Are there any good train shows comming up with a lot of garden trains?
Are they worth going to?
Any good buys there?
Rusty
The East Coast Large Scale Train Show, or ECLSTS is coming up very soon, I’ll let the Easterners say where and when, on June 10,11,12 we on the west coast get the Big Train Show or the BTS, at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Ca. these are the biggest shows for large scale.
RUSTY
THEIR WILL BE ONE IN YORK PENNA. APRIL 1-2-3 THIS IS A BIG TRAIN SHOW 'THEY HAVE A SITE I THINK ITS www.eclsts.com .its also in GARDENRAILWAYS MAGAZINE , you didn’t say what state youare in.??? BEN
The show Benny is taking about above is the ECLSTS I mentioned. Check out the link on Benny’s reply.
The west coast show can be found here.
vsmith
thanks i missed the name. ben
There also is a national convention, this year in the Chicago area, July 26-31: www.21ngrc.com
Where are you located? Other parts of the country have regional meets and open houses throughout the year. There’s one coming up in February (19-21) in Scranton, the Bay area in California has them, one of the Missouri clubs has one too.
I am in Virginina. I am going to have to check out the ECLSTS and the QM shows, I went to one convention that was enough, they cost too much, and did not seem to have that many vendors. I have been doing this for several years but never hooked up with a club. Just kind of doing it on my own. Which is the biggest of the two shows? The QM or the ECLSTS?
Rusty
Hmm… One I can attend!
Never been to the east coast show but the BTS is pretty good sized, as big or bigger than as any GATS I’ve been to. Check out the websites for the vendor list, that should give you a way to compare sizes although in reality I suspect they are very comparable in size. Sounds like the ECLSTS is much closer for you but if your up for a trip sunny Ca, do both, the BTS isnt until June, lots of time to save up for that Amtrack fare. Our resident large scale indoor club, Del Oro, always has a HUGE modular layout set up inside the ship and always with some really cool models running, MLS has a live steam track set up outside along with a bunch of other groups and their layouts. Overall a fun time…[^]
Still trying to nail down what i’m planning on attending! They( my women) can’t make up there minds!
Carpenter, VSmith,
Thanks, I went and looked at the web site for both shows, and then looked at the Queen Mary site and the York Expo center site. The ECLSTS looks like it’s about 20 some thousand sq feet larger than the QM show. Plus 10 layouts vs one, but I think I am going to do both. I have family in CA I have not seen for a while, my be a good excuse to fly out and do both shows. I did notice that the ECLSTS does not have as many vendors as was listed for the QM show last year, is the hall filled or partly empty? The floor plan shows that it’s full but is this hype? How about the QM show? I notice its on three floors are their elivators to all floors? Can I buy Aristo Craft from Aristo Craft and the same for LGB and Heartland?
Rusty
Rusty,
Where in N Virginia??? Have relatives in Manassas, and step daughter just moved out of Ashburn. Ever get over to Delaware shore in summer?
Bob,
I moved down here from Rockingham, County a couple of years ago. I am now a few miles north of Amisville. I have been to Dover, and go through Del on the turn pike that is about it for Del.
I can take a straight shot up US15 to PA and then East on US30 to York, about 3 hours drive. So The ECLSTS will be a must this year. I am retired from the Army so I can fly space A on military aircraft I may have to grab a flight to the coast to visit relatives and do the BTS too!
Rusty
Rusty,
To answer your question about buying from the manufacturers directly–unfortunately, you can’t. The manufacturers will have their newest or upcoming items on display and/or operating, but nothing for sale. The good news, though, is that dealers and hobby shops are usually at the show too. Often they will have sales and “show specials” on products.
Rene,
Thanks, I went to a TCA meet in York, PA a couple of years ago and USA trains was there selling direct to the public, in fact I saw them cut their prices to beat out a USA trains dealer further down in the hall. I asumed that was the normal thing at the large scale shows. I have been in Large Scale for close to 10 years but just never had the time or space to do much with it.
Rusty,
Rusty,
That’s interesting about the York meet. I haven’t been there but, from what I understand, it’s a “whole other country” of a train show.
Rusty
Space wise the ECLSTS may be larger but the BTS always has a ton of vendors, all large scale, and they are really packed in there. Yes its three levels but there is an elevator, the ADA made sure of that. The Del Oro layout is the only one inside but its HUGE. there are also other smaller set ups outside in the parking lot including a live steam track. I would expect the major vendors booths to be almost identicle east or west coast, its the smaller, more local vendors I would be more curious to see. We always get the major hobby shops setting up booths and usually some form of price war develops. Haggling often works with guys sell I dont know if Bridgeworks ever goes to the ECLSTS. They always have really neat stuff, bridges, detail stuff. I need to pick up another House of Balsa Station for my Innie layout. Hopefully they hill have some new stuff this year.
Hey Rusty:
I’m in South Wales which is right next door to Amissville.
Got 550’ out back and about a 1/3 of it landscaped.
Rich
Russell
Not that i want to say anything bad. But How would you feel as a dealer for a company, seeing the company undercut you at the show? Remeber, USA company is Sold by Charles Ro company in their adds.
Most other companies don’t under cut their own dealers.
Marty,
You have to be real careful how you approch him anyway, he gets a little nasty at the TCA meets. I don’t know if its the 20,000 people that come in there for the show or what. I once asked if I could see something, I won’t make that mistake again.
The rest of the manufactures there are quite happy for you to pick up and look at the products they bring.
I do feel for the dealers, they have a hard time anyway.
Rusty