Club "Merges" With 87scalecars!

As part of the 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club's ongoing efforts to broaden the appeal and strengthen the number of 1/87 scale vehicle modelers and collectors, we have reached an agreement for the 87scalecars e-mail/chat list to become a club function. Dan Goins, club president, released this announcement:

Chris Holliday, moderator of the "87scalecars" e-mail list hosted on the Onelist site, announces that an agreement has been reached with the 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club whereby the "87scalecars" e-mail list will become the official interactive on-line component of the club's activities. Since its inception in late 1998, the "87scalecars" list has been the "unofficial" place for 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club members to share views, ideas, questions, and comments in cyberspace. The list has, in return, promoted the club's activities and membership efforts.

As part of this "merger", Chris Holliday will become an officer in the 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club and will continue his duties as moderator and host of the e-mail list. The list's name will remain the same. The 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club is pleased to have Chris join the club as an officer and we look forward to continued cooperation and membership growth with current and future participants on the "87scalecars" e-mail list.

We are excited to welcome Chris on board and would like to reiterate the e-mail list, like the club's web site, will remain open to non-member as well as club member 1/87 scale vehicle modelers and collectors world wide. In case you're not already a subscriber to the e-mail list, click here; it is available, without charge, to anyone interested in subscribing.

2000 Convention Plans - For the past 5 years the 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club has held a yearly convention that has served to promote 1/87 scale vehicle modeling and collecting on the national level. For the year 2000, the club will provide our members and the public two single day regional events with which to attend. Besides model displays and clinics, there will be vendor and manufacturer tables (available on a limited basis; book early). Each of our meets in 2000 is being held in conjunction with other modeler activities in the same area on the same weekend to both attract a larger member audience and to target non-members attending other modeler functions nearby. This presents an exciting opportunity for both our East Coast and West Coast  membership to each have an event to attend in 2000. We hope as many of you as possible take advantage of one of these meets.

The West Coast event will be held January 23, 2000, at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California. This meet is being held in conjunction with the Railroad Prototype Modelers' (RPM) group meet being held the same weekend at the same hotel. Members may purchase tickets for just the 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club meet or a combo ticket for both meets at a discount!

The East Coast event will be held on April 2, 2000, at the Sheraton Hotel in Towson, Maryland. This meet is being held in conjunction with the Timonium Great Scale Train Show held in Timonium, Maryland, on the same weekend in the area. This presents a great opportunity for members who are railroad modelers to enjoy a very exciting weekend in the Baltimore area and the club to present itself to a very large number of modelers through the Timonium train show!

Because of the nature of these two shows we will not have outdoor displays of prototype vehicles, tours, or a banquet. With the exception of booth space, advance registration is not required. However, tickets may be purchased in advance by mail. Please note that we have not blocked hotel rooms as both events are 1 day shows. Members may call either of the hotels for room reservation directly or make arrangements at alternative locations. We hope one of these locations provides you the opportunity to attend one of our club shows next year. Hope to see you there!

The Hobby Industry Association/Model Railroad Industry Association show in Chicago, held on October 30-31, 1999 held some fascinating news regarding new products for the forthcoming year in 1/87 scale. Check the 1999 Chicago Hobby Show report for additional information.

The 5th Annual 1/87th Scale Model Vehicle Convention, held this past March in Portland, Oregon, has garnered more press coverage than any previous club meet. The latest article appears in the September 1999 issue of Railmodel Journal. This excellent article, by club member and noted intermodal modeler (and, not coincidently, webmaster of the www.modelintermodal.com web site) Brian Kreimendahl, features four pages of text and exceptional color photographs taken by Brian at the convention. Brian's photographs for the magazine article are of models different from the contest winners. [Note: Brian also furnished photos of the contest winners for the club's use here on the web site] A special thanks goes to Brian for all the behind-the-scenes effort to persuade the publisher to commit this much print space for the club convention coverage! With all the convention press coverage this year and the many vehicle modeling articles presented in this year's modeling press, it has been absolutely the best year [1999] for vehicle modelers in the press!

The 5th Annual 1/87th Scale Model Vehicle Convention report appeared in the May 1999 issue of Model Railroad News (subscription info: 541-955-1096; $15/yr. for US subscribers; e-mail: mrn@magick.net). Prominently displayed on the front page with an additional four full pages of color photographs and text, the report by Mike Lindsay had excellent photos of the award winning models and new products displayed at the convention. Special thanks to Mike and Model Railroad News.

The 1999 convention of the 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club in Portland, Oregon, featured the model show open to the public (check the 1999 Model Contest page for photos and details), annual press conference, and public display of prototype trucks. Check the 1999 Convention Report. A production facility tour of the Portland, Oregon, Freightliner truck plant highlighted the first day of the convention. Check the Freightliner Tour page.

Once again Model Railroading magazine has published a special vehicle modelers' insert in the March/April (1999) issue of the magazine. Usually printed in time for the 1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club's annual convention, this year's issue is running a little late. This issue includes articles titled Modeling Trucks Using Alloy Forms Kits by Ken Patterson, UPS Package Delivery Car by Gary Walton, Model Vehicles Help Set The Scene: Automobiles for the Transition Era by V.S. Roseman, Vehicle Reviews: Don Mills Models' 1952 Bullnose Kenworth & Resin Unlimited's 1956 Cab-Over Semi-Tractor by David A. Bontrager, Nostalgia -- Modeling From Memory ICX (Illinois-California eXpress, Inc.) by David A. Bontrager, and Generic Detailing of Truck Tractors by Gary Walton. Be sure and pick up a copy of this magazine! The club would like to thank publisher Randy Lee and Chris Lane, National Sales Manager for their contributions to 1/87 scale vehicle modeling!

If you are interested in participating in a 1/87 vehicle "chat list" or e-mail subscription list, you are invited to join the 87scalecars list at 87scalecars@yahoogroups.com. For further information, check the E-Mail/Chat List page. Although this list is not an official club activity, we wholly endorse participation by club members to discuss topics interactively.

The 1998 Model Railroad Industry Association show held in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, IL, on the weekend of November 1, 1998, produced some very good news for 1/87 vehicle modelers. Check our show report.

"Hobby within a hobby: HO scale vehicles" is the title of the lead article in the August 1998 issue of Model Railroader magazine's MR News! section written by MR associate editor, club member, and convention attendee, Jeff Wilson. A report on the 1998 convention in Dallas with several photos can be found on page 46. Special thanks to Jeff and the folks at Model Railroader magazine.

The 4th Annual 1/87th Scale Model Vehicle Convention report appeared in the May 1998 issue of Model Railroad News (subscription info: 541-955-1096; $15/yr. for US subscribers). Prominent front page article with excellent photos of award winning models displayed at the convention.

Model Railroading magazine's March 1998 issue has an extraordinary 20 page insert titled "Vehicle Modeler". The magazine publishes this special insert each March to help the club's annual convention held in March. This year's issue has kit reviews, how-to articles, and 1/87 vehicle advertising all in one section. The club would like to express our gratitude to publisher Randy Lee and National Sales Manager (and club member) Chris Lane. Check pages 37-56 in the March 1998 issue. Note: In subsequent issues there have been several letter to the editor commending the magazine on the quality of this special section.

1/87 Vehicle & Equipment Club Announces Internet Web Presence - See the press release for more details.See the press conference report for details.