This past weekend there was a small local show in Taunton, MA. Normally there is only a few overpriced pieces of and no G layouts. This year a local group had a layout with multiple gauges including G running on it. There was also a small dealer with G at great spruces. For $60 I got 2 LGB Xmas cars with LGB metal wheels and an USA/ New England G Gauge RCA Victor car with LGB metal wheels and Kadee couplers. I missed getting this car on a Trains.com auction as I was concentrating on getting a Navy Boxcar for a friend who was in the Navy had been trying to get one for 4 years.
Well you do never know what you will find.
I go just because I like trains…real one, models ones, memorabilia, and the people. I go cuz I am a train nerd and whenever I am around train related stuff I don’t think about work
Hi Larry On a whim I decided to take a road trip in my car and went to that show too for the same reason that you go because You never know what you might find.
I saw that vendor with the cars at good prices but didn’t buy any. I did find a handful of wooden G scale barrels. The N scale and HO scale layouts were nicely detailed.
Glad you found some deals.
I too, enjoy going to train shows. When I was into “O” Scale High Rail, I went all of the time, wherever they were in the Philadelphia area. That was back in the seventies when Tinplate was enjoying a comeback. There aren’t as many “Train Meets”, as they were known as then, today. However there does seem to be more large scale at the shows I attend. I don’t buy much at the shows. Most of that I do on-line. But I enjoy seeing things in person. Thirty five years ago, my son would tag along. Now it’s my grandson who accompanies me.
Generally here there are ever only two shows, the GTE in January and the BTS in June. I was at both displaying. This year the GTE is being broken up into two separate shows one was last July in Pomona and the next will be this winter in Costa Mesa. Now three shows is always better than two, but I’m doubting about displaying at the next GTEs because getting in and out on my own is very burdensome at the two new locations. So if I don’t display I’ll be going just as a visitor. Usually when I display I almost never get a chance to just walk around much unless someone volunteers to watch the layout. Even then I hurry because I don’t want to take up too much of their time, so just being able to walk around might be a nice change of pace. We’ll see, Costa Mesa isn’t until next year.
The best G show I have been going to is the spring ECLSTS in York. I find way too many items I did not know I needed and at good prices.
Local shows are great as you never know what can be found and I pass deals on to club members that were not able to attend.
Why I attend?
Much as Vic stated above, both the Great Train Show, Pomona, So. Calif., and the GTE in L.A., gives hope to see new products as well as the modular display layouts. Unfortunately, new products from the mfgs. has been more hopeful than fruitful.
Talking with vendors, as Vic indicated he misses, is another reason. However, being selective as to the time taken with them if you are not buying is understood. Meeting with Vic and Greg is consistently a good experience – learned a lot!
Well, I ended up at the “All Scales Show” in York last weekend. I wanted to judge for myself after I heard about last year’s failure. It definitely had the feel of a local show, much smaller than a Greenberg Show. There were all scales. I was pleasantly surprised to find what I can remember as about 10 places that had G Scale. Star Hobby was there, G Scale Junction, and Beacon Hill Trains - who I finally realized was Mike Moran. Spent most of my stash supporting Mike. Got a few good bargains from him. Got a few Aristo parts from Navin - gears and couplers. This was on Saturday, I couldn’t make it on Friday. Overall, I wasn’t expecting much, so it was above my expectations. For me it was worth the trip.
Lou
Since Starr Hobby stopped coming to the Pittsburgh Greenberg show, the amount of large scale to choose from has been sparse at most shows. The last one I went to I nabbed a Roundhouse boxcar, and a year or so ago I got an Aristo caboose. I also got some Floquill paint and other assorted bits. Anymore I only go to the shows because one of the HO groups I belong to is setting up their layout at the show. I keep saying that I don’t need no more stuff, and I don’t.
I wish there were more shows out here. I'm definitely still going to Costa Mesa GTE. Although my mainline G activities have scaled way back, I still am active with my microlayouts with the new G pizza, a very big idea for a tiny N wedding cake, and an as yet unseen self-contained battery powered N gauge Bandai-made micro pizza layout that I saw on EBay an had to have, its coming from Japan, where microlayouts are very common. All of these are going to need "stuff" so I at least have a great excuse to go even without the pizza in tow.
The main reason for going to local shows is to help support the local club who is putting it on plus you never know what you might find…
I go for several reasons. Like Devon I like trains of all sizes and types. I’m also a dealer, but that’s not the main reason. I like interacting with all the people that come by my tables. Get to talk about trains, exchange ideas, help out those that are just getting started, and listen to the stories from the old timers that worked on the railroad. I do 8 shows a year and I never get tired of it, plus I can find some good deals.
We go to train shows to set up layout and see friends. I haven’t bought much at train shows in general for years. We do look at the new stuff and just really enjoy the atmosphere. I’ll be 67 this year, so have been going, I’m guessing, about 60 years. We love to see the work and modeling experience of other modelers. Its a SHOW, not a bargain FLEA MARKET. However, I enjoy the vendors there, because it brings more people in.
Larry Otis said: This past weekend there was a small local show in Taunton, MA.
Funny I drove right past this to go to the barn to go for a nice trail ride …
I did think about going , but it was too nice …( the wife was with me) so you know the answer!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
We did have a great 4hr horse ride on the old railroad bed just down the road from the show!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Sorry I missed you Todd and Larry…
Since the Dalton train show folded, there is not anything to go to in the Mid-South. There was a Great American Train show in Memphis, but that quit also. Maybe someone will start one back up soon.
For a few years, Greenbergs had a nice train show here in Fort Washington, Pa. The building is only a mile or so from my house, so it was a no brainer, easy for me, to attend. then a few years ago, the moved otto the Valley Forge convention center. There is no worst place to have any kind of show, in my opinion, than the Valley Forge convention center. The parking lot is like a roller coaster. The show is nothing compared to what it was here. Besides that, the convention center and hotel was built by Altamos, the non-union contractor that caused alot of trouble in the early seventies.
Here in nowhere Neb the closest train show is 65 miles away in North Platte. We go every year, mostly to buy tools/etc from the vendors. Seldom any G stuff at all. Mostly HO and N scale it seems. Went to Omaha’s in Feb, way too big and crowded and a LONG drive. So Kidman’s takes care of me pretty much, even finds used stuff for me. Nice people.
I enjoy BTS, and really miss the show at the Pomona Fairgrounds. Its good to see some of the old coot’s a couple times a year. I always plan to be there early and try to beat Doug Arnold to some of the deals.
I went to the local show, yesterday, that was sponsored by one of the local H0 clubs. There wasn’t any large scale, to speak of, and what there was, was amusingly overpriced. The same Bachman 1:20.3 Connie for MSRP that hasn’t sold in ten or twelve years. Box cars, missing couplers, going for like new prices. Aristo water tank and yard tower, both going for $300.00 each (rare, don’t you know). No boxes, though.
I did find a new in box Weaver GN 0 gauge 3 rail box car for $15.00, and a NIB Lionel Hooker tank car that the guy wanted $30.00 for at the beginning of the show, but took $15.00 for at the end of the show. The Weaver boxcar I bought before the show opened, because I knew if I didn’t, it wouldn’t be there a few minutes after opening bell. The tanker, I told myself that if it was still there at the close, it was supposed to come home with me. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
I don’t go for the new stuff, but for the estate sales of product that has not been on the market for years. Unfortunatly this comes at the cost of the older generation of modelers marking off the board for the final time. New product for the most part does not exhist right now or is very slow to appear. Nothing new from USA, Aristo gone, Next Gen trying to get off the ground, LGB is sparse and very expensive for new items ect. But I find plenty of used items, ususaly more than my meager funds will allow me to puchase. And this is in both scales I model in, G and O. Many times I get items thru barter. Just picked up a beautifully custom painted, early run Bachmann 2 truck shay. Runs but only on 1 axle on each truck, other 2 have blown gears. Over the winter I will replace all 4 with NWSL gears and convert to onboard battery. Set up that way, and pulling my 2 log buggies and caboose those original trucks will live a long time. My friend and I attend most all the local shows, we may buy something, we many not. But seeing old friends, admiring the layouts and sometimes taking my small Lionel layout or our live steam to run on Jim Sander’s(weebee loco works)layout is reason alone for the trip. Its also something to do during the cold winter days besides staying in the house. Ebay and the other online stuff like this place have taken thier toll on the social side of the hobby, but I feel it will never go totaly away. The need to get out of the house, see friends in person and find those items that never make it to ebay will continue to keep many shows alive for many years to come. Hope to see a few of you all at some future event. Mike and Michele T