The Next Big Thing

August 23, 2015 / Lowell Smith / Comments Off on The Next Big Thing

Lowell & Barb Smith with General ShermanAs I am now preparing to go to the NMRA National Convention here in Portland, I am excited and amazed at what has happened since this great convention was here in 1994. Our club, Columbia River N Scale, was celebrating its 10th anniversary. My shop, The Hobby Smith, was in the basement and I was preparing for the ‘big show’ and for all to come visit.  We had several layouts set up in the basement space so it was a pretty big draw beyond just my shop. It was a great show. This one will be better!

I am excited to have the privilege of giving a clinic on Wednesday with the topic of “making TTTO Operations easy for guests”.  And, if you’re asking, it is Time Table Train Orders, which is the main way railroads were operated before 1975.

I believe that the next few releases may be the most amazing yet!  Can I say that?  Wait until you see the National Park  Series #21 Mural Car!!    I am very, very excited for you to see these next two cars for my Centennial Tour train!  Along with the Great American Circus & Wild West Show release #29, “Overland Stage‘, the most colorful yet!

 Barb and I will  have a booth at the The National Train Show. It is maybe the biggest model train show on the planet (maybe not, but it is really big). Please come by and be ‘wowed’ by a great show and the Lowell Smith Signature Series booth.

New items to be seen will be:

The latest O Scale item, the Carolwood Caboose, The Executive Line Union Pacific cars, the National Park #21 Mural Car and the art for the #22 Theodore Roosevelt observation, art for the Great American Circus and Wild West Show “Overland Stage”, and for the first time ever, there will be images of the latest to join my line the American Fruit Packer Series first two HO cars!

With over 200 special runs since the 1994 convention, you must know that I just love trains!!!

Although this picture has nothing to do with trains, Barb and I were at Sequoia National Park last week and I could not resist sharing this image after I titled this blog post! Our first time at the nations 2nd national park!

Hope to see you in Portland this week!

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Lowell Smith

A native of Portland, Oregon, Lowell Smith married his church choir sweetheart Barb in 1978. After a lifetime of rail-fanning, Lowell and Barb ventured out in 1992 to launch a new business in Portland, Oregon. Read more

Latest On The Track

What They Say:

K.

My kids absolutely love the Christmas cars! The C.K. Holiday, along with the Carolwood and Disney cars makes a wonderful Christmas train. It made many a loop under our tree this year.

G.N.

As a retiree of the Walt Disney Company I look forward to upcoming releases of the Disney Family Museum and Disneyland series.  Keep up the excellent work!

J.R.

Lowell, I received my Great Locomotive Chase set today. “THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL.” Keep up the good work.

B. Kutch

Love your 3-rail O Scale Atlas Woodside Reefer series. Looking forward to future issues.

Dan & Nina D.

So glad our big Alaska trip happened when it did.  It was the trip of a lifetime for me and Nina, thank you so much for organizing it.

K L

What a trip! We had a great time- exceeded our expectations by a mile. The Silver Lariat was simply stunning. A gem on the rails. The scenery and weather were perfect. The delays were not an issue for us at all. All just a good days work on the railroad! Thank you for all the…

Rad J.

Lowell, I am very pleased with the N Scale Ferdinand Magellan Presidential car. As a retired US Secret Service agent I have conducted security advances for the president and his family traveling by train. I have done a lot of research on the Ferdinand Magellan and the model has excellent detail. It will be an…

J D

Thanks, Lowell, for another awesome addition to an already incredible train.

Joe W.

And as for your goal of 5 releases a year, I admire your ambition, but I won’t hold it against you if you fall short on that accomplishment.  I’m just thrilled you’re doing such an AWESOME job of releasing this amazing train, and hope you don’t stop until it’s all done!

K.

I am looking forward to many more releases in the new year. I stayed up really late on Christmas to talk to Santa when he came by our house. I asked him for an n-scale SP&S 700, and he said that was out of his league and I’d better call you.