I have matched my expectations to my income. I have 36 Lionel CN red 9013 cars so far. Some shows have none, others have 4-6 of them. Can be bought for $1-$6 depending on condition. Often listed on ebay but some listers just guess and list them at $12 to $25 when the latest books value them at $6.00. The last one I bought on ebay was under $10 with shipping.
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
Woudn't care if there were only two guys and a card table. If they had what I was looking for, it was a sucess.
dwiemer I would certainly add this to the success pile. First, you got to participate in a part of the hobby you love enough to spend your money and time in. Second, you learned something you had not known previously (K-Line S). You also were able to purchase one. Dennis
I would certainly add this to the success pile. First, you got to participate in a part of the hobby you love enough to spend your money and time in. Second, you learned something you had not known previously (K-Line S). You also were able to purchase one. Dennis
Yeah, K-Line S has certainly been an education!
Beginning with when I set it down next to a couple of my original AF cars. It's BIG. A standard AF boxcar is 7 5/8" long, 1 3/4" high from bottom to the top of the carside, and 1 3/4" wide across the end. The K-Line car is 8 1/4" long, 2" high, and 2" wide.
So I went out on the net to do a little research. One source I read stated that the reason for the discrepancy is that K-Line simply took Marx O-27 cars and slapped S-Scale trucks on them!
Well, I could live with every dimension except the car width. So I've started a project. I have cut the boxcar in half and reassembled it minus 1/4" across the ends. The glue is drying now. Can't do much about the ridiculous pitch on the roof. I have to resize the roof walk, and also the frame, and clean the ends up. They should be silver anyway.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
I would certainly add this to the success pile. First, you got to participate in a part of the hobby you love enough to spend your money and time in. Second, you learned something you had not known previously (K-Line S). You also were able to purchase one. While it may not be the type of experience you had hoped, or remembered from days gone by, it was still a success. I think that the future of such shows looks dim. As disposable income becomes tough for most to come by these days, they are not looking to spend on trains. I think fewer people will bring about fewer shows, and sadly, fewer dealerships. Another side to this is that it is tough for folks to make a profit when buyers can check with on-line dealers and go with an education.
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
Galesburg Illinois I remember it well, my old reserve unit was near a hog farm on the east side of town! I just visited the Timonium, MD train show today. I understand your feelings of disappointment but it depends on what you are going to the train for. For me it is not just to find a car or locomotive but I go just for the fun of it. If the show lacks a certain pazazz for want of a better term you can come away disappointment. I recommend to Never go to a show alone. My wife and son always go and their excitement energizes me. Plus their different perspective makes the whole show more fun. Combine that with a lunch out and you have a very enjoyable day. Plus today there was little S-Scale except for the Balto American Flyer Club layout which is always nice to see.
I think the simple response is that this is your choice in how to view this, and not being at that specific show, would make it difficult to pose an opinion on it. Is the glass half empty or half full? The difference for me in a show versus a trip to the local hobby shop is the show ( layouts, chat, questions answered, meeting interesting folks with similar interests )..It sounds like you were anticipating more of the show than the purchases. When our local ( illinois shop closed) I missed the show part of it more than I did the inventory. ..They could have charged me just to hang out..lol. I think thats the charm of the local shop, not to change topics but it is in a similar vein.
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
My problem has been that if I go to a show looking for one specific things, and then don't find it, I often get disappointed and end up not buying much of anything. If I go with an open mind and just look around, I often find a lot of stuff that I could use.
Made my annual pilgrimage to Galesburg, IL today, to the annual train show that is affiliated with their "Railroad Days" celebration. This year, like last, I noted a significant decrease in vendors and participants. The show is located in the local community college, with displays and vendors scattered through out the hallways. I noted that several areas in the building that were occupied by vendors in past years, were vacant and locked up this year. I was also surpised that though I was there at the height of the mid-day, there were no crowds to elbow my way through as there have been in the past.
All in all I would rate it a dissapointment except; I went down with a "shopping list", and came back with everything on it. I found the spare part I was looking for to complete my restoration of my Flyer PA1, and I ran across a vendor selling discontinued K-Line S-scale for very reasonable prices. I picked up a UP boxcar to go with my UP locomotive for $20. I didn't even know K-Line ever made S-scale!
So do I treat this day as a success or a failure?
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