Fairhope, Alabama, 16th annual train show, March 15 - 16

[CB_Fan]

SWARM (South West Alabama Railroad Modelers) will hold its 16^th annual train show during the Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival, Saturday and Sunday, March 15 - 16.  The show will be at the Fairhope Kindergarten-First Grade Center at 100 S. Church Street, a block south of the A&C Festival that draws about 250,000 visitors during their three-day weekend.  Fairhope is on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay on U. S. 98 south of the I-10 Daphne exit.

There will be two O-gauge layouts in the school cafeteria, along with two HO, two N and one Z layout.  The O-gauge layouts are SWARM, about 15 x 21 feet with a double-track main line of Lionel FasTrack, and Bay Area Rail Roaders, about 16 x 25 feet with a triple-track main line of AtlasO track.  The Emerald Coast Garden Railroad Club of Milton, Florida, will welcome visitors with their large layout set up in the school's front yard.

The main building and gymnasium will feature S&W Parts Supply from Metairie with 12 tables (mostly O including trains and parts), Trains by Johnson from Pensacola with 12 tables (assorted but often with a lot of O), Harley Rabig from New Orleans with 12 tables (mostly HO and N), Hummingbird Hobbies from Gulfport with 12 tables (mostly HO and N), Dan Sheppard from Jay, Florida with 5 tables (mostly used Lionel).  There will be several smaller vendors including the Foley Alabama Railroad Museum, selling donated items that do not fit into their operations, and there will also be railroad-related merchandise including videos.  As of March 2, 85 tables have been reserved. 

There will also be a display of very detailed scratch built N-scale dioramas by Tom Klouzal, a display of scratch built 2-rail O and HO models by Gary Gealy, and a display and demonstration of building techniques by the Mobile Area Plastic Modelers Club.  Jack Castleberry plans to show and operate some of his scratch built O-gauge rolling stock on the SWARM layout on Saturday.

Hours are 9 - 5 Saturday and 10 - 4 Sunday.  Admission is $2 for adults, but children with a paying adult are free.  Police, firefighters and active duty military are also free.