Its for the dealers, why else. Where else can you get so much train stuff for so little money? Here is what I brought back from the AVRA Fall Show.
Starting in the back, we have a PlasticVille freight house. It’s small, I need a freight house, it’s a great traffic generator. Then someone was clearing out Floquil paint at 10 cents a bottle, so I stocked up. And four hopper cars for my Mt. Tom coal train, three Athearn and one Atlas. And I still run steam, so a water tank seems good to have. And an Athearn Penn Central boxcar, partly 'cause I like the bright green paint job and partly to have another blue box kit now that Athearn has ended kit production. Then a couple of RDC chassis for 50 cents. I have several RDC’s that sometime I will paint in MBTA commuter colors. I figured 50 cents was worth it just to have a spare pair of trucks. And a short old fashioned wood combine to go into a train of like cars from Roundhouse. Finally decals for a B&M milk car project, some electrical connectors, and die cast milk cans for my creamery loading dock.
I spend four hours strolling about the show, chatting, buying, and got away for only thirty bucks.
the problem here in Kansas City is most of the train shows get canceled or they are so small its better to go to your LHS. Then all the good shops are in shop that are mainly RC shops and have very little model RR item or are in north kansas city (downtown) and trying to find a parking space can be a pain. The other choice we have is we get a group together and head to St. Louis or Wichita to the shows there. So by the time you add in gas, price of admission and food you already have $25 and nothing to show for it.[:(!]
Please note there is one great shop here in Grandview, Mo who can get about anything and scale you want.
You never know with train shows. I went to a Greenberg show in Fredericksburg, Va last weekend not expecting much. I found 4 dealers with S scale items including one with some trucks I wanted. There were several other American Flyer dealers as well but I am not into the hirail side of S. I was pleasantly surprised and will go again next year.
I enjoy train shows because they are an excuse to set up the modules and run trains! My NMRA division has its annual train show each September, at the last one I made more money off the White Elephant Table than I spent. We also get GATS and Greenburg shows, they don’t have as much for scale modelers but it’s still a good time. I’m with you on the BB kits, I want to stock up now that they are OOP.
I wouldn’t know, for the last 3 years I’ve been an exibitor at the 2 shows I go to annually. And no matter what show your at, if you want to save money you should probably bring your own lunch (food at shows is usually quite expencive).
Myself I enjoy train shows because:
a. Many of the deals I find at shows can’t be beat by any of my LHS’s (the closest 25 miles away, the next 50-70 miles away).
b. Running your trains for everyone else to see is quite fun.
Most shows now are done on Sundays—some of us have to work then—mumble grumble snarfle snort[|(]
Having said that—the last time I went to a trainshow–which was not all that long ago[:-,] I came home with a couple of pairs of ATLAS RS2’s for $60. And a couple of USRA 0-8-0 brass switchers for $40. Plus a bunch of building kits that are no longer being made for ‘el cheapo’ prices[oX)]
If one does not have, or we did not have these trainshows----boy, we’d be in a whole heap o’ trouble–[:-^]
We generally have two here in the Sacramento area, both at the Roseville Fair Grounds. The larger of them is generally in November, and there’s often a smaller one during the Spring.
Wouldn’t miss them. Dealers and private sellers take over most of the buildings at the Fair grounds (the local European modeling society has one building all to themselves), and the shows run two days–Saturday and Sunday. Not only dealers show, but several local MR organizations set up portable display layouts in most scales. The shows are really crowded–everyone from kids to old farts like me.
And the concession stand has some really GREAT hot-dogs! [:P]
I’ve gotten some incredible buys at these shows. Found some discontinued items, and sometimes for people like me, the shows can be a 'brass-hunter’s paradise, at really REASONABLE prices. Two really GREAT deals I’ve gotten over the years–an old ‘junker’ PFM ATSF 2-10-2 for $25, that got rebuilt into a kinda-sorta Rio Grande 2-10-2, and several years ago, an Akane Missabe Yellowstone for about $100 that was in several different pieces that I was able to resuscitate and turn into a really good runner. And I can always pick up some used rolling stock (or out of production kits) for extremely fair prices.
There are always some very good workshops at the shows–one of the most popular is the one put on by Bragdon Enterprises showing off their scenery and weathering products. Another one is a company that deals in DCC signalling–lots of good stuff for everyone.
I’d be surprised if these shows stop or die out–each year they seem to be a little bigger.
I just got my modules and trains put away from the Brockton show. There were some real good deals but I curbed my spending.
I do have to report that there seemed to be a meager crowd this year. At times I think there were more vendors than customers. At 3:00 it was pretty empty and most vendors were packing their wares.
I enjoy watching the trains also but the point I was making is that here in KC we dont have a good train show except once a year if we are lucky. I have driven 4 hours to go to a couple in St. Louis and I got some great deals while there.
We don’t have big shows too often up here in Northern NY ethier. But thats not bad because I can only afford $300 weekends a couple times a year anyway[:D]. The BIG show I go too is in Syracuse NY this coming weekend and that’s about 2 hours away.
Look for me I will at the Broken Knuckle Video booth, I am selling a large number of my locomotives for a future layout project. I love the Syracuse show.
Where and when was the show? Wanted to go, but could find no information on it. Made several calls, but luck, nothing on the MR events either. Really like that show, sorry I missed it. Thanks,
In a way we are lucky here in Michigan. We have several large shows and many smaller ones almost year round. All of the ones I have been to have been worthwhile. There is a large 400 plus table show in November at Michigan State University put on by the Lansing Model RR Club. Great show! Haven’t missed it in the past twelve years! I love going to trains shows because I never know what I will find. THere is always something I have to have no matter the size of the show. Last year I came across some old AHM and revell kits for cheap! I thinked I dropped $40 and got two RR hotel kits, the Ramsey Journal Bldg, the Bakery and a shoe box of buoilding parts. I was one happy camper! Long live the trains shows!
It take me almost 3 hours to drive from NJ to Maryland for the Great scale model train show at Timonium. I have NEVER had a bad day at that show. Last year a club who had a large modular layout set up was selling some locomotives and rolling stock for a deceased member of the clubs sure they got the pick of everything but I walked away a happy guy with about 30 or 40 freight cars for 5 cents each. Yup that was the deal of the day. I purchased several nicely built structures form a member who was downsizing his layout and never even got to use them. Paid something like $20 each. I walk my feet of every time I go which is several times a year and always come back with great deals. I stopped going to the Greenberg shows as they have the same people there every time and nothing with maybe a few exceptions sells for anything less then what you can buy it from right out of Walthers. I have also found the small club shows are very good places to pick up some great deals.
Amonoosuc Valley Railway Association put it on last Saturday at the Profile School in Bethlehem. Profile is on old NH Rt 18 about mid way between Littleton and Franconia. Looks like we need to improve our publicity operation for the next show.