Conventions & Mini-Meets

2024 Albuquerque Convention logo2024 annual convention – The grand canyon, third section 

June 28-30, 2024

The Albuquerque Convention has proceeded down the track.  A big thank you to all those that made this another great convention.

 

 

 

 

Upcoming conventions

The Society is planning Annual Conventions at the following locations:

Society Mini-Meets

Our Mini-Meets are regional based gatherings generally one half to one day long on a Saturday. Interested members have organized these meets in areas not regularly visited by our conventions allowing us to reach the East Coast and the Pacific Northwest.  A mini meet may include;

  • Clinics by experts on various aspects of Santa Fe history and modeling.  Some of these clinics are “warm ups'” for a presenter who will be at a future Annual Convention.
  • Models on display for close up viewing and discussions with the builder.
  • Networking with fellow Society members who live close by and a good way to attract new members.

Upcoming Mini-Meets

The Society is pleased to announce that MINI-MEETS are restarting!  Here are the planned mini-meets so far:

  • May 11, 2024, Winslow Santa Fe Mini-Meet.  [Updated 5/5/2024] Time 9 am to 3:30 pm.  La Posada Resort and Gardens, 303 E. Second Street, Winslow, AZ  86047 (928-289-4366 for La Posada reservations).  Cost is $5.00 at the door.  Reservations and information on the La Posada available at www.laposada.org.
    • Clinics include:
      • The Bridges at Topock, Craig Foster
      • The Last Decade of Santa Fe’s Seligman Sub, Steven Cigolle
      • The Santa Fe Railway in Winslow, Ann-Mary J. Lutzick, Director, Old Trails Museum/Winslow Historical Society
      • 2926 and Ancillary Developments, Dave Traudt and David Johnston
    • Contact Eric Hiser at ehiser.RR_at_gmail.com if you would like to be a clinician or need additional information.
  • June 15, 2024.  East Coast Santa Fe Modelers Meet.  [Updated 4/28/2024] Time 8 am to 5 pm. LENAPE VALLEY CHURCH – 321 W. Butler Ave – New Britain, PA 18901. Cost is $25 before May 30th or $35 at the door.  Contact Mike Davis at mjdavis55_at_gmail.com for more information.
  • November 16, 2024, Save the Date for the Kansas City Mini-Meet.  More details will be forthcoming.

Please send us your planned mini-meets so other Santa Fe fans can attend!  Bob Chaparro, Southern California Mini-Meet coordinator, is looking for possible venues.  If interested, contact .

Convention model and photo contests

Model Contest

The model contest is divided into two groups: a popular vote contest and a technical contest. In the popular vote contest, all models participate and compete for first, second and third place ribbons and “Best of Show” based on the number of votes that they receive from attendees. Popular vote categories include steam locomotive; diesel locomotive; multiple unit diesel locomotive; freight car; passenger car; intermodal equipment (cars and support equipment); caboose/way car; maintenance of way; and structure/diorama.  In the technical contest, models are judged by interested members based on prototype fidelity (10 points), modeling effort and proficiency (10 points) and finish and weathering (5 points), with 22 points required for a Certificate of Technical Excellence, 18 points for a Certificate of Technical Merit, and the best overall model scoring 22 points or more receiving the President’s Award for Technical Excellence.  Technical contest categories include: motive power; rolling stock; and structures.

If you would like to learn more about the Model Contest, click on the following links:

Model Photo Contest

The Society also sponsors a “model photo” contest where participants recreate the Santa Fe in model form and then photograph it. You can see the ATSF entry form here and BNSF entry form here.

Past Convention and mini-meet Reports

Read about other prior Annual Conventions and see what members did, learned, and showed!

Reports on other past conventions and Mini-Meets
List of all International conventions

SFRH&MS Mini-meet Reports

other meets