Congratulations to the Daylight Division of the Pacific Coast Region of the NMRA for Saturday's exceptional meet at the Fresno layout of Master Model Railroader Candidate, Marlin Costello. Nearly 50 members, and potential members, took part in a day that included seminars on laying ballast, buildiing tunnel portals and videotaping a layout, as well as door prizes and an operating session on Costello's 40 x 40, 3-level layout. The day ended with tours of half a dozen significant layouts in California's Central Valley.
While these events are always great fun and are an excellent forum for exchanging ideas, this year's event was especially noteworthy as it drew a large number of beginning model railroaders seeking information. It's safe to say that a number of those beginners went home with a new enthusiasm for the hobby that we have enjoyed for so long. Hopefully, some of them will be converted to Serious Hobbiests and will be able to bring fresh energy and ideas to the rest of us.