It’s coming in 4 weeks. Who’s going to be there?
I plan to be there, manning our booth. Stop by!
I wish I could go, but my dad doesn’t like the idea of driving 4 hours in the winter…
I can’t say that I blame him. A show in New England in the middle of winter? Who knows what might happen weather-wise? I’m surprised they don’t hold it in April or May, but what do I know, I’m not one of the organizers.
Oh, for heaven’s sake, it’s not as if Mark Twain’s comment is still completely valid for New England weather. It’s certainly easy to predict whether disaster might ensue in ‘the next twelve hours’ and if there’s significant likelihood according to the NWS, then his father says not to go.
I do know that when I was his age, not only was I putting the snow tires on the cars in the driveway every winter season, but my father had carefully taught me how to drive in winter conditions … including when not to drive in them at all, or stop if you even start to be concerned.
Presumably his father is also willing to provide him emergency funds to hole up in a motel somewhere if the weather actually does throw a problem, or risks from other drivers’ incompetence become apparent. Or at least give the motel a credit-card number over the phone.
In this age of cell phones with GPS, the issue of unexpected breakdowns in winter conditions becomes much, much less troublesome. I think everyone in the Northeast knows to keep some permanent high-energy snacks and drinking water in the car in case of ‘surprise’.
Whether the Amherst show is actually ‘worth’ driving 250 miles or so each way is entirely a different matter.
Well Mod-man, I haven’t been to the Amherst show (yet) but my brother-in-law and N-Gauger “Big B” has, and he says it’s one helluva train show!
That being said, I think you’ve been away from the Northeast too long. It’s not the weather that’s the problem, it’s everyone else on the road in dirty weather that’s the problem! And it’s only gotten worse since you and I said good-bye to the area. Google the “Route 80 Rant Page” for a taste.
Hell, I’ll even drive in freezing rain if I’m the only one on the road!
No, I don’t blame Harrison’s dad for playing it safe. So would I.
And despite all the advances in meteorology you still can’t predict weather with 100% reliability more than 48 hours in advance. Better than the 24 hours of years ago, but still…
Mother Nature plays by her own rules, not ours. She doesn’t care.
Personally, my drive limit to a train show is two hours tops. But if I happened to be in the West Springfield MA area while the Amherst show was going on I’d definately try to get there.
As I specifically … evidently not quite specifically enough … noted.
Even in my day it was usually the other drivers who posed the problems, whether by getting stuck or actively skidding into your comfort zone. I well remember having to come down off 115 with only triangulation on the taillights of the rig in front of me (who was up higher with better lights, and could see through snow better) and then having to use neutral to go down a long iced grade on 80 littered like some video game with trucks stopped at various angles.
Wouldn’t do that again – and had I paid attention to the weather forecast even an hour before leaving, wouldn’t have tried. Avoiding the analogue of ‘red mist’ that comes from personal overconfidence in ability is sometimes a skill acquired late.
And so would I. I’m not even going to argue that Harrison’s dad can use any form of advice he wants. Only that the advice ‘not to go’ merely because it’s wintertime is a bit premature…
… 12 hours of effective advance warning to exercise the ‘no go’ option correctly, even in the bad old days. Note that implicit in what I said was that if even the possibility of severe winter conditions existed – and it is not in the current mindset of either the NWS or any current weather-clown media to underestimate anything that
Several years ago the show followed two back-to-back major winter storms. People shovelling sidewalks had no place to put the snow.
Attendance at the Amherst show might have been down slightly that year. But the daily totals are consistently in the five-figure range.
A predicted storm reduced attendance a couple of years ago, but again, not by much.
For those not familiar - the Amherst/Springfield show fills four large buildings with vendors of all sorts, numerous layouts of all sorts and sizes, and representatives of most, if not all, of the tourist and shortline railroads in New England. If you’re looking for something railroad, odds are you’ll find it there.
If you are into really shopping - visiting most all of the vendors - plan for a full day.
One thing I tell folks about the show is that while you’ll find products from a number of manufacturers at most shows, large or small, at this show you’ll find the manufacturers themselves, showcasing their products, running workshops, etc.
The Kalmbach folks are usually there, if you want to sto
But remember that this issue here isn’t whether people don’t go to train shows if the weather is bad. It’s whether a home-schooled high schooler (who presumably has relatively little long-distance winter driving experience) should be forbidden to go merely because it’s winter and the weather ‘might be’ bad.
He might easily brave bad weather to join the happy throng. But I wouldn’t advise that he do so just because the show is good and even because a group of happy folks many of whom ‘probably should have known better’ slipped and slid their way over to it. (We’ve had a very similar discussion here before…)
This is about saying he can’t go whether or not there’s bad weather in the picture. Not whether it would be worth his while to go if there is … he would not be traveling if so, and that’s both his dad and I probably saying it.
As I read homeschooler Harrison’s post, the prospective driver was the father. If he can’t figure out that it is best to buy tickets on arrival, but wait until the immediate Friday for the weather forecast (NOAA or Accuweather) and then decide, then maybe he should move south.
I am not old enough to drive. When I am, I will most likely be allowed to go.
[quote user=“Flintlock76”]
That being said, I think you’ve been away from the Northeast too long. It’s not the weather that’s the
Well Harrison I’ll tell you, and probably the rest of us geezers here will tell you as well, when you get that drivers license life gets so much better! [;)]
But let me give you a bit of premature advice, which I’m sure the other guys will agree with, and I hope you remember.
When you start driving keep this in the back of your mind…
You’re not as good as you think you are. That only comes with time. Be careful, and as you’ve observed by now watch out for everyone else on the road!
Harrison: It helps when people read others’ postings correctly, which most members here did/do not in regards to yours.
When you get your license, I feel reasonably certain that whether to drive or not won’t be such a difficult choice.
Maybe Harrison and his dad can manage their relationship without our help …
For record - I wasn’t responding to Harrison’s post, I was responding to Flintlock’s comment about why they would have a train show in New England in January.
The Amherst club has been holding this award winning show at the “Big E” at this time of year since 1982. Apparently they don’t find the weather (or potential thereof) to be an issue.
I was going to say they needed a lot of time to clean up the mess from the Big East Youth & Jackpot Cattle Show in the summer, but it turns out the Mallery Complex will host the Northeast Poultry Congress just a week prior to the Amherst show.
(I guess they have those ‘No Livestock in the main corridor’ signs on the support pillars in the Mallery Comples for good reasons).
I understood that to be the case.
I was not aware of the show, so I looked it up. That looks like a great event!
Main reason the show is held in January is that is when the Big E has the space available. Events are held most every weekend throughout the year as well as the17 day Exposition in September/October.
I concur heartily! From what I’ve seen of Harrison the Youngers photos and videos and passion for the hobby he’s a fine young man. Harrison the Elder is doing a fine job with him!
As I said earlier, what do I know? [;)]