Toy Train Show.

[thedoc]

Starting tomorrow at Noon, is the largest Toy Train show in the world. 3 days of buying and selling toy and model trains, and I'm right in the middle of it. So I'll be spending most of today getting ready, checking my trains and getting everything priced. Thu. I'm on my own but on Fri. the wife and grandkids will be there, it's a chance to talk to some friends from all over the country that we only see twice a year.

[curses]

Pics!

[thedoc]

Originally Posted by curses

Pics!

Sorry, photography is not allowed inside the halls.

[curses]

Aww, that's a shame. Still, cool stuff.

[thedoc]

Well, the Greenberg meets allow photography and this is a show from Mar. 2003 where this club set up a modular layout. As you scroll down you will find several photos of a pier with ships tied up for loading, a blue hulled container ship, and a black hulled ore boat in 'O' guage. I will point out that they are not 'O' scale which is 1/4 inch to the foot but are much smaller to fit better with the trains. I know a bit about them because I built them and sold them to a member of the club to use as a display when the layout is set up. The man who bought the models and the piers from me is in a photo near the bottom of the page, wearing a bright blue T-shirt with a blue and black plaid shirt over it, and standing next to a man wearing a lt. gray t-shirt.

March 2003 Edison Greenberg Show Photos

[California Tanker]

OK, it's not the NMRA convention, and it's not Trainfest, what is it? Unless you're in Germany, I can imagine they've got some serious shows there.

I recently dusted off the Lionels that have sat unused for some... oh... decades. The Southern RR GP-7 definitely needed some TLC, but aside from some dirt on the wheels, my absolutely awesome Blue Comet 4-8-4 (6-8801) still runs, makes smoke, and has the Mighty Sound of Steam. I'm going to give it to the local Lionel man for a tune-up though.

Sadly, the cat and the general lack of space have inhibited my scale railroading. Although I'm firmly in the HO camp, I am giving serious consideration now to N. Just seems 'wrong' to me, though.

I will point out that they are not 'O' scale which is 1/4 inch to the foot but are much smaller to fit better with the trains.

Proto-48? Haven't heard much of that in a while, I don't believe it ever really took off.

[thedoc]

Originally Posted by California Tanker

OK, it's not the NMRA convention, and it's not Trainfest, what is it? Unless you're in Germany, I can imagine they've got some serious shows there.

Sorry about that, I thought of adding the location after someone else asked me whare it was. It's the Train Collectors Association, Eastern Division train meet at York Pa. on the fairgrounds. The spring meet april 18, 19, 20. It is primarily a Toy Train event, but being so large almost anything will show up in time. I have bought quite a bit of HO scale equipment over the years. When My father was coming I could go and roam around to see the whole show, but now I'm there alone tending 3 tables, so I can't see as much. Even when the wife and grandchildren are there, they are off in the play area, and I'm still alone. If you have been to other "Big" shows I'd be curious to know how big in table space and attendence. At york they do about 1,500 6' table spaces but I'm not sure how they figure the areas for the Manufacture displays, and there are over 13,000 attending the meet.

My son has a similar problem as you do, no place for the trains and cats. Since we have moved into the new house I have solved my layout room problem, no pets and a 72' by 26' attic under a mansard style roof, 8' celings at the edge and no obstructions, even the plumbing vents were run to the outside, and I have a 4' wide stairs to the porch. I just need to equalize the temperature so it's usable all year.

[California Tanker]

and a 72' by 26' attic

Hell, with that much room, you could run LGB scale trains.

I was at the NMRA national in San Jose, oh, ten years ago, but it was as much a trade show as it was an exhibition. All the various manufacturers (Athearn, Kato, Bachmann etc) had their wares stands, but the scenery folks, the paint and airbrush folks.. even Microsoft had a stand for the MS Train Sim they were coming out with. There were a number of layouts, but it wasn't a pure model train show for the public.

Similarly, I went to iHobby about two years back. Most of the usual suspects in the train industry were there, and a number of layouts, but again, it was more of a product sales show than something to bring the kid to and watch trains roll around.

[thedoc]

Originally Posted by California Tanker

Hell, with that much room, you could run LGB scale trains.

Yes I could but I already have a lot of equipment in HO scale, so I'll stick with that and run long trains. I grew up on the B&O mainline and I have equipment for that road. My plan is to represent the 'SandPatch grade from Cumberland Md. to Connelsville Pa. not all of it just specific recognizable sections. Rockwood Pa. will be the center piece.

[thedoc]

Well one day in, I sold a few things, not a lot, but I see this as saving my place till I can start making product to sell. Tug Boats, Tow Boats, Barges, Car Floats, and maybe a Freighter. The Freighter is the only potential problem as they usually turn out fairly large, about 60". But they look good. I had built a working ore dock and ore boat in 48" that was a lot of fun to demonstrate, but I got the chute spacing wrong. I'll do brtter the next time. That's the other thing I forgot about, 'Ore Docks' in a variety of lenghts that could be put together to make a really long 'O' guage ore dock. Sorry no photos, everything I built before is gone, except for what I sold.

[thedoc]

The fall train show starts later today Oct 17 and runs Thu. Fri. and Sat. the biggest toy train meet in the world.

[thedoc]

The train show is over, I didn't sell very much but others did well. I really need to get back into production and that means I need to get my wood shop set up and get busy. 'O' gauge Tugboats, Towboats, barges, car floats, and an 'O' gauge freighter, plus an HO scale freighter. A lot of work and some very specific items I need to get working on first. Also an ore dock would work if I do an 'O' gauge ore boat.