I’m an HO modeler who like to go to model train shows and am looking for reasons to go out of my geographic area (VA / MD) area to find those things that aren’t already available nation-wide and see different layouts.
I’ve been to the Big E Show (Springfield, MA), Great Scale (Timonium, MD), Greenberg (Chantilly, VA), GATS (Richmond, VA), NMRA National Convention (Cincinnati, OH), NMRA-MER-Tidewater Division (VA Beach, VA.) and the December shows in Oklahoma City, OK.
Some of my most memorable shows have been a GATS Show in Houston, TX (1999) and the Great Scale Shows (live close enough to go often). But as I said, I’m looking for reasons to go out of my local area so please let me know your recommendations and what’s special about them–I’m especially interested in things to buy not necessarily look at manufacturer’s booths.
Thanks!
Well here in Milwaukee we have a fine show each year in November, Trainfest. It has manufacturers, dealers, displays, but also lots of operating layouts
Madison WI has a very nice show each February
Galesburg IL has a very very good show each June during Railroad Days.
Dave Nelson
Worshington, eh? What do you model? And do you know of any clubs that are still taking members?
For my money, I’ve never seen a better show than the GSMTS: plus, you can meet Howard Zane if you go. If you live around DC, you should definitely see the Piermont Division: it’s really something.
I live in SE Minnesota, and attend shows/flea markets in the the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. For ‘Train Shows’(events with both layouts and vendor tables), I usually drive to Milwaukee(Trainfest), Madison(MAD City Train Show), or La Crosse(La Crosse & Three Rivers) shows. I also enjoy a lot of the smaller regional/division shows that are put on by individuals or train clubs.
I used to live in the Mpls/St Paul area, and we used to have a couple of good train shows up there. Now, all that is left for the most part are model railroad flea markets. The past 2 years there has been an RPM type event, and I have enjoyed that both times. GATS has sort of died in this area, and was no real loss(a lot of vendors with ‘junk’ for general public). I have been to GATS shows that have been good, but there has to be local ‘buy in’ to make it work.
I attended the NMRA convention this summer, and the NTS. I thought there were less manufacturers there this time, and the vendors did not have as large a number of tables. I really saw no outstanding ‘deals’ this time. I was more than willing to buy(made over $600 on the NMRA ‘silent auction’ the day before). The best ‘deal’ at the NTS was Tichy Trains, they had their entire line of detail parts there, at a discount price. I loaded up on ‘parts’ and made one other purchase. I go out of the show ‘cheap’!
Jim Bernier
The best train show in my area would have to be Altoona Railfest. It is 2 - 3 days long, two different modeltrain shows, and the Railroaders Museum is open!
The Madison swap in February is possibly the best in the Midwest.
Milwaukee’s OK, but no real big deal, since the Chicago area has a monthly GATS show, which is bigger, and a bi-annual hobby industry show that draws more manufacturers.
As rripperger stated, you can’t do much better than the Great Scale Model Train Show at Timonium, MD. Stay until the show ends at 4, then take a leisurely drive to dinner (the Trolley Stop across from the train station in Ellicott City is a good place. Fine food and a train may always come through). Then drive on down to Howard’s place in Columbia (between Baltimore and D.C.) for a tour of his Piermont Division.
Just make sure you ask him at the show if his layout is indeed open. It usually is.
I agree with Ray, that the Feburary meeting in Madison WI is really, really good. To me Trainfest is a lot like other shows, big, and not a lot of dealers that you can get to know well because they have so many customers.
And as Jim said the LaCrosse show is really good, some really good deals can be had there. I got a P2K E 8/9 A unit for 45 dollars.
Noah
If you live here in the northeast, the Big E, diffenately it’s huge, 2nd the show in Syracuse in November, lots of trains., dealers and some cottage manufacturers
rripperger,
are you looking to join a permenent club or would you be interested i a modular Ho club in central md with members from Va to frederick to baltimore .
Probably somewhere in Atlanta. I hate that place.
I went to both memphis and nashvile in 2004 they both sucked and i am not going to another
We do have a place in Perry, Georgia called the Agri-Center. They always have killer stuff there. I’d go to one there, if they have them.
The GATS or Greenberg shows have been bad or worse the last few years. GATS may get new management soon. They need it. so many places charge high prices for parking + the GATS fee. The DuPage show has been running for years in the DuPage Fairgrounds. Big commercial shows may be a fading fad. The high cost of gas & travel make it harder for a shop to make money on the road. You can tell if the vendors come from nearby or travel far.
I can highly recommend the NMRA conventions, and the Ntrak events. It helps that both can be in different cities & parts of the country each year. You can include the tourist high spots when you tire of trains. Some of the best shows are the local or division NMRA train shows.
I ued to look in the back pages of MR or MRC to find hobbyshops in different parts of the country. Sometimes you can check out the co’s that place so many ads in the mag. Some will be better than others.
the one in my area i like is Greenberg… i usually find something decent, and the junk vendors are usually good for keeping the kids quiet while your there and the wife quiet about all the money your spending on trains
[2c] on the subject - would be the World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour train show that ran in St. Louis, MO on Jan 8th-9th. That show, in my opinion, simply knocked the socks off those Great American Train Shows that have somehow lost a bit of something over time.
In this area we seem to have at least a monthly show somewhere in the Metro area (Illinois/Missouri sides of the Mississippi River). Most of these local shows wind up being like garage sales and I’ve given up on going to them.
Should the World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour come through again, I’ll certainly try it again.
What did I like [?] Something for everyone with lots of railroad activites for the kids. Many manufacturer’s had their representatives on site and they were available for questions from the attendees. That aspect was terrific and surely must have been worth it in PR for them. I didn’t see the aisles and aisles of “garage sale” merchandise that is present at GATS these days - but more of a professional display of all scales. Well put together - even if the price is higher than most.
To use a T-shirt logo from The Onion (theonion.com):
The sports team from my area is superior to the sports team from your area.[;)]
I suppose we could substitute “train show” here, if one chose. I wouldn’t know. I’ve only been to Trainfest and the Madison (WI) swap. I like them both, but I’d really like to be able to go to the DuPage show by Chicago, and then do all 3 shows with tons of money. Sweet dreams are made of these…