What is the public transportation to the convention hotel from New York City?
One could fly from the NYC area to Logan Airport in Boston and then take a Concord Coach Lines bus service to Concord, NH. See concordcoachlines.com for details. Alternatively, one could take Amtrak from NYC to Boston’s South Station where you can also board a Concord Coach Lines bus to Concord.
Another route to consider is flying into Manchester-Boston Regional Airport which is 24 miles from the Grappone Conference Center. Greyhound Bus Lines offers rides from that airport to Concord.
Will any of the convention clinics be available to be seen remotely by Zoom?
Sorry, there are no plans to broadcast or record the convention clinics. Putting on a convention of this high quality requires a lot of volunteer hours and equipment and there are not enough available volunteers and equipment resources to offer remote viewing.
NER conventions are designed for participants to be on-site so that there are opportunities for them to easily exchange ideas and information with each other. For those who cannot attend an NER convention, many good clinics and virtual layout tours can be viewed remotely each year when the NERx program is scheduled.
For Concord Flyer, though, we encourage people to attend in person, see really good clinics and activities, and enjoy lovely New Hampshire in September.
Do people commonly bring their spouses or family members with them to NER conventions and do they typically attend the banquet, awards breakfast and reception?
Many convention goers bring their spouses, significant others or family members (“traveling companions”). At last year’s convention, the 160 railfan registrants were accompanied by 39 such companions. Once they are registered, they will receive a name tag and may attend clinics, tours, and other activities. Alternatively, while the rail-fan registrant is enjoying clinics and layout tours, sometimes their companions will choose to enjoy non-rail activities outside of the convention facility.
There are many such non-rail opportunities at Concord Flyer and these will be posted on the convention website and in the hospitality room at the convention. As for attending the special meal gatherings, at the last NER convention at least 22 guests paid to attend the reception, banquet, and awards breakfast.
I would like to share a ride with others while going on tours and to operating sessions. How can I find carpools?
There will be bulletin boards near the registration desk and in the hospitality suite for registrants to post notices such as those seeking carpooling opportunities. Those who are going to the Vermont Railway System’s railcar repair facility on Thursday and riding on the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad on Saturday will benefit from carpooling as parking areas at those two facilities are limited. Due to liability concerns, the NMRA prohibits convention organizers from being directly involved in arranging carpools.
Are there rail fanning opportunities?
Except for the Amtrak trains running in New Hampshire, trains running in the state do not have a regular schedule. Amtrak’s Downeaster has six daily runs. The Downeaster’s southbound and northbound trains are scheduled to meet in the early afternoon at Rockingham Junction about 1:05 PM. The historic B&M Station and freight shed are no longer in place. The depot building has been moved far back from the track and has become part of a new structure that is nearing completion. There is ample parking in the new rail trail parking lot and a small open area to watch and photograph passing trains.
The variation in timing on the freight routes makes rail fanning challenging. Most of the rail traffic is near the New Hampshire coastal area where CSX trains run more frequently at night. New Hampshire Northcoast (NHN) has two trains per day transporting quarried sand from a pit in Ossipee, NH, to Dover, NH, where it interchanges cars with CSX. This train passes by the Heritage Park Railroad Museum in Union northbound in mid-morning and returns in the afternoon.
Museum officials have been visited by an NHN crew in the past and also they see frequent railfan traffic chasing the NHN from Ossipee to Dover. The route has some very scenic stretches. The NHN typically runs only during the weekdays (M-F).
