--- In VECRR@yahoogroups.com, "mrnosal" <mnosal@...> wrote:
>
> Good afternoon fellow Valeasians,
>
> As usually happens, as soon as I wonder aloud about something, the answer
appears
almost immediately.
>
> Here is an Amherst BIG Train Show report from Mike...
>
> Jeffrey

Thanks Jeffrey.
Just to emphasize a couple of points:

1) Z-scale is still unique and makes a big impression on folks.
Listening to the folks visiting the Tri-State Z-scalers booth, you
could hear lots of "wow!" and "amazing!". Even seeing a DCC-
equipped Z loco running on a a tabletop oval flips people out.

2) There's high-quality available in Z. Marklin, MTL, AZL all
have outstanding offerings. Seeing the Japanese Pro-Z set
for the first time showed this is a trend that will continue.

3) Small, highly detailed layouts can have a bigger impact
than gigantic modular layouts. Sure, some of the HO layouts
were bigger than my house, but they had an awful lot of
plywood prairie on some modules. Or even raw pink foam.
I've seen the VECRR in person, and have the Ztrack and
Model Railroader articles and I still have no idea how
many buildings, trees, fences, vehicles, etc. are crammed
in there. Z's size advantage means being able to see
much more detail in a small area.

4) All the z-folks I met and spoke to at the show were
really friendly and enthusiastic. Natural ambassadors for
the scale.

Looking forward to NTS Hartford and next year's Amherst show.

--Mike