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Re: Collinsville, IL RPM Report

Greg Martin
 

John, Mike and all,
 
I admire all the efforts that are put into creating a PRM events, it is a daunting task that is seldom recognized fully.
 
The spirit and emotion of every event ebbs and flows. The Phoenix will rise again.  
 
I for one am amazed at the artistic and historical talent I see at every PRM event I have attended from little to large, they bring in some of the best modelers I have ever witnessed and with that talent.
 
I am a transition modeler and I think all of us have to agree (or not) that there is some extreme talent showing up at our events (I say our events as I see them as a fellowship) even with the more modern modelers. Anyone who can't see the artistic talent in the works of the likes Gary Christensen has to be blind in my most humble opinion.
 
There was a time at Naperville that I spoke with a (friend) prominent modeler and producer that said that he felt that the reason modern modelers didn't attend Naperville was that they felt intimidated by the steam era guys, I never could understand that rational... So there are those that exhibit the same now that they ~ the modern guys~  have broke out in the hobby. My My... I am at a loss.
 
Come one come all is the way I see it. The more that come the more we experience. And it is a great experience. John, I am sorry I couldn't attend, but I plan to in the future.
 
One thing I have said before and will do so again... CHECK YOUR EGOS AT THE DOOR.
 
Things I truly don't appreciate at any PRM event:
  • Name tags that contain a title like MMR (good heavens if I could make a name tag like that I would pin it on Gary Christensen he deserves it)
  • Trophies from other Organizational meets from the past... (oh Please I have never brought nor would I ever consider bringing my Brass Bell, my two year old Grandson has more fun with it than I do...)
  We are a like minded group in every way. We should be treated with respect and think in terms of a Fellowship.
 
John's right he should never limit in any way the creativity of any Fellow that makes the choice to share.
 
Greg Martin
 
Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it.
Norman Maclean
 
 
 
John Golden writes in part :

 

>Hi Bill,


Thanks for the positive and thorough report.  I wish we would've had time to chat more but I"m glad you got around and had a chance to look at everything.

We've got a lot of things to work on at our event, and invariably folks commented to me about Naperville and how it has changed.  Naturally every meet is different and I didn't allow myself to be baited into a conversation about who's meet is better and so forth.  Every meet is different, and that's what's so cool about RPMs.  St. Louis is not Naperville and can't/won't "replace" it.  We never intended to do that.  We just want to provide a good product for model railroaders to come and enjoy themselves, meet and greet, and learn things and get inspired. In that way all RPMs big and small accomplish their goal.  You've been to a lot of them and I think we' agree on that. &nb sp;

Anyway if I didn't think Naperville was good, I wouldn't be planning on going there in a few months--as I am--plus MARPM in Fredricksburg.  MARPM sounds fun and different and I'd like to check it out.  I'd also like to get to Atlanta RPM but it's so close to MARPM that I can't make both.

Aaron Gerdmunson (name butchered on purpose, 'cause I couldn't spell it right anyway, even with a dictionary) and I were talking about only running 14 clinics vs. 50 at the 'Ville, and he said something neat to me.  His opinion means a lot.  He said that there was so much to see at STL that he was glad there weren't too many clinics--it took him a day and a half to get around and see everything.  I considered that a compliment, because I want there to be a wide variety of things to do, and see, and try, and experiment, and lots of diverse models to look at, and lots of peopl e to see and talk to.  Did you see, for example, that guy Jeff Otto who was hand-building turnouts?  I didn't even know that dude was coming, and his work was phenomenal.  There he was, hard at work and had people crowded all around him.  In that regard there's no time for more clinics because there's just too much to do. 

Anyway we think we'll have two clinic rooms next year, but mix things up a bit.  What I want to do is provide an additional room for a few more clinics, maybe--gasp!--16, and then make the room available for a deep historical society seminar, or a P48 meeting, or an N scale seminar, or different things that need a dedicated room for sub-events that "aren't quite clinics".  Your thoughts?  I've also reserved the fourth ballroom so we'll go another 5,000 sq. ft. again--total of about 22,000 sq. ft. because we think we can fill it and still pay the bills.

More to follow later...

JG<
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