October 23, 2020 Amherst Railway Society, Inc. P.O. Box 1018 Palmer, MA 01069-1018 Contacts: Joe Biagioni, President president@amherstrail.org John Sacerdote, Show Director showdirector@amherstrail.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Palmer, MA On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Amherst Railway Society, we bring you a very difficult message. Out of an abundance of caution and for the safety of our attendees, staff, volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, suppliers and our entire “Train Show Community,” we have made the decision to cancel the 2021 Railroad Hobby Show. Please know that this decision was not made lightly. In fact, it was one of the hardest decisions we have had to make in our 54 years of Show history. Please visit us at www.amherstrail.org and www.railroadhobbyshow.com for more details. We know that both exhibitors and attendees will be disappointed. While this decision was difficult, the Board of Directors believes that it’s the right thing to do for the health and safety of the 25,000 people who we welcome each year. We have been working tirelessly with our friends at Eastern States to plan a way to bring our annual Railroad Hobby Show this coming January. Despite exploring all our options, we realized the largest Train Show in North America would not be the same because of the ever-changing requirements for venues such as ours during the Covid pandemic. A Virtual Railroad Hobby Show for that same weekend is in the works and details will be announced soon. Thank you all for your support and we’ll see you in January of 2022, when we can all get back together again.
FWIW, both my club and my historical society had canceled our 2021 Springfield appearance last month, so this isn't really a surprise. Here in Massachusetts, we are seeing an uptick in new cases. Yesterday, the state reported 968 new COVID-19 cases. For the first week of October, we were averaging less than 600 a day. The past seven days, it's been averaging over 800.
I guess I am not surprized, but this is most unwelcome news - I did enjoy the show and even managed to find a number of bargain/hard to find items the 6 times I have gone.
Sad, but the right thing to do.23 new cases in Huron, SD reported today. SD is the second highest number of cases per capita in the nation.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
Sad, but true. I live about fifteen miles away. I hve been going since it opened. I use to belong to the Society.
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.
The new seems to be on most forums. Since I moved to northern Virgnia, Springfield is too far for me now, but no surprise. I'm guessing we are looking at late 2021 or more likely 2022 before train shows start up again. I've seen reports of 30% or more saying they would refuse vacination so that's probably going to prolong it even more.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Remember, we are not allowed to talk about the virus, wish I could as few have the facts. Anyone here bother to read the top virologist reports in the world?
I read to local news services everyday right near the fair grounds. Three hospitals nearby.
Supertrain in Calgary, Alberta in April 2021 has also been cancelled. There is no realistic prospect that the pandemic will be completely over (despite what some dreamers hope). A number of the regular exhibitors are older or have health issues so the displays would be much reduced. Finally a smaller gate as visitors avoid the risk of the traditionally crowded event means the finances no longer work. The organisers are now looking to 2022.
When I took the eraly retirement option, I thought this was going to be my year of train shows, ending with Springfield in 2021.
I have been to ZERO train shows.
Oh well... best laid plans and all.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I feel sorry for the dedicated folks who put on any big train show like Amherst because believe me, the hard work begins months and months before the show date. Indeed work begins even before the prior show is held. It must be a deflating feeling to do so much of that work and now - pfft.
When Trainfest in Milwaukee canceled earlier this year for November it was primarily because we had no assurance from Wisconsin State Fair Park that our venue would be available to us - it had been converted, at $15 million expense, into a huge overflow hospital. It was empty all summer but now is receiving patients as hospitals all over Wisconsin are filling up, quite apart from the normal load.
We avoided wasting a huge amount of money - you'd be shocked how much -- in advertising costs by taking that cautious approach. Now our big worry is - when will we know it is wise and prudent to plan and spend for 2021? If you get too deeply into 2021 there is too little time to recruit 100s of volunteers; I am volunteer coordinator and it took me 6 months to put together the volunteer staff I needed for 2019. It also takes months of planning to put together such Trainfest features as the "Celebrate a Railroad" aspect which in 2020 was going to feature the Missouri Pacific, and we were going to be working closely with the MoPac historical society, the Union Pacific Railroad, and even the State of Missouri itself. I am sure many people in Massachusetts have put in hours that are now for naught.
And each big train show like Amherst, Trainfest, and the NMRA annual show, is an opportunity to recruit and grow the hobby.
Dave Nelson
The Raleigh NC Train show is on November 7&8 with appropriate precautions- including mask and temp check https://www.nrvclub.net/november-model-railroad-show/ Looking forward to it.
I hope train shows come back. We have seen so many brick-and-mortar shops close due to the convenience of mail order, but spending a whole day at the Amherst show remains a first rate experience. Now, train shows are in danger of extinction, too. Will the vendors be there, or will they have dropped out through 2020? Will buyers show up, or will paranoia prevail for another year?
We must resist the temptation to hide in our basements and attics, although we, of all Americans, probably have the best reason to do just that.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasleyWe must resist the temptation to hide in our basements and attics, although we, of all Americans, probably have the best reason to do just that.
Again with these basements and attics. I feel so deprived having neither.
SeeYou190 MisterBeasley We must resist the temptation to hide in our basements and attics, although we, of all Americans, probably have the best reason to do just that. Again with these basements and attics. I feel so deprived having neither. -Kevin
MisterBeasley We must resist the temptation to hide in our basements and attics, although we, of all Americans, probably have the best reason to do just that.
Interesting too that I have had layouts in both basements and attics, and never on the main floor of my home...........
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL SeeYou190 MisterBeasley We must resist the temptation to hide in our basements and attics, although we, of all Americans, probably have the best reason to do just that. Again with these basements and attics. I feel so deprived having neither. -Kevin Interesting too that I have had layouts in both basements and attics, and never on the main floor of my home........... Sheldon
Well my first layout was in the spare bedroom of our apartment. After the first child was born, my wife allowed me to have a 6x6 1/2 ft layout in a corner of the master bedroom - it was a large bedroom.
Since then all my layouts have been in the basement including the current one now under construction. My last three basements plus the current one have all been walkouts. For the current house bought new, I had the builder add 3 regular windows along the back wall as well as a door near one end and a sliding door near the other, plus one window on an end wall. Really makes the basement feel like not a basement.
Paul
IRONROOSTERWell my first layout was in the spare bedroom of our apartment. After the first child was born, my wife allowed me to have a 6x6 1/2 ft layout in a corner of the master bedroom - it was a large bedroom.
Versions 4 and 4a of my STRATTON AND GILLETTE were both in the master bedroom.
Version 4 was about 16 square feet built above our dresser in our little duplex.
When we moved to this house in 1999 it was lengthened by about an additional 4 feet because the new master bedroom was so much larger.