Just wondering who might be there on Saturday the 24th. I usually get there around 10 am and wander around in a daze for several hours. Our fearless leader, Bob, and I plan to meet up at some point and will probably head out sometime in the early afternoon and get lunch. There’s a halfway decent Chinese buffet restaurant about a half mile from the fairgrounds on Memorial Ave on the way back to the river. If anyone is interested, PM me and I’ll provide directions, etc.
Brian
I will be there. It is a great show.
Stan Ames
“Big E”?
Not that I will attend, but please enlighten those of us in the dark.
Ric,
The “Big E” is the local name for the “Eastern States Exposition” - a very large fairground complex in West Springfield, MA. The Big E hosts everything from horse and cattle shows, machinery expos, stamp collecting shows, gun and knife shows, you name it. The local model railroad club - the Amherst Railway Society - hosts a big show there either the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February. I’ve been going for the last 20 years. The show is now up to four large buildings and close to 200,000 visitors - it will take close to two hours just to walk through once.
In addition to local hobby shops, most manufacturers, publishers, kit suppliers, etc., attend. There are also numerous sectional layouts (last year they a huge O scale loop - the UP Big Boy hauling a train of over 100 PFE reefers was to die for!). They hold seminars, demonstrations, etc. Though not specifically targeted at large scale, it is still worth attending.
See: http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/
It’s probably not as big as Timomium, but it’s the largest show in New England.
Brian
I heard something mentioned in the past of “Amherst”. Maybe it si the same. I hope somebody can take a camera along in case there is something worth capturing a photo of, for the rest of us. Thank you in advance for any efforts put forth to this endeavor.
Ric, The Big “E” and the Amherst show is one and the same. I will be going there as well for both days and will be at the Mohegan & Pequot G scale layout. In the same building are Aristocraft, MTH, and others. Bachmann is also there. It is a GREAT show! You can also go to Smith & Wesson in Springfield during the week and fire off as many rounds that you can afford at the range they have. There is also a Toy Soldier display at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.
LAO
I will be there on Saturday along with a group from Cape Cod
I’ve been a few times. Passed on it last year and will probably do the same this year. Jim Vliet has an FEBT booth there every year. I had to stop working it with him as there is no place to sit and my knees cant take two days standing on concrete.