Just a reminder the GTE is this weekend at the Anahiem convention center. Its an all scale show but hey, a train show is a train show.
Vic and all:
I went Friday – got there by 10:AM. The box office reported they were not honoring the $1.00 off per the announcement card many of us got in the mail offering this discount. No matter, admission $7.00.
Two major dealers in “G” – BridgeMasters and Gold Coast had extensive item displays. Both Calif. dealers. No G manufacturers present that I could see. Check the Anaheim Convention Center site for the floor plan indicating the array of operating railroads -HO, N predominated, with Del Oro and their extensive (90’ length) dominating the operation of large scale. Other booths had a smattering of G along with the other scales.
Gold Coast (Ventura County, Calif.) made obvious they were featuring PIKO products – especially various flavors of the 0-6-0 and 0-6-2 locos with and without sound and a substantial display of track. The sales staff extolled that PIKO is the upcoming replacement for LGB — with lower prices and high quality PIKO may meet that expectation. Bridge Masters had extensive USA and Bachmann locos along with older new LGB rolling stock and locos. Prices appeared very fair.
Very few children – at least chronologically speaking. 4-5 kids lined up for the concessionaire train ride – rubber-tired loco pulling three cars. Two families seen with strollers.
The show catered to 40+ age bracket. In 1.5 hours I had seen all.
Wendell
Wendell did you mean Saturday cause we were setting up all day on Friday. Yeah Saturday was chock full of collectors and hobbiest. I watched stuff at the Gold Coast booth disappear during the day. I got lots of questions about the pizza, more than at any past show. I heard folks saying its the busiest show in a long time so thats good news.
Sunday was also very busy but it was more families, thats the way shows go, Saturday is for collectors, Sunday is for families.
Loot report:
I spent way more than I expected but one of the large scale vendors was selling Aristo parts and products at 50% off !!! …can’t pass that up.
I consider it very fortunate that they happened to have just what I have been looking for, a centercab motor block, a set of upgraded driver wheels for the 0-4-0 switcher, so now that can get repaired with minimal hassle, and a new Crest Basic Train Engineer RC control (I have been concerned that mine may one day burn out with no real alternative, so this will get put away for the future), I also picked up a couple LGB feldbahn flatcars and a clockwork O train set, Its a Bub post-WW2 made in Berlin (stamped US Zone) mechanical set, I may have paid a little more than its worth but its a neat looking old timey wimey set, I also added 5 new dogs to the layout