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Amherst Show Coming Soon

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  • Member since
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  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Saturday, January 19, 2019 8:10 PM

Long range on the Weather Channel looks good for the 26th and 27th. We are getting hammered this weekend but that is not a big deal for New England. Some rain and snow the middle of the week. The Big E is good for clearing snow. At nearly seventy eight, I have been going since the show started. I live only thirteen miles away.

Not this year though. Heart flat lined about three months ago. Getting back to normal.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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Posted by maxman on Saturday, January 19, 2019 11:30 PM

richg1998
Long range on the Weather Channel looks good for the 26th and 27th.

I wish everyone would stop talking about the weather.  That's like thinking about the hot water heater.  They usually don't fail unless you start thinking about it.

I grew up in Springfield (I think before the show started), and everyone said that if you didn't like the New England weather, just wait a minute.  Around here on the western suburbs of Filthydelphia, the weather prognosticaters are very good with their long range weather predictions, but they can't seem to tell you what the weather will be tomorrow.  The only way they are accurate is when they tell you on the 6P news how the weather has been for the past 12 hours .

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Posted by cowman on Saturday, January 19, 2019 11:37 PM

Rich.

Sorry to  hear that you won't be able to keep your string of visits to the show going, but glad to hear the ticker is getting back to normal.  I'm a few years behind you, lucked out a year and a half ago, mine acted up, but no damage.

I was at UMass in the late 60's when they were starting their swap meets, but didn't know anything about the group.  After a stint with Uncle Sam finished up at UMass, but only went as far as Putney to work.  Would have gone yearly from there had I only known.  Moved 2 hours north, then found out about it and have caught the charter bus down since '12.  Have enjoyed it every year and expect to again this year.

The weather is just getting here.   Some this afternoon, stopped, now a very fine mist of snow at 0 degrees.  Bucket loader plugged in and ready to go.  Hoping for good weather next Sat.

Keep getting better and plan to go again next year.

Good luck,

Richard

 

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Sunday, January 20, 2019 7:25 AM

maxman

 riogrande5761

Amherst was in several buildings vs. Timonium one large building but both probably similar in terms of floor space.
 

 
I've never looked at the metrics.  I attended Amherst between 2003 and 2008.  If square feet matters, then you can toss that into the measuring category.
 
Amherst did seem bigger but more importantly the content was better than Timonium and worth going to if it's doable, my point to the guy mulling it over.  

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by buoyboy on Sunday, January 20, 2019 10:47 AM

We always look forward to attending this show. As far as i'm concerned, it's THE model railroad event of the year. We make a weekend of it by going there from western New York on Friday, and returning home late Sunday afternoon and evening. (It takes two days to see it all) I've already started making up my shopping list, but the best thing about this show are the "surprises" that you encounter while browsing the displays. Lasy year I stumbled on a nice N&W high-nose U30B for forty bucks that a guy was getting rid of because it wasn't DCC. The year before it was a Lackawanna FM Train Master at a bargain price. Then there is the stuff that you stumble across that you never even knew existed! Plus there's always a large number of craftsman kit manufacturers, memorabilia dealers, and book dealers displaying their wares. Add in a number of great restaurants in the area (the Munich Haus and Chef Wayne's Big Mammou come to mind) and you have a great weekend. I can't wait for the opening horn (and whistle) to sound!

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Posted by dmoore74 on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 2:12 PM

We're into the final countdown.  Some exterior set up begins tomorrow.  Tables, chairs and other hardware will arrive on Thursday and be put in place.Layouts will also be going together and readied for operation.  Vendors will begin arriving midday Friday to get set up.  Boothbay's locomotive should arrive Friday evening and will be ready to whistle open the show on Saturday morning.  Weather forecast looks decent, cool but not bitterly cold.  Little chance of snow or rain.  Look forward too seeing everyone there. 

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Posted by railandsail on Friday, January 25, 2019 8:29 AM

riogrande5761

 

 
maxman

 riogrande5761

Amherst was in several buildings vs. Timonium one large building but both probably similar in terms of floor space.
 

 

 
I've never looked at the metrics.  I attended Amherst between 2003 and 2008.  If square feet matters, then you can toss that into the measuring category.
 
Amherst did seem bigger but more importantly the content was better than Timonium and worth going to if it's doable, my point to the guy mulling it over.  
 

Sounds like a GREAT show to attend. I'm only sorry I never got the chance. .....and why would I want to leave sunny Fl for a LONG trip into the snow and cold Confused

As to the weathermen, weatherladies,...I had thoughts that it might be a viable job,....were else could you be wrong so often, and still keep your job Whistling

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Posted by chutton01 on Friday, January 25, 2019 8:47 AM

Well, on this Amherst Eve, the National Weather Service (are they getting paid?) report for tomorrow remains cold (below freezing) and partly sunny. For you guys heading out Sunday, warmer but a chance of snow.
Let's get a larger attendance at the Expo this year, as IIRC last year's attendance was a bit flat.

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Posted by G Paine on Friday, January 25, 2019 9:40 AM

Our 2 groups from Boothbay Railway Village are on the road to Springfield, probaby on the Mass Pike by now. Setup will be this afternoon. Tomorrow those of you 'early birds' will hear the steam whistle from Baldwin SD Warren #2 to mark the opening of the show. She will be running under steam on both days outside of the BLC. Our model railroaders will be warn and cozy inside the BLC in Section 15 with lots of goodies on the tables.

George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch 

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Posted by chutton01 on Sunday, January 27, 2019 12:55 AM

Well, the Big Show has come and gone (for me at least)...
Question - Did the big E always play cheesy music outdors during Amherst shows past? Oddly annoying to hear Justin Timberlake warbling "Can't Stop the Feeling" while waiting outside in the freezing cold (but clear) for the horns and whistles to announce the official opening of the show.

No vise grips holding together the Boothbay outdoor panel tracks this time, but plenty of C-Clamps. I guess the track held OK, but those guys were lovin' that whistle on Warren #2. Eh, kids seemed to like it.

Alas, again I didn't see any booth babes - I was hoping it was Ross Custom Switches after seening the logo "A different girl at every show" lettered on his trailer, but alas the woman at that booth seemed a nice, average lady. The mystery continues...

The Kalmbach booth was there as mentioned, and had the latest Jeff Wilson book on Railroads and Automobiles (Mr. Wilson is as proflicit a writer as any romance novelist, but his books are well-researched, interesting and useful). No show discounts as I expected (the annex had one).  The Walthers booth was a bit meh, they had only a few of their latest kits built up for display, and not the recent post-office/transfer dock office (at least I didn't see a build up example, just a kit box). They did have the latest "Small business center" as a built up example (I think it was that), but with odd TOFC style ramps in the back to the truck doors - I didn't get that.

It was not hard to cover the entire show in one day - not only did I take an ample amount of pictures and viewed the layouts (most seemed to have rearranged their modules order this year; there were plenty of old favorites, including the module obviously based on Fall-Out 4 (the underground missle silo next to the beached tanker under the decayed highway, with the placard going on about the 2077 resource war between the US and China with mutants and such).  Looked like more layouts in the Mallery building this year since the Peppersass was absent, replaced by a small module of a mountain with tracks spirilling around it.
Anyway, like I said I saw the layout, had plenty of time to search vendors bins under the tables for the few unicorns I wanted (and found one, a nowadays rather hard to find Roundhouse 5 Bay hopper at a reasonable price), and even took part in the Woodland Scenics "Trees (Three Different Ones)" hands-on tutorial.

Now, don't tell CNJ999, but crowds seemed a bit thinner than last year.  I guess we'll see the final today soon enough...



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Posted by steemtrayn on Sunday, January 27, 2019 2:47 PM

Ken at BLI said there are no immediate plans to produce an auxiliary tender for C&O 614, so I guess its range remains limited for the time being. And still, no one wants to make a PRR baldwin BP20, which I still don't get...I mean, we can have a New Haven EP5 (which is a good thing), an engine that only ran on one route (under wire, no less), But not a passenger shark? Would look good posing next to that P5a.

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Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, January 27, 2019 4:15 PM

There are a handful of Youtube videos.The longest one, doesn't linger on the things I found found interesting.

What's the story on the waist high diesels?

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by Erie1951 on Sunday, January 27, 2019 5:05 PM

I wish that I was there, but the trip from Ohio is out of the question for me. Many years ago, when living in CT, I went several times back when "The Toolman" had his big booth. I always came away from the show with something...etched prints of DL&W MU units, books, tools, kits, etc. Sure do miss it now.

Russ

Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ.  Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/

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Posted by dmoore74 on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8:47 AM

Here's one of the show specials out in the parking lot.

https://youtu.be/csCXt4vR6rQ

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Posted by Erie1951 on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 10:03 AM

dmoore74
Here's one of the show specials out in the parking lot.

https://youtu.be/csCXt4vR6rQ

 
Now that's cool!

Russ

Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ.  Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/

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Posted by maxman on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 2:13 PM

So, does anyone know the final official attendence count?

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Posted by G Paine on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 3:31 PM

Erie1951
 
dmoore74
Here's one of the show specials out in the parking lot.

https://youtu.be/csCXt4vR6rQ

 

George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch 

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Posted by dmoore74 on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8:05 PM

maxman

So, does anyone know the final official attendence count?

 

Ticketed attendance was 17,154.  This does not include the vendors and their staffs or the show staff.  This would add another 3,500 to the total count.

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Posted by maxman on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8:57 PM

dmoore74

 

 
maxman

So, does anyone know the final official attendence count?

 

 

 

Ticketed attendance was 17,154.  This does not include the vendors and their staffs or the show staff.  This would add another 3,500 to the total count.

 

I thought that the turnout was on the light side.  According to an article in the local paper prior to the show, they were predicting about 23,000.

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Posted by chutton01 on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 9:48 PM

dmoore74

So, does anyone know the final official attendence count?

 

 

 

Ticketed attendance was 17,154.  This does not include the vendors and their staffs or the show staff.  This would add another 3,500 to the total count.


Hmm, down from last year's numbers even:
Total ticketed attendance for the two days was 17,305.  Lower than the past few years but still respectable.
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Posted by Paul3 on Thursday, January 31, 2019 12:29 AM

All I can say is that as a dealer, income was up.  I don't care how many people show up as long as those that do buy what we're selling.  And they clearly were.

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, January 31, 2019 7:16 AM

Paul3

All I can say is that as a dealer, income was up.  I don't care how many people show up as long as those that do buy what we're selling.

 

Yup, that’s correct.  I started out with about 190 items and had 6 left.  So good 2 days for me.

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Posted by nealknows on Thursday, January 31, 2019 9:41 AM

Paul3

All I can say is that as a dealer, income was up.  I don't care how many people show up as long as those that do buy what we're selling.  And they clearly were.

 

Same with us. We did a little better than last year. People come to this show to see what is new and to buy!

Neal

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Posted by G Paine on Thursday, January 31, 2019 3:25 PM

we had record sales this year, thanks to all who stopped by the Boothbay Railway Village booth, and please stop by again next year!

 

George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch 

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Posted by dmoore74 on Friday, February 1, 2019 3:07 PM

The correct way to open a train show.  Be sure to crank up the volume

https://www.facebook.com/doug.moore.92/videos/2114305908592277/

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Posted by Erie1951 on Friday, February 1, 2019 3:18 PM

I'm glad to hear that vendors did well at the show. Thumbs Up

Russ

Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ.  Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/

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Posted by maxman on Friday, February 1, 2019 7:45 PM

dmoore74

The correct way to open a train show.  Be sure to crank up the volume

https://www.facebook.com/doug.moore.92/videos/2114305908592277/

 

Any way to look at this other than Facebook?

Many of us stay away from that.

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Posted by G Paine on Friday, February 1, 2019 11:05 PM

maxman
Any way to look at this other than Facebook?

You might try a UTube search; a lot of people took videos of the locomotive during the show

George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch 

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Posted by dmoore74 on Sunday, February 3, 2019 6:23 AM

G Paine

 

 
maxman
Any way to look at this other than Facebook?

 

You might try a UTube search; a lot of people took videos of the locomotive during the show

 

#2 in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csCXt4vR6rQ&t=4s

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Posted by maxman on Sunday, February 3, 2019 7:29 AM

dmoore74

Thanks!

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