NMRA Gateway 2020 national convention cancels amid fallout from new coronavirus, social distancing

April 10, 2020

The NMRA Gateway 2020 national convention is the latest model railroad event to be stopped in its tracks because of the new coronavirus.

One of the largest annual model railroad meets in the U.S., slated for July in St. Louis, MO, was canceled after local organizers determined they could no longer continue preparations, the NMRA announced today. A member of the organizing committee reportedly was diagnosed with covid-19.

The National Train Show, which runs concurrent to the convention, was also canceled.

Robert Amsler, who manages the NMRA’s meetings and trade show department, informed officers and the board of directors of the committee’s decision.

“Neither the Gateway 2020 crew nor the NMRA made this decision in haste or without careful consideration of all involved,” said NMRA. “The cancellation is in the best interest of the NMRA members, their family members and the NMRA.”

Officers and the board of directors supported the decision.

As stay-in-place restrictions went into effect in recent weeks around the St. Louis area, some members of the local model railroad community withdrew their layouts from tours over concerns that attendees visiting their homes could have the virus, NMRA said.

The cancellation is the first for an NMRA convention, which traces its origins to 1935 when a group of modelers gathered in Milwaukee. The convention has persisted in good and bad times, including through World War II.

The national convention, which is hosted by a different city each year, consists of multiple activities for members to learn and participate in all aspects of the hobby. Conventions typically host symposiums on prototype railroads, instructional seminars on modeling, railroad facility tours, auctions and other events and activities.

The NMRA, based in Tennessee, has limited operations since the state issued a shelter-in-place order recently. Staff are managing business electronically.

The Gateway 2020 committee said a refund policy will be published soon at Gateway2020.org for those who have already signed up.

St. Louis has hosted the convention twice, including in 2001. The first convention under the arch was in 1970.

The 2021 convention is scheduled for Santa Clara, CA, followed by Birmingham, U.K., in 2022.

Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.

Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.

The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.

NMRA Gateway 2020 national convention cancels amid fallout from new coronavirus, social distancing

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