The 80 or so miles from my home to the NYS Fairgrounds in Solvay/Syracuse for a show. Even then, I don't go every year.
I am 90 miles or so from Springfield. It's easy interstate driving all the way. Last year I wimped out because of the weather, but I'm going this year.
I just enjoy the show. Between the cost of gas and the cost of the show itself, plus an overpriced hot dog or two, I won't find any deals that make it worth the cost financially, but I consider the whole thing entertainment. I'll buy a detail part or two, but even if I come home empty-handed it will be a successful trip.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Dave, I'm just a few miles SW of you, and the wife and I would like to go to more shows. Thanks for the "list" of what's with in a reasonable drive, and overnite stay.
So, to answer your post, I would be up to traveling the same distance. Trainfest is the top of our yearly list, but others would be very tempting.
Mike.
My You Tube
Springfield is 105 miles one way and a two hour drive. But I do make an 11 mile detour to pick up another club member and have a small breakfast at a Mcdonalds. That is about as far as I want to go. Not going this year, I can get better deals online.
Personally, I refuse to go farther than 3 hrs by car. (One way).
This can put me into Cleveland Ohio, (so Kirkland Railfest, Great Berea Railshow) Pittsburgh Pa, or Buffalo, even Rochester NY. (I used the two examples in Cleveland area, as I frequently attend these two shows. Missed the last one in Berea due to family obligations, but planning on the next one in Berea. Missing Kirkland due to a schedule conflict. Most of the shows in the other areas mentioned have always been a scheduling conflict for me, so I haven't gone to these areas much for model train shows.)
But, when I have these metro areas, all within a 3 hour drive, why would I go further? Lots of really good shows in these areas. So I won't go further. No need too, and, I factor into the cost of what I acquire at these shows the admission costs, food, and fuel costs. Going further means more cost. Makes it cheaper for me to go online if I can't find anything I needed at the shows I attend. So, I stick closer to home.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
I drove 2-1/2 hours to a GATS show near Pittsburgh a few years back. I enjoyed it and got to meet up with Chip (Spacemouse) and his son for lunch.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I'd probably drive up to 4 hours to go to a show like Springfield. I may go further if I had other people to travel with.
Modeling the B&M Railroad during the transition era in Lowell, MA
Farthest I have gone has been about 140 miles - mostly interstate - a little less than 3 hours. I can make that in a day and back.
I do that 3 or 4 times a year to the Great Scale Train Show in Timonium MD.
While I love going, it's hard to justify since I can get everything current via the Internet. I go mostly because I like looking for out of production stuff. Farther really makes no $ense since it would be overnight.
Enjoy
Paul
Two hour drive. If I'm somewhere, like, say, back in Pittsburgh with family and there's one, I'll go to that because my two hour drive radius shifted.
If its a once a year type thing...I went to NTS in Cleveland as a mini-vacation. I'd like to go to Indianapolis this year, but I blew my money on stupid medical expenses already. For that level, though, it would pretty much have to fall in a rough area spanning Chicago to Boston to Charlotte.
I went to Portland, OR this year for the NMRA convention and NTS...it depends on how much you are willing to spend to get there. My club is considering a posible overseas train show.
I go from the western suburbs of Philadelphia to the Amherst show which is in West Springfield, Mass. It's about 300+/- miles and maybe 5 hours depending on the traffic and the number of times us old people have to stop. I have a table there, so that's my incentive. I do get to stay at my sister's place close by to the show, so I don't have the motel cost.
Although I don't know how far it is for them, I have had people make purchases from me who were from Canada, and some others who make the trip up from Florida.
This weekend is the big Amherst (MA) train show and there is a thread on these Forums about going. It got me to wondering how far guys (and ladies of course) are willing to drive (or travel) to get to a train show?
I do know that people come from all over the USA (and even foreign countries) to come to Milwaukee's Trainfest in November.
I myself drive 217 miles from Milwaukee to go to a very nice train show in Davenport Iowa each spring. That is an out and back and includes railfanning at Nahant Yard. I also go 240 miles to the Galesburg IL show in June, but I am also going to Galesburg RR Days and stay 2 or 3 nights in hotels anyway. It could be done in a day but 8 total hours of driving in a day just to go to a train show is about (or beyond) my limit at my age.
Closer to home the Madison "Mad City" train show is 80 miles but our local NMRA division hires a comfortable bus that most of us prefer to take. The Green Bay WI show in April is 121 miles and I usually do that as an out and back with buddies, including Green Bay area railfanning, eating at Titletown Brewery (the old C&NW depot) and visiting Enginehouse Services, a first rate hobby shop up there. But I also have a vacation home north of Green Bay so sometimes I combine the show with a weekend away from home.
Some comments on the Amherst thread got me to wondering -- how far is "too far" in your opinion to go to a good model train show?
Dave Nelson