I am sorry if this topic has been beaten to death, or if this is the wrong place to post. But, I do all my posting on the Trains Magazine forum and do not know better.
This late spring/early summer I would like to hit a few train shows–like the one that comes to Indianapolis every year. I am willing to trave 200-250 miles and live in the Indianapolis area.
Does anyone know where I might find such train shows or if there is a listing of them anywhere.
Once again, sorry, I realize this is probably a stupid question, but it seems like the easiest way to get information.
If you want to hit the BIG one, go to this year’s NMRA National Convention in Detroit, July 22-28. However, since Indianapolis and Detroit are ~285 miles apart, it’s a little outside of your 200-250 driving range window. I think others will confirm that it would be worth the extra effort to go.
I usually just go to Google and enter “train shows Massachusetts.” Of course, you’d probably want to enter “Indiana” or another nearby state, although we’d be happy to see you, and our new Governor will gladly accept your tax dollars. (Nothing political there. All the old Governors were the same way.)
There is a very big one in the Chicago area at the Dupage county fairgrounds in Wheaton that fills four or five buildings and is monthly but I urge caution with train shows. First you pay to get in, add travel time and gas and you have a sizable investment before you even know what is there. Now you make a purchase at the show and save a little money on something new from a guy who doesn’t want to pay for bricks and mortar. Suppose it doesn’t run. You can’t take it back and are stuck dealing with the manufacturer who may or may not warrant it based on where you purchased it since he may not be a registered dealer. Then you deal with the guys like I did who had an Athearn 86’ box car that at the time was selling for about $5.00 and wanted $15.00 for it because in his words, “It’s an original run car”. I told him good luck and he called me a loser. Yes I got an excellent price on a brass PRR E44 electric and there are spare parts galore but if you are going to buy something ordinary save your time and money. I don’t hit them any more.
Train shows are about model trains; there are vendors and usually have some display layouts.
If that’s your interest then the national shows are the National Train Show held in conjunction with the NMRA National Convention. This a differenct place each year, this year is Detroit. http://www.nationaltrainshow.org/
There is also the World’s Greatest Hobby shows held at different cities each year http://www.wghshow.com/
Trains.com postings is were I always start. Different clubs post their shows in different hobby magazines, so check them ALL out.
I travel 8+ states with my job, so ALL activities in those states go into the Palm. I never know when or where I might be. Last weekend it turned out I had to stay out/over the weekend for work. Unfortunately I missed the 17th annual show in Livingston, MT (885 Mi) (BECAUSE IT WASN’T POSTED ON TRAINS.COM!), but made the 18th annual show in Helena, MT (what’s an extra 123 mi when your that far from home on a Sunday?). It was probably the best show I have been to since the '98 Heartland Express National Train Show in Kansas City (340 miles).
I’m still kicking myself I didn’t attend Gateway 2001 in St. Louis, MO (610 mi), and am trying to figure out how I can get to the Great Lakes Express 2007 in Detriot and back to a meeting in St Louis, MO the next day (monday). Only 550 miles out of my way!
Depending on what/who you model, getting out of your local area once in a while exposes you to a whole selection of items that are dead/slow move in other parts of the USA. I just had a local hobby shop tell me one of their suppliers stumbled onto two 8-10 year old NIB Nebraska 3-pack’s in the “dead inventory” section of a Florida hobby shop. Those cars wouldn’t have lasted 20 seconds, and a fight could have broken out at a train show in my “home” area. I experienced the same at the Helena show. Got several discounted NIB items that are long gone from the shelves in my local hobby shops.
Back to the subject at hand - when attending shows, keep your eyes open for flyers/posters promoting upcoming events. Clubs use other clubs as springboards to promte the next show. Ask the suppliers/vendors which shows they are going to display at next, or which shows they display at during the year. Join a local model railroading
Check your LHS, too. Mine always has piles of flyers on the counter, announcing upcoming shows. I take them and put them in my workroom to remind me when there’s something I want to go to. There’s a show and open house in Bolton, MA, this weekend, and I might not have found out about it any other way. (It is on Trains.com, though.) (I’ve got to go to this one. It will be my first chance to get a Senior Citizen discount!)