The Twin Cities Division of the National Model Railroad Association invites you to the 2022 Thousand Lakes Regional convention in Brainerd Minnesota. Brainerd is in central Minnesota and is the home to Paul Bunyan. Brainerd area is considered Minnesota’s year-round Vacationland. The convention will be at the Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes. This hotel is considered one of the best in the area. Among the amenities is a fantastic waterpark.

The Northern Pacific Railroad established their car and machine shops in Brainerd around 1870 and in the early 1920” s, 905 of Brainerd residents were employed by the railroad. In the 1950’s, the Northern Pacific Railroad moved the engine overhaul facility to Livingston Montana. Other functions were closed by the Burlington Northern Railroad after the merger in 1970. Today the BNSF employs around seventy personnel at the maintenance of way facility in Brainerd

Today Brainerd has a vibrant retail scene with many specialty shoppes and over fifty establishments to grab a bite or a liquid refreshment. The old railroad shops have been repurposed into a facility with nine local shoppes and an Event venue for weddings and parties. Friday we will visit the shops for lunch (not provided in registration) and hear a presentation while there on the history of the shops by Ken Zieska. On the way back to the hotel, the convention will stop at the Crow Wing County Museum and a presentation will be given.

Friday night the attendees can travel over to Crosslake Minnesota to visit the Crosslake Model Railroad Club. Besides their HO layout, there are artifacts from the railroads on display. Saturday will be clinics with a banquet and award ceremony. We will finish the night with the always popular “Lucky Number Auction.” The convention will conclude Sunday morning with the annual general membership meeting and election of board members.

This year there is two ways to register. The traditional way by filling out a form and mailing it back with a check or you can go to Eventbrite, fill out the form and use a credit card to pay for the registration. Using Eventbrite, we can take reservations up to the date of the convention and you do not have to rely on the mail getting it to the registrar by the mailing date. Hotel is holding 49 rooms until April 19, 2022, for our group. After that date, it will be first come first served as Brainerd is an extremely popular destination.

Members traveling from Canada please check border crossing regulations before you travel.

If you wish to register by mail, a form can be found here.

Note you must be a member of the National Model Railroad Association to attend. Membership will be checked. If you are not a member or haven't been a member for two years and have never utilized a RailPass membership, you can get a 9 month RailPass membership for only $19.95.

Spouses or significant others need not be NMRA members to attend Saturday night banquet or non rail events

Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes room reservations 218-822-5634. Mention TLR NMRA Convention.

BRAINERD LAKES EXPRESS PROGRAM

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Thursday May 19, 2022

3:00 pm – 7:00 pm Registration open

3:00 pm – 7:00 pm Celebration Room Check In

DINNER ON YOUR OWN

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Clinic: Explore the Contest Room, Celebrate Arts, Crafts, Photography and Model Railroading by Kennedy Gauger

8:15 pm - 9:15 pm Clinic: Wet Pallet Painting

Friday May 20, 2022

7:00 am – 9:00 am Free grab and go complimentary breakfast available at front desk

7:30 am – 10:30 am Registration Open

8:00 am – 10:30 am Celebration Room Check in and viewing

9:00 am - 10:00 am Clinic: T Track Modules and Modules to build your Division

10:30 am - 11:30 am Tour and presentations at the Northern Pacific Shops complex

Clinic: The Northern Pacific Shops in Brainerd, Clinic will be presented at the Shops by Ken Zieska

Transportation on your own

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Lunch on your own at Notch 8 in the shops complex.

Clinic: The Cuyuna Range by Ken Zieska

2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Tour of the Crow Wing County Museum by Hillery Swanson

3:15 pm Return to Hotel

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Clinic: Effective transportation and storage of Model Trains by Larry Vanden Plas

4:30 pm Dinner on your own

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Visit to the Cross Lake Model Railroad Club (formerly the Northern Minnesota Railroad Heritage Center. Transportation on your own.

8:30 pm Board of Directors Meeting

Saturday May 21, 2022

7:00 am – 9:00 am Free grab and go complimentary breakfast available at front desk

8:00 am Registration open

8:00 am – 10:00 am Celebration Room Check in and viewing

10:00 am – 2:30 pm Celebration Room Judging, no viewing during judging, will reopen once judging is finished.

9:00 am -10:00 am Clinic: Wet Pallet Painting

10:15 am - 11:30 am Clinic: The History of the TLR 1969 National Convention Bid

11:15 am – 1:00 pm Lunch on your own

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Clinic: Weathering Symposium

2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Clinic: Weathering Symposium

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Pick models up in Celebration Room

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Clinic: My journey to earning the MMR by Dave Hamilton

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Social Hour

6:30 pm Banquet

7:30 pm Awards and Auction

Sunday May 22, 2022

7:00 am – 9:00 am Free grab and go complimentary breakfast available at front desk

9:00 am Annual General Membership Meeting