Home Page › Forums › Missouri Pacific Historical Society › Annual Convention › 2018 Annual Convention – Austin, TX
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October 10, 2017 at 4:35 pm #5991clemmie_doris12Participant
The convention location for 2018 will be Austin, TX. The dates are October 4-7. Start making plans, now. It is going to be one of our better meetings when it comes to activities. Stay tuned for details.
October 10, 2017 at 6:15 pm #8489elsaanderson820ParticipantOh goody? less than 4 hours drive time!
Looking forward to helping!January 16, 2018 at 2:41 am #8463clemmie_doris12ParticipantPlans for this year’s convention are moving along smoothly. We will try to make regular posts on this forum, but the most current information will be found at the MPHS website on the convention page – http://www.mopac.org/annual-convention/207-2018-austin-tx.
A contract has been signed with the Drury Inn and Suites in Austin for meeting space and guest rooms. Here is the link to the room reservation web page at Drury’s website – https://www.druryhotels.com/bookandstay/newreservation/?groupno=2323151. Austin is a popular place this time of year and these are the lowest rates we could negotiate. Check out the amenities and extras included with the room rate, closely, and you will see that they help offset the cost quite well. A nice breakfast is included and the 5:30 Kickback offerings make a nice evening meal. We had a quality stay at the same type of facility in Mt. Vernon and I am sure this one will be the same. As I just mentioned, Austin has other festivities this same weekend. I highly recommend that you make your hotel reservations early.
At this point in time, it appears that we will have a charter train trip with the Austin Steam Train Association on Friday. It will include some MP passenger cars and an MP caboose (I’ve got dibs on the cab). A tour of the Georgetown Railroad is also in the works.
As we have done for the last few years, the basic attendance fee will remain low. There will be additional fees for the train ride and the banquet, but they will be kept as low as possible. We do not try to make money off of the convention itself.
Stay tuned.
February 20, 2018 at 3:23 pm #8683latesha_lampungmeiuaParticipantHi All,
I went to the motel site in the message, and didn’t see breakfast in the amenities, and I have no idea what the “Kick back” is, as it wasn’t shown on any of the registration screens (that I could find). Nevertheless, I will try to attend, and I wish the best for the convention. This is not a complaint, just fyi for trying to sell the motel rooms. If they are all taken already, it is moot.February 21, 2018 at 1:27 am #8686princessclyne69ParticipantI happen to like the Drury Inns, in fact the only thing that got me to quit staying at the one in Wichita was buying a house there……
The 5:30 kickback is what regular people would call a happy hour. One of the other things I like about Drury is their habit of rescuing historic structures, like the downtown St. Louis Drury that happens to be the old Railroad YMCA. You should have seen the look on the kid’s face when I told him I’d stayed at that hotel forty years ago and he said, but, but, the Drury has only been here a couple of years ????
Back to the subject, I don’t think the Austin Drury is historic but it’s well located for our purposes and I’ll be happy to stay there.
RG7
February 21, 2018 at 7:04 am #8688clemmie_doris12ParticipantThe link that was posted was merely the reservation link for our group. Here is the link to an overview of the facility.
https://www.druryhotels.com/locations/austin-tx/drury-inn-and-suites-austin-north#overview
As you can see, there is a free hot breakfast and, as Ron explained, the 5:30 Kickback is like happy hour. But, in addition to a few free alcoholic drinks, there are hot dogs, nachos, baked potatoes and other items that will make a decent dinner.
We had a great experience, last year, at the Drury in Mt. Vernon, IL. I’m sure this facility will be just as nice.
February 21, 2018 at 5:32 pm #8557Dennis FairclothParticipantThe Drury in Mt Vernon was excellent. The evening kickback was another opportunity for conversation with fellow MPHS members.
March 11, 2018 at 4:50 pm #8704clemmie_doris12ParticipantI made a “reconnaissance” trip to Austin during the second weekend of March. I am happy to report that all looks very good. The hotel facility is quite nice and has been recently renovated. I was quite pleased with the quality of my room. As we have pointed out, elsewhere, the free breakfast, and the evening drink and food offering (5:30 Kickback) are good values and help offset the cost of your room. Please use the reservation link above or ask for the MPHS rate when you call to make your reservation. The cost of our meeting space is significantly reduced if you reserve your room as part of the MPHS block of room nights. Due to traffic conditions and other factors, I highly recommend that you use the Drury Inn for your stay. You may find a different facility with a cheaper rate, but I think you will find the frustration of getting back and forth not to be worth the financial savings.
I visited the Austin Steam Train Site in Cedar Park and I was very impressed by their operation. Negotiations for the charter train trip should be completed by the end of April. Once finalized, additional details will be posted on this page. Our train will consist of seven to eight cars and will be pulled by a GP40 in a quasi MoPac paint scheme. I toured all of the cars and they are all nicely restored. Our trip will take us to Burnet and back with a stop at the depot in Bertram. This is on an active railroad that sees both freight and commuter operations with a maximum speed of 40 mph. This is about as close as you can get to real railroading on a tourist type operation. The trip will begin on Friday morning with a return to Cedar Park in the early afternoon. A box lunch will be offered as an extra fair amenity. This is a must do activity. Make your plans, now.
We are still seeking some individuals that are interested in making a presentation. This year’s schedule will have a reduced number of presentation slots due to the train trip and other activities. So, get your name in the hat real soon. If your are interested, contact me, ASAP, at [email protected].
For you T-Shirt fans, we will have a special shirt created for this event. It will feature a reference to the I-GN which was the predecessor road to MP’s operation in Austin. A listing will be posted just as soon as the design is finalized.
Austin is a very popular vacation and leisure destination. There will be plenty of activities for spouses in addition to the train ride. Additional information will be coming very soon. I strongly suggest that you get your work schedule adjusted and your hotel reservation made very soon.
I hope to see you at Austin in October.
March 11, 2018 at 11:40 pm #8707benjamintickell53ParticipantIs planning far enough along to identify what activities are going to be scheduled for Thursday afternoon? For those of us who are flying in Thursday, or even arriving on Amtrak’s Texas Eagle Thursday, it may be difficult to get to the afternoon sessions. Knowing what is scheduled before 5pm Thursday would help us determine whether we should take off three days from work instead of two, in order to arrive on Wednesday.
I would second what has already been said about Austin. The city has a lot of activity and fun destinations to keep other family members entertained outside of the convention. The weekend we are in town is the first of two weekends for the very popular Austin City Limits Music Festival, so many hotels are going to fill up — book early!
Bill Pollard
March 12, 2018 at 4:39 am #8708clemmie_doris12ParticipantThe board of directors meeting is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. The evening program will have one or two presentations and will close with a meet and greet social activity with refreshments.
July 25, 2018 at 9:28 pm #7899clemmie_doris12ParticipantThe website was updated last week and you can register for the convention, pay for the train trip with the ASTA and reserve your swap table. Negotiations with the caterer for a box lunch on the train are ongoing, but we should have something finalized very soon. We are still working on a t-shirt design, but hope to have something by the end of August.
Here is the link to the convention page: http://www.mopac.org/annual-convention/207-2018-austin-tx
August 17, 2018 at 5:22 am #8955clemmie_doris12ParticipantThe website has been fully updated and listings for all convention items and activities are posted. Time is running out, so don’t delay in signing up for anything you are interested in. If you wait, you could miss out completely.
Company Store listings are active for:
Registration
Train Trip
Box Lunch on the Train
Swap Meet Tables
Commemorative T-ShirtHere is the main link: http://www.mopac.org/annual-convention/207-2018-austin-tx
As an incentive to get your registration and other activities paid for, now, every paid registration and paid activity received by September 15 will give the member one entry into a drawing for prizes at the convention. There will be several items available. This is in addition to our regular door prize drawing.
If you have questions, send an email to [email protected].
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