RAILROAD DAYS was a hit!
Estimates are we went over the 30,000 attendance mark.
What became obvious to me is the combination of the model railroad hobby and the REAL deal means a whole new attendance profile – families and their children plus thousands of adults who had no previous history of model railroading; and now they do.
The long Amtrak history train took a full siding with a continual parade who then stepped off and into a self-guided tour of three historical cabooses. BSNF’s fired-up its gigantic diesel and filled its cab’s long incline entry steps with a crowd snapping photos. One of Disney’s steamers was packed with youngsters awaiting their picture and receiving their engineer hat with attached mouse ears. Even the handcar display was well attended.
The action was certainly inside the ¼ mile long tent featuring some 12 model RR clubs’ large modular displays – bookended by Del Oro’s huge “G” operation. Outside, the 50 railroad-related vendors plied their products and the two big on-the-ground “G” displays featured a myriad of smoking locos holding a two-deep crowd’s attention. The kids and parents watched the push-button kid-activated HO layout hold their attention. Meanwhile, the food court, with both charity and commercial groups, did an appreciable business.
Appreciated also was the vocabulary. I didn’t experience the usual model train show lament “I could get it cheaper on-line.” This time the focus was not just sell and buy; it was on the hobby and history for which the families really showed up – along with school classes and four scout troops.
We truly drew the people that needed to be there to keep the hobby on track.
Where’s the next city?
Wendell