Where are the best trains shows in the United States?? Why??
Do you have any mode of transportation? Or, a driver’s license? The best one’s are the ones within driving distance. What part of the country do you live in?
If you can get to it, the National Train Show (this year in Detroit) is an excellent show. I have manged to get to 2 of these in the last 4 years and really enjoyed them. This is a great show to see the manufacturers close up. It is not necessarily a good show if you are out looking for bargains. It depends what you want out of a show.
The show in Springfield, Massachusetts in late January is my favorite. Lots of layouts and lots of vendors. It’s a great place to pick up parts and ideas.
I also like the Greenberg shows at the Shriners’ Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass. It’s a smaller show, but much closer to home. The Hub Division of the NMRA puts on a good show in Marlboro, Mass, too.
As the stock salesmen will tell you, past performance is no guarantee of future performance, but a good show one year is still the best indication of what will happen the next.
If you really want to enjoy a train show, just go with the idea that the price of admission is cheaper than a movie, and you will have more fun at the show for a longer time. The food is generally cheaper, too. (Love those sausages at the Shriners.) I do not go to a train show with the expectation that the bargains will pay for the admission and gas. I go to be entertained, and to look at layouts. I usually buy a few small things, like figure sets or detail parts my LHS doesn’t have, but I’ve come away completely empty-handed and still happy.
Sometimes, I just enjoy looking at the faces of all the little kids. Even the ones who are 60 years old, like me.
Yes, I have a license and a vehicle; live in Massachusetts
Google “train show massachusetts.” You will get the info you want that way. This forum has an “Events” guide, which is reasonably good, but not perfect.
Where in Mass? My LHS, Maine Trains in Chelmsford, frequently has fliers promoting various shows and open houses.
The marlborough show is a good one to go to. It may be a little smaller, but in no way is it weak in terms of attendance.
I agree with MisterBeasley, the Springfield show is excellent. Some great modular layouts and lots of vendors. There is also a very good one at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse the first or second week of November. Not as big as Springfield but worth seeing. You should also try to make it to the Great Scale Model Train show in Timonium MD (Baltimore area) sometime. It is on par with Springfield and is produced by Howard Zane. If you can, try to get a tour of his layout while you’re in town. It is truly one of the best ever. Check out www.gsmts.com or www.zanestrains.com. Enjoy!
Another vote for Syracuse in early November and Springfield in late January. Both are excellent.
Jim
The best train show is, IMHO, Springfield at the Big E. Their new website is:
http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/
Over 4 acres of train show, almost 50 operating layouts, and with a “who’s who” list of over 400 vendors including: Athearn, Atlas, Kato, Broadway, Overland, Bachmann, Walthers, Digitrax, Lenz, NCE, Miniatronics, MTH, Jay-Bee, City Classics, Tichy, Badger, Railworks/Crown Custom, Albion Software, Amtrak, Bar Mills, Bethlehem Car Works, Bowser-Stewart, Branchline, Caboose Ind., Carstens, Chooch Ent., Coach Yard, Dallee Electronics, the FRA, Jelsma Graphics, Model Railroad News, MRC, MTS, NJ International, Sheepscot, SoundTraxx, Tony’s Train eXchange, Weaver and many, many more.
If you go, plan on going all day. I go for both days with my RR club, and I still don’t see it all.
As for other Mass. shows, these are the ones I went to as a dealer with the New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association last Fall and this Spring:
September 17, 2006 Sunday Old Colony Show, Taunton Holiday Inn 9:30AM 3:00PM.
October 28 & 29, 2006 Saturday & Sunday South Shore Model Railway Club, Hingham, MA 9:00AM to 4:00PM
November 5, 2006 Sunday Temple Beth Emunah, Brockton, MA 10:00AM to 4:00PM
December 2 & 3, 2006 Sat-Sun HUB Division New England Model Train Expo. Best Western Royal Plaza Trade Center - Marlborough, MA, Rt. 20 Saturday & Sunday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM
January 14, 2007, Sunday Old Colony & Fall River Railroad Museum, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Durfee HS Fall River, MA
February 25, 2007, Sunday Mystic Valley Railway Society Rail-a-Rama XXXIX 10AM to 4PM Christine’s Function Facility U.S. Route 1 Foxborough, MA
March 24 & 25, 2007 Saturday & Sunday South Shore Model Railway Club Hingham, MA 10:00AM to 4:00PM
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
The Very Best I have seen was actually a layout tour,Where You can visit private indivduals layouts in there homes and some club layouts.The ones I saw were called “Tour Da Chooch”
20 layouts in 2 days,in New Hampshire and Massachusettes,This year it will be on Nov 26-27…I don’t know how many layouts it will be but Google it and You can get all the info You need.
Some of these layouts in the past have been real masterpieces!! Even featured in articles in MR