Hey! The clock is ticking for the NMRA 2015 National Convention in Portland, Oregon. To help get you motivated here's a video clip showing some of what you can expect here where the scenic Columbia and Willamette rivers meet. The area is served by Union Pacific, the BNSF, the Portland and Western, and some other smaller railroads. There are a number of tourist railroads to ride. Gunderson, railcar manufacturer will be among the tours as will a plethora of layouts (some of which you've seen in the pages of MRH). Portland is also home to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center where the SP 4449 and the SP&S 700 (4-8-4 steam locomotives) are based. We're working on getting a full slate of top-notch clinics for your edification. There are lots of great restaurants in Portland and multiple trains-only hobby shops with no Oregon sales tax! If you're planning on dropping a wad at the National Train Show, lack of sales tax could pay for your registration! Speaking of registration, you have until December to get the early-bird rate.

There are two versions of the video, the first uses HTML 5 and the second Flash. One or the other should play on your computer or device. The content is the same in both.