I was there both days from the opening bell at 9 am (actually well before then). So my initial impression is …man, my feet are tired!
The group photo of forum participants went off well and I imagine Keith Schmidt and perhaps others will be posting the photos soon. We were delighted to have Trains editor Jim Wrinn and Kalmbach staffer Mike Yuhas join us for the photo.
Saturday’s attendance was just shy of 13,000, about 900+ more than last year. Today, Sunday, it seemed busy into early afternoon and then, as usual, it tapered off. Obviously I do not know any final numbers but while it may or may not break last year’s attendance, it was very successful – this was a concern since the 2010 NMRA National Convention train show here in Milwaukee, which in every respect was a wonderful train show, was not particularly well attended particularly by the general public. I chalk this up to some personnel “issues” at the NMRA level and also the venue the NMRA personnel chose was one which the local division had considered and rejected for what we now know to be excellent reasons.
John Tews and his Trainfest committee work hard year long to get these good results and the fact that 2010 Trainfest was well attended in the face of the NMRA National train show disappointment is a tribute to their hard work and savvy – when the market and the product are essentially the same there had to be some worries. Our local NMRA division depends on Trainfest revenues to fund our free monthly meets and other activities. And of course all of us look forward to Trainfest the way kids look forward to their birthdays.
There were some superb modular and portable layouts on display, some for the first time at Trainfest. I would say the finest of them all, and I say this as an HO scale modeler, is the N scale ModUTrack display. The fidelity to scale and prototype, and the degre
Dave thanks for your views. I can’t say that my views were as good or as praise worthy. My family (my wife, daughter and my mom) found the expierence…less than fun.
Hats off to the manufacturers for a valient attempt to part the family from it’s greenbacks. Roco has the model of the Crocodile that I have been looking for and it was the better part of 3 hours for my wife and I to decide to wait and see if what Christmas brings (here’s hoping for a Christmas bonus from her boss). Scenic Express was once again a crack dealer and we did not escape it’s syren song. Marklin/Trix also made out like a bandit as my mom decided that dad’s Marklin needed several more wagons and small diesel switcher. In all she spent more than my wife and I.
Second the comments about Fox Valley. The Hiawatha’s looked great and I am glad to see that they are coming out with the N scale version for that crowd. Still waiting for the F7a’s in the same quality.
After that the expierence was less than ideal. Between the pushing, shoving and general crowding it event had more in common with a mosh pit than a train show. Mad City should take notes from Trainfest on how to get the displays in and out, but Trainfest needs to take notes from Mad City about crowd movement.
Both Trainfest and Mad City can be a real ‘Zoo’ - very crowded at times, and those extra large baby carriages running over you! I tend to try to get there on Saturday first thing(3-4 hour drive), and spend the first hour just scanning the stuff available for sale - then I start the serious shopping. The old Trainfest buildings were a real crowed mess, the new venue is much better.
I guess I would never take an entire family to the ‘train show’ - maybe the Father/Son might be better as long as the child is old enough to do an ‘all day’ event without going into overload and crying out of frustration. I see at too many events(not just hobby shows). Small kids just cannot do an all day event without a nap. Being a parent, I learned that quite fast! By the time my son was 12, we did the trains shows and even NMRA conventions with no problems.
We had the stroller with us, an 18 month old requires it, but she wasn’t the issue. Didn’t fuss, loves trains, trucks, large construction equipment, large diesel engines, etc. She was in her glory all day. See my parents carted two toddlers all over Northern Europe, and then carted two pre-teens and a toddler over Northern Europe again eight years later. The sooner the kid gets used to traveling, and shows the better for everyone, and like I said she didn’t fuss all day, of course it helps that she can take a nap at the drop of a hat.
Both can be ZOOISH with a capital elephant, but at the very least Mad Town moves. The crowd does just set up shop in one spot for no particular reason. We were involved in no less than 5 of these.
Well this explains the crowds that some had to content with:
All-time record attendance at Trainfest 2010America’s largest operating model railroad show saw record-breaking crowds
Published: November 16, 2010
The largest number of model railroading fans in the event’s 39-year history streamed into Trainfest 2010 this past weekend – setting an all-time attendance record. With a nearly 9% increase in attendance over 2009, Trainfest again solidly maintains its position as “America’s Largest Operating Model Railroad Show.“
Trainfest drew 23,476 unique attendees in 2010 – a number which excludes the nearly 1,800 exhibitors who also participated in the show. Saturday attendance was at a new three-year high and Sunday attendance was at an all-time record high.
“Across the board in every attendance category we track – kids, adults, hobby enthusiasts – attendance was up unilaterally,” said John Tews, Trainfest Executive Di