ModelRailroader.com Reader Poll -November 26, 2003

[howmus]

For some reason around this area of the country, I usually find out about RR Shows when a friend e-mails me to ask if I went............ Doesn't seem to be much out there announcing the shows. Of course I don't read the paper except for the crossword puzzle, the comics, and the hillarities of what they think is news today. I almost never watch the TV (hasn't b een turned on in over a month now). So maybe I'm part of the problem. LOL

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grayfox1119

The big one here in the New England area is the one at the BIG E in Springfield Mass, and I go to that one faithfully with the wife......she enjoys this show too, especially when I take her up to Yankee Candle after the show, just a few miles up route I-91 in Deerfield. Everybody is happy,,,,,,"I love it when a plan comes together" quote from "A" team.

when
and were is that.

by the way, how big is it

[grayfox1119]

The big one here in the New England area is the one at the BIG E in Springfield Mass, and I go to that one faithfully with the wife......she enjoys this show too, especially when I take her up to Yankee Candle after the show, just a few miles up route I-91 in Deerfield. Everybody is happy,,,,,,"I love it when a plan comes together" quote from "A" team.

[Anonymous]

Hello:

Can you tell me how to get back on the list so that I can get my Friday news letter from you
Thank You
STAN

[Anonymous]

I'm new to the Pensacola area. Went to the train show here in Pensacola this past October. Found a tramsformer and bought it. Will attend the show in December and see what I can find. Used to live in Rockford Illinois and attended the one show there every year. always lots of stuff but I very seldom found any good deals for what I wanted.

[Anonymous]

Living in eastern Mass.. we have lots of shows available. I wont drive more than an hour to one, but that gives me a good selection. I do about 5 shows a year, 2 of which I work on. Jack.

[Anonymous]

I voted a zero here, but not because I do not like shows. I used to live in northern New Jersey. There were, and still are, model railroad club shows galore there, and I tried to attend every one I could. They are a wealth of good information, and a veritable treasure trove of outstanding ideas. Now, however, I live in North Carolina (Raleigh area), and for some reason I am as yet unable to fathom, there is a dearth of club shows in this area, regardless of the time of year. We get an occasional commercial show passing through the State Fairgrounds, but beyond that, I think there are only one or two clubs in the area. It must be something cultural. I am still trying to figure it out. Anyone have any idea why this should be?

(Yes, before someone jumps on this idea, I know I could always start a club, and run shows myself, but that is a lot easier said than done.)

[hwandrews]

I usually attend 1 or 2 of the larger shows here in my area. I'm modeling traction, so usually I don't buy much at the shows but rather I'm looking in the hope of finding something I want. Of course I do attend the Traction meets when time and money permits.

[Anonymous]

We have several good shows here in NC, but my problem is time off. Most are Sat./Sun. shows, but a couple are Sat. only. Sat.. is a normal work day for me, and the busiest day at the train store I work at. So I don't feel right asking for a Sat. off. Sun. is the only day the wife and I have off together, but unless the show is close by, it's not worth using up a whole day to go to a distant show.

[dave9999]

I plan to attend the Great American Train Show Dec 27 & 28 in Pensacola, Fl

[cacole]

There's only one per year in Tucson, AZ, and one in Phoenix (GATS). I attend the one in Tucson because it's only a 70 mile drive, but Phoenix is too far away.

[Anonymous]

I work in a club display in the Syracuse sshow in Nov, and try to attend at least 2 or 3 others during the year.

[Anonymous]

I usually get to about 3 shows a year.

[Anonymous]

I live in Virginia and attend GATS, Greenberg and many Club shows throughout the year as an Exhibitor of Adhesives. Last two years I've seen shows up and down and mostly coming up now since some promoters have let train related toys in the show to attract children which will be our future modelers. I can't speak for the Scale Show attendances since they are always highly attended and have plenty of new, used and other scale related trains etc.

Regards,

Mike
www.DrmikesGlue.com
TCA Eastern Div

[Anonymous]

I've been to 4 shows this year and see a disturbing trend. Rarely will I see much in the way of new rolling stock unless its been out for 6 months or so. New Locos seem to show up pretty quick. The quality of new items is steadily improving. Broadway Limited is fantastic - great model, sound on DC or DCC, DCC ready to go at a cost BELOW other companies bare models.
BUT the dealers seem to be hauling around an awful lot of second and third tier stuff (I was going to say junk) that they are asking awfully high prices for. $5 for an old Life-Like trainset car is a lot for a total rebuild candidate, and can't do much for a neophyte who buys it thinking it's a bargain and will run like an Athearn of MDC car. Or $25 for an old AHM powered C-Liner. "Bargains" like that will turn off a lot of potential model railroaders who get burned.
I'll probably make a couple of shows in 2004, but I'll have a real tight grip on my wallet. 2 of the 4 shows I hit this year I left empty handed.

[Anonymous]

I WON'T SAY I LIVE AT THE EDGE OF NOWHERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT FROM HERE. MY CLOSEST TRAIN SHOWS ARE ALWAYS IN EXCESS OF 200 MILES AWAY OTHERWISE I MIGHT ATTEND MORE.

[grantha]

Generally I attend three shows per year. Two of these are local shows that I attend as an exhibitor and the other as a tourist. Unfortunately. living in the middle of the Canadian prairie does not afford one a dearth of model train shows without having to travel a long distance.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by melismata

I actively avoid all those "Train Shows" which are primarily "Train SALES."
I've seen too many disappointed families and children spending time and money to attend something advertised (in the general media, not the railfan media) as a "Show" which has nothing but Dealers. Nothing to look at. Nothing to do. Nothing to see. Only things to buy.
Ones with a mix of dealers and displays are great, as are the true "Shows" with no or few sales tables. I love a bargain, but I feel that if they're advertised to the general public, they should have things which the general public can enjoy, and which present a positive image of the hobby.

Bear in mind that many--perhaps most--modelers are looking for exactly the kind of "show" you describe. They'll visit layouts on tours; but they know a train show is primarily a marketplace, with the occasional workshop and with portable display layouts.

I guess I've never seen what you call a "true show" because for 20 years, I've gone to the kind with sales tables.

[Hawks05]

my year is from the first show i went to till that same day the next year. i'm guessing if i'm lucky i'll go to maybe 5-6. depending if the group i go with will let me tag along. i've been to 2 so far and i've spent at least $100 plus at each. i really need to stop spending so much money on this hobby. well so fast anyways.

most likely though i'll go to 5-6. they are usually an hour or so away which kind of sucks.

[Anonymous]

I actively avoid all those "Train Shows" which are primarily "Train SALES."
I've seen too many disappointed families and children spending time and money to attend something advertised (in the general media, not the railfan media) as a "Show" which has nothing but Dealers. Nothing to look at. Nothing to do. Nothing to see. Only things to buy.
Ones with a mix of dealers and displays are great, as are the true "Shows" with no or few sales tables. I love a bargain, but I feel that if they're advertised to the general public, they should have things which the general public can enjoy, and which present a positive image of the hobby.

[cp1057]

I'm more interested in going to shows to look at layouts than to buy stuff. I don't find any great deals there and usually fare better at year-end sales at local hobby stores.

Club and home open-houses are great places to get ideas and inspiration. Recently my family and I attended the open house at the Aberfoyle Junction layout near Guelph Ontario. Another very good one is the home open-houses put on by the Double-Headers out of Kitchener and Cambridge Ontario. They have some great home layouts on the tour.

Charles
Hillsburgh Ontario

[norbs]

The club I belong to sets up for 4 or 5 shows a year (closet aprox 20 miles and the farthest about 200 miles). I also try to attend at least two others where we are not displaying so that I can spend all my time looking at other layouts and borrowing ideas for my own and dealing with vendors to get good prices. While I think that anyone who is looking to purchase product had better br buyer beware, so far the vast majority of venders we have come across are freindly, helpful and honest. And last but certainly not least the reason I can attend so many shows a year and travel to get to them is because my wife is a model railroader too. Life is good!!!

[rhettsease]

My club puts on two shows a year and there are usually a few shows within a couple hours drive. I enjoy them and go to as many as I can afford.

[CBQ_Guy]

I put none.

In years past I used to attend EVERY show in the area, to the point of catching a ride on Sunday mornings with the guys after I'd been at work all night, because I was trying to build up my collection of rolling stock for "the empire" I was building. I pretty much got all of what I needed back then and I'm glad I did because I acquired most of my models before the high priced, RTR plague hit the hobby.

Now there isn't much that I really need at this point, and with the disability thing now, frankly I don't think I could take being on my feet and all the walking anymore, plus the traveling. I went once, just for fun, when I didn't think there was anything I really needed, but bought some bucks just in case. Well even though I didn't think I'd be buying anything I ended up spending all the money on other "stuff", just 'cause I had it. Don't want to do that now as I have to buy all my benchwork lumber, electrics, track, roadbed, etc. yet to actually build the new layout. Gotta hold onto the cash for that now.

Take care,

[rf16a]

I like to go to as many shows as I can during the year.
The Great Scale Model Train Show in Timonum Maryland is a very good show.
In the Southern New Jersey area a good show is The Great Brooklawn Scale Train Meet at American Legion Post #72.

[Anonymous]

[|)]The G A T S was in St. Paul recently. It had the best variety of vendors in several years, however, when you pay $12.00 for parking, plus admission, it does not make the purchases very reasonable . . . especially when you have several well stocked MR stores in the area. Last year it was held in a distant suburb. . . . VERY POOR vendor attendance and was very disappointing from a hobbyist looking to buy. Locally produced shows have many more local people selling and no parking charge.. . Maybe GATS should look for inner-ring suburban locations . . . not out in the sticks . . . with free parking, they would then get much better attendance.

[CP5415]

In the past I usually try to make it to at least 3-4 shows a year.
This year I've made it to one.
I was going to the "big" local one& the BIG one on the west side of Toronto this past weekend, but never made it.
UGH! i guess there's always next year.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

Hello:

I like on the Canadian side of the border in Niagara Falls. I make it to 6-7 shows a year. I do not always buy anything but I do always have a good time. I really enjoy the modular layouts and always find an idea that I would like to try on my own N-scale layout. Some of the best shows for modelling ideas are over 5 hours away on the USA side of the border but being a Candian National fan I tend to spend more money at the shows on this side of the border.

Either way model railroading is fun
STAN

[Anonymous]

I plan on going to 1 or maybe 2 shows this coming year. My biggest deterent is the distance to the shows - here in the southwest, the distances are over a hundred miles for any large city, where most of the big shows are produced. We're in Carlsbad, NM and the closest city is El Paso, TX. With the gas prices so high and with being retired and on social security, the price can get pretty steep, especially eating out for at least two people! Also, we can't afford to stay overnight, so, after walking around a show, we still have to drive 100 - 150 miles back home in one day! I'm sure that many folks have these same problems!