Don’t want to start any arguments here, but I’m curious if any of you could “compare and contrast” the upcoming Amherst show (and their shows of the past) with the Howard Zane show in Timonium. My son and I are HO guys, like scale railroading as opposed to toy trains, and are looking to build a layout in the near future. We’ve been to the Syracuse show in the past but are looking for something bigger. We can only swing one of these two upcoming shows. Any guidance? TIA, Ken
Well, Ken, each is really unique but each has also evolved over the years and it depends are just what you are looking for, or hope to get out of it, as to which is personally better and it certainly does vary some, year to year.
Some years ago Timonium offered an incredible variety of both new and out of production items. In fact, the earliest shows I attended included everything I could ever remember seeing in the pages of MR back to the early 1950’s. It was like walking through the history of HO model railroading! Likewise, it was truly a scale ONLY show, with no tinplate even allowed in the door. As the years have passed tinplate has become a part of the show and OOP items have decreased in number as the sellers of the latest equipment have taken their place. Sometimes the aisles can be rather narrow and the crowds significant. Still, it’s my favorite show.
Amherst is certainly bigger, in fact it’s down right huge, but it includes a high percentage of tinplate trains. They generally run a nice selection of basic instructional clinics during the show but you need to get to them well ahead of their scheduled time for a good viewing seat. As with Timonimum, there’s been an obvious shift toward weekend retailers and list prices, relative to the average hobbyist there to just sell off unused equipment. A lot of the craftsman kit manufacturers are usually in attendance and some will offer deals. The crowd can be really huge (20,000+ over the weekend), making it difficult to get to and peruse many of the tables.
Don’t expect a bonanza of bargins at either show. Those days are gone forever, I’m afraid. So, be sure to bring a full wallet. Food is expensive at both. The outdoor wait on the ticket line at Amherst can be really tough at the end of January (I’ve seen it at dead zero…and with a stiff wind!). At either venue, unless you arrive real early, expect a long walk from where&
I have never been to the Amherst show, but I go to Timonium about once a year. I would go to all 4 shows if it was closer. It’s the biggest show to which I have ever been, but people there keep assuring me it used to be much bigger.
I will be going again in April.
Ken,I havent been to the show in Timonium, but have been too the show in W.Springfield. For an Ho Guy They have everything under the sun and then some! Lot’s of really Great layouts,Friendly People there too. Parking wasn’t a problem when I went.And it didn’t take long to get into the buildings…I think there were 7 last year.
As for food, Eat before You get there and or pack a lunch.
This has got to be the Biggest show in New England if not the East Coast.Well worth the trip.I hope to go this Year also.
Here’s a couple of links to some videos and photo’s I made last Year…
Ron
I’ve been to both. If I were able to do only one, it would be the Amherst show. You’ll see a lot more of the manufacturers showing off their wares (which means some hints as to coming products). And while I may be speaking out of turn, you might see some of the more worthwhile Timonium vendors there also. There has also been, in my opinion, and not to offend anybody, some degradation recently at the Timonium venue. There seems to be fewer vendors, an expansion of the toy train stuff, and an increase in the admission price with no apparent increase in value. However, parking is free and you can go back the next day for free if you don’t wash the stamp mark off your hands. On the other hand you get charged (is it $5?) at the Exposition Grounds plus you gots to pay again to visit the second day.
I see a show in Timonium on Feb 6 & 7, The Great Scale Model Train Show, listed in the “Coming Events” part of this web page. This is the Timonium Show I’m talking about. I didn’t see any listed for April. Am I missing something? (Wouldn’t be the first time) Ken
Never been to the Amherst show by looking at their website it seems like a nice show but don’t feel the need to take the ride that far away for choo choo’s. Timonium is by far the greatest show I’ve ever been to and yes I did go to Springfield once but couldn’t find Homer Simpson for the life of me.
Yes, I assumed that this was the date you were referring to, since it was so close to the Amherst show date. However, they currently have four shows per year at Timonium, and the following show is scheduled for weekend of April 10 and 11. The website link is: http://www.gsmts.com/a_datesplaces.html
I’ve never been to Timonium, but I’ve been going to Springfield since 1991 when they went to 2 days. It’s now over 7 acres of display space (300,000+ sq. ft.) in 4 buildings. There are 459 total exhibitors, with 35 of them being operating layouts in just about every scale.
Almost every manufacturer is present: Athearn, Atlas, Bachmann, Badger, Bowser, Branchline, Broadway Limited, Carstens, City Classics, Con-Cor, Digitrax, ExactRail, InterMountain, Kadee, Kato, Lenz, Lionel, MRC, MTH, NCE, Rapido, & Walthers (and many, many more). Many historical societies are there: New Haven, Boston & Maine, Conrail, East Broad Top, Chessie, Penn Central, Candian National, Central Vermont, New York Central, and more. There are even real railroads present: Green Mountain, Amtrak, Conway Scenic, & Pioneer Valley. In short, if it’s about trains or model railroading, it’s at Springfield.
Springfield is not just a Train Show, it’s an Event. http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/ If there’s a bigger train show in the USA, I’d like to know what else compares to 300,000 sq. ft. A few years ago, Springfield was voted the most important train show by the hobby trade magazine, “Model Retailer”. Even over the NMRA National Train Show, which should tell you something.
The experience? If you hate crowds, go Sunday as there is almost half the people there. If you want the deals or selection, go Saturday. Bring money: the local ATM’s run out fast, and bring the most comfortable shoes you can wear in the winter.
Paul A. Cutler III
I’ve been to the Amhearst show 6 times. I second all of Paul’s comments and would just add: Pack A Lunch And Bring Something To Drink! This is especially true for diabetics, you may pass out from low blood sugar waiting to buy food or refreshments.
Haven’t been to Amherst, it’s a little too far plus what genius thought it was a good idea to have a show that far north in the harshest part of winter? I’d probably go it it was around October or so.
I’ve been to Timonium many times, and keep going back. It’s a nice pleasant drive for me, a nice one-day trip. I’ve never had to park what I’d call far from the door, and I tend to arrive at most shows an hour after the doors open so I don;t have to wait in line. I’ve always found soemthing I was lookign for, maybe not everything. And the display layouts are fantastic. They may have combined with the tinplate, but they are kept seperate and the overwhelming majority at Timonium is scale - unlike a couple of the local shows I don’t go to anymore which have become nothign but Lionel collector shows.
–Randy
Sunday is usually less crowded than Saturday. If you check the vendor list and the map you can usually set up a plan of attack as to visit the dealers/vendors you MUST see. Everything else can be a bonus.
There is still time to purchase tickets in advance and avoid the outdoor ticket line. Also note that there is a two day ticket available at a discount. http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/purchaseadvancetickets.asp
I agree with the comment about some of the other shows in the area being mostly Lionel Louie crap…Allentown…Gilbertsville…Leesport.
Timonium is a pretty good show to go to…M.B.Kleins is just up the road and the Light Rail runs behind the place if you want to take a ride.
Thanks guys for your insights. I just found out that my son has a school obligation Sat 1/30 that would effectively eliminate Springfield (unless I want to do 10 hours round trip to spend 3 hours on site Sun AM). Too bad because I really wanted to meet some of the NHRHTA people after being a member for 30 years. Based on what you’ve said, we’ll do Timonium this year and Springfield next. Thanks again, Ken
Must be nice to have a choice of 2 big shows…In my part of the world we have the Berea show to look forward to and sadly very few manufacturers attend…We have the new Ohio N Scale weekend as well.
I know that doesn’t help you but,if I there was a chance I would attend both shows if I were in your boots…
Hi Larry,
I’ve been in model railroading for most of my fifty odd years, and I’ve been to one “Big Show”. I’m looking at this trip as close to a once in a lifetime deal, as it’s 5 1/2 hours to S’field and 4 1/2 to Timonium. I see that it is 5 3/4 hours from Nelsonville, OH (randomly chosen SE Ohio location) to Timonium. Probably a pretty scenic drive at that. I’m hoping to treat myself just this once, might you consider the same at some point? Just a thought. Alternatively, if you are in northern OH you could take the Late Shore Ltd. to Springfield, but you might not arrive until Monday 
Ken
At last after all those years, finally something I don’t agree with you Randy.
To me it is a ride South heading toward warmer weather. In fact the trip one way is 7 hours and I attend the full two days. I don’t recall what year I started going there, I think it is 7 or 8 years ago I have been there every year since. I never went to the Timonium show, I may one day as part of a week long railfan trip.
I haven’t been to Amherst, but I have been going to Timonium for several years now. The biggest two shows are fall usually in October and winter at the end of January or early February with winter usually the biggest. Summer in June is the smallest as they have to fit it into the smaller air conditioned building. April is in between.
The recession has definitely hurt the show, fewer vendors and fewer attendees. I would estimate the vendors at about 65-75% of what it used to be at the peak. The flip side is they have increased the number of layouts over the last few years.
It is still the biggest and best show I have been to in the middle Atlantic states. The only rivals are the WGH show which is coming to the Capitol Expo Center this month on the 23rd and 24th for the first time in 4 years and the National Train Show which comes with the NMRA convention - last in Philadephia in 2006 and not scheduled for the MidAtlantic states any time soon. I intend to go to both the WGH and Timonium.
As others have noted, there aren’t a lot of bargains. There are vendors selling at a discount, but the real bargains are to be found at the White Elephant table usually just inside the entrance. There anyone can leave items for sale on consignment. Not a big operation, but you can sometimes buy for half or less.
Enjoy
Paul
You have to run the show when the space is available. The Big E itself runs for 18 days in September/October. Various types of shows are running throughout the year. Seeing how this winter is going there may be as much snow in Georgia as in Massachusetts.
Ken,
If you want to come see us at the NHRHTA, we have two show crews that do most of the train shows in Connecticut and Southeastern Massachusetts, not just Springfield. Here’s a link to our schedules: http://www.nhrhta.org/htdocs/shows.htm
But if you want to really meet most of the folks in the NHRHTA like the BOD and other “names” in the association, then you want to plan a trip to the New Haven RR Reunion in November. At any given show, we have volunteers that staff the tables but we’re not really in any positions of authority. In fact, most of the BOD and others are almost never around these shows (Bill Dumaine has been at the Marlboro, MA show the last two years). However, just about everyone goes to the Reunion.
I’m in the “Old Colony Division” show crew for Southeastern Mass., and I’ve been doing that for 19 years. The folks in our crew consist of Paul Beck, the guy that makes all our videos; Ed Sweeney, who has an article in the latest “Shoreliner” magazine about the Mogul that blew up; and Marc Frattasio, who has 2 books out on the NH and has written most of the articles in the “Shoreliner” in the past 10 years or so.
I’m not quite sure who is on the “Cedar Hill Division” show crew other than the particulars who run it like Bill Nickerson. I know at Springfield, Jon Kasey is there and he’s on the Tech. Committee. Marc is usually there on one day. Rick Abramson, Wayne Drummond, Bill, et al., if they go, are wandering around the show rather than staffing the tables. So if you want to drive hours and hours to meet the NHRHTA, I’d recommend the November Reunion over Springfield.
Paul A. Cutler III