Fall S Fest in Chicago Nov. 3-5

[Poppa_Zit]

Time is waning for registering for Fall S Fest, hosted this year by the Chicagoland Association of S Gaugers (CASG). This year's event will be largest-ever gathering of "exclusively S" in the world.

There are less than 10 vendor tables left if you are interested. First come, first served. The exhibit floor alone is larger than three-and-a-half NBA basketball courts.

Based on what's come in so far, CASG is expecting to register about 850-900 for the event. They are also expecting over 4,000 members of the general public to visit the (free admission) layout room, which will be over 5,000 square feet and VERY MUCH kid-oriented.

This year's theme is: "100 Years of American Flyer." Fall S Fest is scheduled for Nov. 3-5 in Chicago, at the Tinley Park Convention Center, I-80 and Harlem Ave. There will be over 25,000 square-feet of exhibit/dealer space and layouts encompassing all of S -- Scale, Standard Gauge, Hi-Rail, Tinplate, American Flyer, and of course, S for the "Narrow-Minded."

•Clinics & seminars •Manufacturer reps •Train races •Layout tours •Hospitality parties •Model Contest •Trading Room open to public Fri.-Sat. (admission fee) •Free Train rides (Fri.) •Layout Tours

The banquet will be Saturday evening, Nov. 4. Special guest speaker will be Mr. Carl Luecke, a child actor from the early 1950s who played the part of Corky in "The Boys Railroad Club" TV shows.

Fall S Fest, now in its 31st year, is the annual extravaganza that rotates between the CASG, Badgerland S Gaugers, State Line S Gaugers, and the American Flyer S Gaugers of the St. Louis Area.

The second and final mailing went out today to most of those who attended previous S Fests or were on the Fall S Fest mailing list. If you did not receive a registration packet and want one, you have three choices: visit www.trainweb.org/casg; call Will Holt at 630-969-1982; or email him at [e-mail].

[Poppa_Zit]

An update with less than two weeks to go -- or better yet, a clever yet cheesy way to get this event promo back up near the top of the thread list...

All vendor tables have been sold in the 17,000 square-foot Trading Room.

There are still a few limited-run 2006 Fall S Fest-logoed American Flyer boxcars left, and a few of the AHL tractor/trailer sets.

Day admission will be $7.50 to the trading room for an entire family. The Friday train rides and visiting the 5,000sf operating layouts on Friday-Saturday is free.

There will be many seminars. Among them is the two-part "The 100-Year History of American Flyer, 1907-2006" by prominent expert L. Andrew Jugle, plus one on TMCC, which will include converting Flyer and S gauge locomotives to TMCC.

For more info:

http://www.trainweb.org/casg/sfest.html