The 2019 RGM&HS Convention was held in conjunction with the NMRA National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 7-13, 2019. The convention had three days of activities.   All RGM&HS convention presentations were Thursday in the same room during the NMRA convention at the Little America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.  Our presenters gave 45-50-minute program with questions to wrap up in an hour.  The scheduled programs were:

• Reconstruction of the Rio Grande Utah Main Line, 1914-1963 by Mark Hemphill.  Mark is a Transportation Consultant and former Trains magazine Editor, Railroad Dispatcher and helped rebuild railroads in Iraq.  He will explain how the Rio Grande was rebuilt from a broken-down property into a competitive link in the transcontinental rail system.
• “Last of A Breed” and Video of his N Scale “Rio Grande Moffat Road” Layout by Mike Danneman.  Mike is a well-known Artist, Author and Model Railroader.  He will tell his personal view of the Rio Grande.  His book of the same name, “The Last of A Breed”, was about the last Rio Grande SD40T-2 in Utah.  Mike will also show a program on his outstanding Rio Grande Denver to the Moffat Tunnel N scale layout.
• Rio Grande’s Utah Freight Train Operations by Chuck Conway.  Chuck has written two books on the Rio Grande in Colorado with beautiful color photos and extensive information on the railroad.  He is completing a companion book on the Rio Grande in Utah.  Chuck will share photos and development of train operations and schedules to support the traffic.
• Night Vision (Multimedia Program) by Mel Patrick.  Mel is a former Rio Grande employee and well-known photographer who combines exceptional photography with sound and music background.  His night photography program has won rave reviews wherever it has been shown.
• Main Line Operations in Utah in the Big Steam Era by Mark Hemphill.  Mark has graciously offered to host a second session where we will close out the day with a program on Steam in Utah.  Mark always packs excellent research with interesting information.  He has added photos taken by well-known steam photographer Otto Perry.

In addition to the programs, there were layout tours by private autos on Friday and Saturday.  Our RGM&HS Board of Trustees meeting was on that Saturday morning.  We also had an informal “order of the menu” meal where attendees met others with a “Grande” interest a the Rio Grande Cafe in the old Rio Grande Depot. RGM&HS have a booth at the National Train Show in the Mountain America Exposition Center (formerly known as Southtown Expo Center) in Sandy, UT, which was open Friday through Sunday.

Members who attended the NMRA Convention July 7-14 were allowed attend RGM&HS activities at no additional cost.