Is it me or are virtually all train shows the same – a number of modular club layouts in the middle surrouned by various local retailers peddling the usual crop of Atlas, Athearn, Walthers and Thomas the Tank Engine?
Seems that no matter what town I go to, if I’ve been to one show I’ve been to all of them. And if I go to the same show the following year, I see pretty much what I saw the previous year.
Just once, about 8 years ago, I recall going to show and finding all sorts of small “garage” manufacturers with unique and interesting products for sale. Haven’t seen a show like that once since.
So my question is two-fold: i) has your experience been the same as mine? and ii) if so, what would you do to liven up the shows?
I have attended various shows over the past 18 years or so and they all have had the same look and feel that your mentioned…club modular layouts, various local and national retailers, local rail fan clubs, and this varies from location to location.
I enjoy going because it is fun to meet fellow model railroaders and kibitz with the retail folks and the club folks.
What I really like that livens up a show is when they offer free clinics, they could really turn most ho-hum shows into a real nice event with some scheduled clinics or “how-to” sessions.
The last one I attended was the Great Train Expo in Winston-Salem, NC a couple weekends ago, and the Central Carolina NScale Club had a clinic that got me jump started on making trees on my layout, even posted a mini clinic a couple days ago about what we did. I got more out of that clinic in the way of future motivation than I had expected!
Maybe, but I find some neat older stuff. and prices can be competitve. That;s the only place I;d heard of the Tracks in the Sand. 1 booth. And if you might be working on a project, you can get soem decent cars to fudge.
My only complaint is that they all come in the same 5 months and then we get nothing for the entire year almost.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a train show. What you describe has been my experiences also. Because of this I currently have no interest in attending train shows as they aren’t worth my time or money when you consider the admission fee.
I’d like to see more cottage industries and hobbyists, who aren’t dealers, selling or displaying their wares - especially discontinued or hard to find items. As far as dealers and items that are currently in production go, I can usually get those items online for cheaper and with a lot less hassle. Layouts, from modular to micros, in a variety of different scales would also add a lot of interest. Free clinics, especially the “how-to” kind that are pertinent to all scales, would also be a welcome addition.
I pretty much have seen the same thing. Every once in a while they get some new vendors. I like to go for the ones that are selling used or older stuff. I model 1900-1905 era and the only people making models for that era are the laser kit and resin outfits, the major manufacturers have pretty well abandoned that era so I have to rummage through the older stuff, mostly for parts and kitbashing fodder.
The Great Scale Model Train Show in Timonium Md is worth going to IMHO - I’ll drive up from Virginia for that one. Greenberg’s less so - I only go to those when they are local. But I still go regularly, my LHS is very small, only half trains, and no S scale - so shows are the way I get to see stuff and where I do most of my buying. Plus I just enjoy the layouts. - even if I have seen them before.
I tend to agree, very few of the traditional shows feature much I am interested in. I always come away wondering whether it was a waste of time and money. I do enjoy looking at the layouts the most. I usually get several ideas from them. But as for buying anything, very few dealers ever seem to have any Tyco/Mantua and/or Roundhouse out-of-production kits that I am interested in. And if they do, the prices are usually (but not always) higher than eBay or LHS with new old stock.
A different kind of show that impressed me the most by far was the HOn3 Symposium in Occidental, CA. Clinics by well-known “names” in the HOn3 world, manufacturer’s displays, and a functioning HOn3 modular layout all made this much more meaningful than the usual GATS. But would a modern era model railroader with a mostly RTR layout have enjoyed the HOn3 Symposium? Probably not.
Based on my experiences, I will probably focus more of my show attendance on the latter type of gathering.
Similarly, I find myself more drawn to the specialized web sites and magazines. While I still have an active foot in this forum and “The Gauge”, I am fascinated by some of the Yahoo groups and Carl Arendt’s micro layout site. I have started to suscribing to the NG&SL Gazette, and often will choose an issue of Light Rail Digest or a Fine Scale Annual over the latest RMC or MR at the LHS. I find many issues of Scale Rails to be worthwhile reading.
I think it’s really a reflection of how my interests have changed over the years, and not so much that the shows have gone “down hill”.
I got to about 12 to 14 shows a year and participate in 7 of them. My club has a modular layout that we take to shows and we usually have a great time showing it off. I do agree that at some shows you see the same vendors selling the same stuff and you see the same old layouts that you have seen for the last few years. Its up to the show coordinators to spice things up or else they will see a decline in attendence. I enjoy going to the shows. I Like looking at the new stuff thats out, I like looking for that one certain box car that I can’t find, I like meeting new people and seeing old friends that you only see at shows. Most of the bigger ones I’ve attended tend to put on clinics and have some “cottage” business demonstrating their products. I don’t think train shows are getting stale, I think your going to the wrong ones.
The strangest thing happened here. For years, our show had a local modular club’s display, until enough of the members retired or lost interest, and the layout was no longer available. The next year, suddenly, instead of the big modular layout everyone expected, people brought in half a dozen small display layouts - some Lionel, some Marklin, a modestly large switching yard, and last year a small N road.
The strange part is that, instead of causing a drop of interest, the loss of the one big layout in favor of multiple tiny ones seems to have caused a jump in interest - the show seems to get more people and better dealers now.
I don’t say this would be the effect everywhere, and I haven’t made any statistically valid survey, but it’s not what I’d have expected to see happening.
Speaking of clinics, there was one thing in particular at the WGH show in Fort Worth last year that impressed me.
Woodland Scenics had a guy actually building scenery using WS products. He had a huge crowd gathered around at all times.
I personally use a lot of WS products so it was nothing new to me but I still found it very inspirational.
The most important thing I think, though, is that for the casual train-show going public it showed how it easy it could be to get magnificient results.
I think it’s not so much that the traditional shows are going downhill as that more knowledgeable and experienced modelers have gone uphill. Many shows seem geared to the newcomer/toy train set, which leaves me cold.
I agree that well-organized shows featuring clinics and available advice from experts would be closer to meeting my ‘givens and druthers,’ as would a little advance notice of what might be new and unusual. In truth, I’m on the wrong side of a wide ocean from shows that would really meet my needs.
I don’t get to attend enough shows for them to be stale. I don’t get to socialize with any modelers where I live, so that part alone is worth the price of admission to me. (that, plus all the HOT train groupie chicks![:P])
The first train show experience was probably the best ever for me. All of the shows after that were just repeats in most ways and I have stopped going. The best thing about Train shows now is going with some other people and enjoying the show and discussing the products.
The major name show tends to display more of the G scale and Lionel displays than HO. It is a rare occasion that I got to visit top HO manufacurers. It might be different now, but I lost interest in the shows some time ago.
I do plan on helping set up one of the Major HO display modular layouts at the upcoming LA NMRA show this summer.
I quit going to all but one show in the Detroit area. For me, they have become a complete waste of time and money. Here is why:
Dealers who stubbornly and stupidly refuse to lower their prices. I had one guy offer to knock .50 off an $8.00 used freight car.
Table after table filled with junker Tyco freight cars with missing trucks for $10. $2.00 Walmart cars marked up to $5-6, usually with the old price crossed out.
NOS Katos with the boxes worn out from being transported for the last 7 years, priced more than original MSRP.
Atlas Rocos from the 70s and 80s priced for $50 that sell on ebay for ½ or less.
Replacement wheels from P2K and Intermountain for MSRP.
The money spent for 2 tickets, parking and a breakfast are better spent at the LHS. At least they give me value for the money. I am convinced that some of these guys are using the table and transportation fees as tax write offs.
We as a club have been attending shows for 8 years now,we look forward to it,the Vendors,the layouts,setting up,Seeing old freinds makeing new freinds,and then the Lunch or Supper together to go over all the neat things we found or awesome deals we managed to secure,it never gets old and we always look forward to planning the trip and getting to the actual show, It is what you make it.
Wish I even had that kind of show in this area. I have to go 90+ miles typically for a very modest show that turns out to be mostly tin-plate and the 'old ‘n moldy’. I’m able to find some good things for my railroad as every once in awhile a good shop or vendor shows up making the trip reasonably wothwhile. But boy what I would give for a show like Howard Zane’s Great Scale Model Train Show but then maybe I was spoiled by going to these.
About 8 years ago I went to a gun show in Hara Arena in Dayton, and there was a big train show in the other half (Greenberg’s or Great American - don’t remember). It was fantastic. I haven’t seen anything close since.
I make it to NMRA Div 7 show at Lakota High School about every other year. Same old, same old, but most of the folks are nice and it’s close.
I attend about 9-10 Train ‘flea markets’(no layouts) each season, and at least 6 ‘train shows’. These shows vary from ‘Mall Shows’ to Trainfest in Milwaukee. One of the problems in the MN/WI area is the State sales tax for all sellers(even personal stuff). Many of the events require a state sales tax permit. This has reduced the number of private sellers and all of the neat stuff they are unloading. What has happened is a large increase in Train Show Dealers and not much else.
Train shows have balance the ‘mix’ of vendors to layouts. Sunday is ‘after church’ family time at many shows(and a lot of revenue). What we modelers consider junk layouts areclassic ‘train sets’ for the general public. Some of the layouts at the shows are a little ‘tired’, and a lot of the venders really are ‘well worn’. Most 2 day train shows have the best selection of merchandise early on Saturday, and the active modelers are out in force before lunch. Large show have manufacturers(like Trainfest) and I really enjoy looking/talking with the manufacturers. The layouts vary from junk to a few new ‘gems’ every year, and I usually spend some time after my buying/talking to look at the new ones.