Hi Troops,
The Central Connecticut G Gaugers Modular Group in conjunction with the Mohegan-Pequot Model Railroad Club, Inc. is starting to plan for the Railroad Hobby Show held at the Big E in West Springfield, MA on January 24th and 25th 2015. It may seem like a long time away, but layout and transportation plans are in the works.
Setup day is Friday January 23rd 2015 and I am sending out an invite to any of you that plan to attend this show and would like to be involved with us, let me know. If you would like to run your trains or just chat with the guys, let me know. Richard Beverly and one other got together with us in 2014 and had a great time. It is nice to chat with fellow G scale folk and share ideas and info.
The layout will be in the center of the Young Bldg. with the Mohegan-Pequot Club HO layout next to the G scale layout. This has been our area for 20 or so years. The layout is 36’ X 56’ and some changes to specialized modules are in the works and to be announced at a later date.
Those of us that stay in a hotel for this show, have been staying at the Hampton Inn in Enfield, CT., great breakfast, restaurants close by.
I just preordered two AMI GP60s and I hope that they will be delivered before this show or sooner!!!
Bob, you probably want to post this in the Shows and Conventions forums, where most people look for this information, and it won’t “roll off the top” so quickly as the general discussion.
Greg
Hi Greg, I thought about that half way thru the post, I’ll repost in the Shows and Conventions soon, thank you.
I hope it’s too cold for Larry’s speedo!
Hey Bob I may take you up on that offer if the NHGRS does not end up going.
Joseph Lupinski said:
Hey Bob I may take you up on that offer if the NHGRS does not end up going.
Hi Joe,
Did the NHGRS put in an application?? The exhibitor list and floor plan don’t get put on their website until after the 1st of Dec. The M-P club has already signed and returned the contracts. The M-P club has shown there since the entire show tookup only 1/4 of the Better Living Center, now 4 buildings!!!
Sean McGillicuddy said:
I hope it’s too cold for Larry’s speedo!
Hi Sean,
If it is too cold, then Larry wears his fur lined pajamas!!! LOL
NHGRS has applied, but we are awaiting approval.
Rockwall Canyon Jeff said:
NHGRS has applied, but we are awaiting approval.
I hope that you folks can get in, it would be great to have another G scale layout there. The last two years there has been another G scale layout there with table cloth covered tables and an elevated layout, but no scenery, not much to see, but the Central CT group started the same way at the first ECLSTS in Atlantic City years ago. We haven’t done York since 2010 and probably will never again, it was a good run, but things change. We now look at the Springfield show as our biggie for the season.
If you folk don’t get in, come an visit us, we love to chat and run our trains.
Bob, your group is missed at the ECLSTS, but I understand the sacrifice needed to travel that far for a show. I wish I could travel up there to see you and your group, but that is a bit far for me to travel.
David Maynard said:
Bob, your group is missed at the ECLSTS, but I understand the sacrifice needed to travel that far for a show. I wish I could travel up there to see you and your group, but that is a bit far for me to travel.
Hi David,
I understand, the trip from Pittsburgh is a long run particularly in winter. When I drove 18 wheelers, I did some loads from New York City area to Pittsburgh area and back. At both ends the loads were almost never ready on schedule, but if I got there late for pickup, I got docked in pay, but when the load wasn’t ready, I had to wait sometimes for hours sitting idling and it was my truck. Kinda wish that I still had it, it was a 1978 Peterbilt, with triple sleeper, long frame, extra fuel, lights and chrome all over, nice truck, but I don’t miss the traffic and counting mile markers!!!
Winter is a big concern for me just coming down from NH. As it is, i have a 2 hour drive to get to Springfield, and you know if the flakes start flying we’re in for an extended ride.
Bob, nice rig. I drove an International with a small sleeper. It was company truck. I too sat way too long at way too many places because loads weren’t ready.
Jeff, don’t come around Pittsburgh, the flakes are always driving around here.
Hice ride Bob. I run up to Banger Main in a 1972 KW. in the Seventies.
Hi David,
I can handle driving in it...its the sitting on the highway not moving anywhere issue...
I did it four 43 Years . Setting in my office, looking out my pitcher window just watching the world go by.
Last year we went up, not bad drive but we did hit some heavy snow the last 1.5 hours back home. It was a big show and tonsof stuff to see but a little too crowded for me. Since its spread out over a few buildings I wish they could try and put the similar scales together, rather then being spread out. That way if you are interested in G scale you don’t have to search around.
I wish that I still had my Pete, even if it just sat in the driveway, would like to climb up into it and crank it up!!! In 1989 I sold it to a guy in PA who lived not far from Roadside America off I-78. The last time I saw it, it was at the used truck part dealer near Roadside America, with the nose off and engine out, made me sad!!!
As for the Amherst Show, it does get crowded, 22,000 to 25,000 paid plus another 5,000 vendors exhibitors, lots of folks!!! We decided to bring our own refrigerator, table, beverages and makings for sandwiches and of course chips, Fritos and cheese twists for Larry!!! Waiting in line at the food vendors took too much time away from trains!!! Even the bar gets too busy!!!
Lewis Polk asked us if we would move into the Mallary Bldg to be closer to Aristo, Star Hobbies and others, but Amherst show folks had just allowed the G scale layout to get bigger in the same place, which took lots of shuffling of vendor spots, so we passed on the idea. The year after, Aristo didn’t show and hasn’t since. There is another g scale group in the Mallary Bldg, hopefully they will add some scenery to their layout in 2015.
Hey Bob. Sorry not replying till now been a busy weekend and have not been on here. As Jeff said NHGRS has applied but we shall see. I have been pushing for us to go since it is a shame we barely pull our large layout out except for brief time once a year for our own show and for the ECLSTS. Sadly I am not sure how much scenery we will have, as most have not been updating their modules but some of us younger folks have been getting some and we hopefully slowly looking to change that. Again if we don’t end up going I know I will be out there that weekend and love to be able to run with someone.
Hi Joe,
Planning the Amherst Show is a big undertaking for them. Shortly after the 1st of Dec, they will put the vendor/exhibitor list and locations on their website and you can check then. If and when a new exhibitor or vendor has been accepted, they notify the folk, sometimes notifications can be as late as mid January. However it turns out, any NHGRS folks are very welcome to hook up with us and this invite goes out to any other G scale person/group and If I know the names of the folk in advance, then I can request passes on Friday setup day.
If you are familiar with the Mallary Complex, last year there was still some open space in the rear area, so there is a possibility of getting in. Star Hobbies and the other G scale layout are there of course along with many others.