention by entering the modeling/photo contest. Check-in begins Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.  Voting starts Wednesday afternoon and ends on Thursday afternoon. The winners will be announced at the Thursday's Banquet.

7:30 pm to 10:30 pm Welcome Reception

Join us for the N Scale Collector & Micro-Trains Line reception for
Dessert of the day - Pie: Pineapple, honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe, and fresh seasonal berries
Plus Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Iced Tea and Hot Tea and a chance to meet your hosts for the week. Fun begins with the first of the Silent Auctions.

Tuesday Home Layout Tour
8:00 am to 12:00 / 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Tuesday - this is the first of our Texas home layout tours.  This week we will have a total of 9 home layouts to view. Each day we will have 3 new layouts that will have a morning session and then repeated in the afternoon. To see all 9 layouts you will have to book a home layout tour on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Each tour includes a 45-minute stop at each layout on a round-robin basis. Three separate groups of 18 persons per group will be rotating among three layouts.

Wednesday, JUNE 23, 2010    

Houston Space Center-NASA 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
We will board our bus and head out to the Johnson Space Center.  There will be a IMAX movie to see and then we’ll be taken by tram on a behind-the-scenes journey through NASA's Johnson Space Center You may visit the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility or the current Mission Control Center. Before returning to Space Center Houston, you can visit the "all new" Saturn V Complex at Rocket Park. Occasionally, the tour may visit other facilities, such as the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.  We will include a coupon for lunch at the center or you can choose lunch on your own.

Wednesday Home Layout Tour
8:00 am to 12:00 / 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Wednesday - this is the second of our Texas home layout tours.  Today we have layouts 4,5 and 6 with a morning and afternoon session.

LIVE Auction 3:00 pm & 6:00 PM
Viewing of auction items begins at 3:00 pm and the fun starts at 6:00. Bring your auction paddle, a good sense of humor and bid on some of the coolest items around.

Thursday, JUNE 24, 2010

Convention Banquet – 6:30 pm (two days earlier)
Join us in the Grand Ballroom for perhaps the highlight of all the convention events – the banquet.  Wonderful food, great fun, Awards to our members, and the ever-popular raffle. A Special Micro-Trains Lines gift car is offered to those who attend.
Tonight's Dinner Banquet offers:

• Mixed Field Greens with Fried Plantain Chips, Cilantro Dressing
• Sliced Fresh Fruit and Berry Tray with Chantilly Cream Classic
• Caesar Salad, Marinated Mushroom, Orzo, and Tomato Sauce
• Slow Roasted Sirloin of Angus Beef Au Jus,
• (Carb Conscious)Herb Crusted Pork Loin with Bourbon Butter Glaze
• Pan Seared Salmon with Wine, Sun-Dried Tomato and Chive Sauce
• Herb Roasted New Potatoes or Mashed Potato Bar Medley of Grilled or Steamed Vegetables,
• Assorted Rolls
• Texas Pecan Pie, Chocolate Fondant Cake, Strawberry Daiquiri

METRO Rail Operations/Houston Railfanning Tour
8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Catch the flavor of railroading in the nation’s fourth largest city. This daylong tour will include the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) Rail Operations Center; Minute Maid Park at Houston Union Station, home of the Houston Astros; lunch at a unique venue; and visits to the Houston Railroad Museum, an “industry you can model” and a local rail facility. All aboard!

Thursday Home Layout Tour
8:00 am to 12:00 / 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Thursday - this is the third and last of our Texas home layout tours.  Today we have layouts 7,8 and 9 with a morning and afternoon session.

Friday, JUNE 25, 2010

Manufacturers Breakfast 8:00 am to 10:00 am
It’s up early for the breakfast buffet and news from the leaders in N scale manufacturing. Be there for all the new product announcements.

SWAP-A-RAMA Setup 10am to noon Open to for sales Noon - 6:00 pm
This is your chance to view and buy the best in N scale. There will be over 100 tables loaded with items from our members and dealers. This is also where our manufacturers bring out their latest products for you to see.  It’s a great time to ask the questions you have been waiting to ask. This is the time to check out all the N Scale goodies before we open up the tables to the public on Saturday.

NEW Event
Goode Co. Barbecue and Ice Bumpers cars 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Heres something new for us... There will be 12 ICE Bumper cars that we can put on the ice and go at it. We will also have Broomball waiting for us too! Durning the fun you can stop and get some BBQ from the Goode Co.

Saturday, JUNE 26, 2010

Public Show 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

We continue with vendors, dealers and manufacturers showing us their wares.  But today we open up to the public, so get ready for the action.

Clinics 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Beginning today the clinic schedule will feature some of the most talented N-Scalers sharing their experience and skills across a wide range of interests.  Whenever possible, these clinics will include hands-on activities.