Michigan LEGO® Users Group

Attendees:

Layout:

• Matt Doyle
• Jim Garrett
• Steve Grant
• Peter Guenther
• David Kohrman
• Ken K.
• Trevor K.
• Greg Kramer
• "Purple" Dave Laswell
• Chris Leach
• Sandy Leach
• Justin Panky
• Larry Pieniazek
• Josette Pieniazek
• Spencer Rezkalla
• Steve Ringe
• Steve Weiser
• Lester Witter

Overall Picture Galleries:

Show Report:

This was the big show! MichLTC put forth a massive effort as the host club for the ILTCO Lego display at the NMRA 2007 National Train Show Great Lakes Express 2007 in Detroit, MI. After almost a year of planning and building, the MichLTC layout wowed the crowds at the show (and the media) with its vast size, variety of features, and numerous details. This display at 30 x 40 feet was in fact the largest display MichLTC has ever done. We even had to borrow a few tables to complete it.

Quite a few other Lego Train Clubs put up layouts and displays at the show as well.

1. Chicago Area Branch Railway - OndrewLUG
2. Central Ohio LTC
3. Greater Florida LTC
4. Indiana LUG
5. Michiana LUG
6. Northern Illinois LTC
7. Twin Cities LTC
8. RTL Toronto

An appreciation of the effort put forward by club members for this show is demonstrated by the many new structures and other MOCs that made their debuts at this NMRA show (Detroit buidings and landmarks are boldfaced).

A city block by Matt Doyle.

Detroit Public Library, Penobscot Building (1928), and Penobscot Building (1905) by James Garrett.

Kean Apartments, Pewabic Tile Company, and Highway Underpass by Peter Guenther.

Tiger Stadium by David Kohrman.

Compuware Building and Campus Martius Park by Chris Leach.

Sports Stadium by Justin Panky.

Two city blocks by Larry and Josette Pieniazek.

Valley Camp freighter, Ore Docks, Tawas Point Lighthouse, and surrounding terrain by Steve Ringe.

American International Building, Maersk Sealand Tower, and Brownstones by Spencer Rezkalla.

Uniroyal Tire by ??

Impressions Of The Show

by Steve Grant:

This was an amazing show for me! it was the very first show i helped out at.i loved helping out and being part of the lego community that i have been looking at on the computer.I loved seeing all the different layouts and building techniques.I dont think i will see a show like that for some time to come!

by Chris Leach:

The NMRA 2007 show was fun for me because I was able to work with Jeramy S and Steve B on organizing a large AFOL event.

by Ken K.:

THE NMRA 2007 show was particularly enjoyable to me because I had not been to any of the regional/national shows, either Lego oriented such as Brickfest or more general such as NMRA. There is an automatic sense of community which is enhanced because I could meet folks that I have read postings from, marvelled at their MOCS online, or bought or sold brick to/from on Bricklink. I also enjoyed the different styles and approaches that the groups take to the layouts. It always strikes me as being better seeing MOCS in person. And, ultimately the dedication to the hobby always amazes me. These folks dragging trailers full of brick from Florida and such is some serious committement.

by Larry Pieniazek:

This was a special show for me, because it was the show where Josette's work first saw the light of day. After many years of not really understanding why I liked LEGO, it seems she has now at least a little, been bitten by the bug, and she's a fine builder. Five of six of the buildings in the front row of this block are her work. Being able to do shows together will make them much more fun.

As always it was great to see how other builders are progressing. We had a couple of clubs make their first multiclub show and they really shown. Our old friendly rivals COLTC turned up with a very impressive layout, including work from perhaps one of the finest modern american rolling stock builders out there, Ben Coifman, but they just didn't hold a candle to NILTC's layout's detail level in my view, or IndyLUG's detail and size, much less ours. J2's modular layout got way better by the addition of buildings by Jonathan Lopes. I think John managed to rope just about everyone into helping ballast his track layout... it's too bad he has to spoil a good layout with that way oversize rolling stock!

This show also was where a lot of major organizational work for the new RailBricks magazine happened, which was neat to be in on. RailBricks could potentially be a very cool and influential thing if it continues the way the first issue did.