I attended the Pine Bluff train show at the museum yesterday and had a blast as usual. [:)] It seems I find more bargains there than anywhere else. I believe this is due in part to the number of people selling personal items and clearing out hobby excesses instead of the “professional” for-profit vendors. Anyway, I walked out with my budget overdrawn!
For those of you who have never been, I thought I’d post some pictures of the equipment and layouts on display.
This is the tender for SSW steam engine #819. The engine is undergoing maintenance and should be running again in little over a year.
On loan to the museum is Cartier #34, an Alco used up in Canada. This beast had to be shipped by boat to the US. It’s the last of it’s kind in existence.
Here is an engine donated by the SSW & SP on their demise.
Also, the museum has a six car MOW train in their possession.
Inside you can find passenger cars, cabooses, a snow plow and even an old fire truck.
In addition to the vendors, numerous displays, and equipment, there were several layouts on display.
In all, I think this is one of the better train shows, simply because of it’s location at a real, large railroad museum. There are plenty of things to see, touch and buy. I’ll bet a true rail fan wouldn’t be able to get through the entire event in under three hours.
For more information visit http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/8199/cb819.html