Well all I dont know how many of you go to Trainfest but I cant wait. The first day its on is when I go like to be atleast the 10th person in never happens tho. For you that do not know what Trainfest is its a show Sponserd by the WISE divsions of the NMRA and MRA. Its probably the biggest trainshow in WI and its helpd everyone yea the second weekend of Nov in Milwaukee or hould I say West Allis.
I want to know how many people are going to go and what days maybe we cn get together and shoot the rust off the track. I will be with my Father Mother and Nephew.
Ray Breyer
Modeling the NKP's Peoria Division, circa 1943
orsonroy wrote:I'm not going this year. Frankly, Trainfest isn't all that impressive. Too many display layouts and not enough vendors (and the ones that are there don't have that great of a discount). I much prefer the Mad City show every February: it's bigger, has about twice the number of vendors, the food is better, and there's more parking (you do have to avoid the snow, however!)
And Ray, from personal experience I can now tell you why this is. Trainfest is run entirely by one gentlemen from the WISE division. While I will admit it is probably not easy to put on a show, he goes about it in what I consider a completely unacceptable fasion; dealers and displayers are not told until within a few weeks of the show whether they have made a spot in the show or not. I belong to club out of Madison, and we were kind of hoping to make it into trainfest this year for our first time with our modular layout. We applied months ahead of time, way back into last February and March. And what happened - absolutely nothing. We never even got a confirmation from Mr. Tews that he had received our application. Zip, nothing, nada in the way of communication. So, after being about three weeks from the show without word, our group decided to give up on the show this year. What happens, but two days after we make the decision, the guy contacts us and tells us we "might be able to get in, if he has room." By that time it was too late, as our members had made other commitments and such, and so we still pulled the plug.
To me that kind of behavior is completely unacceptable, and it is to many other people too. The reason you don't see many of the dealers that come to Mad City show come to trainfest is because they don't want to wait on the edge of their seats each year to know if they'll get in or not. They've got other shows they can go to where they are garunteed a spot. When my club displayed at Madison last year, we knew close to two months ahead of time that we were garunteed a spot in the show. To me, in my year and half experience on the show ciruit, Trainfest is the worst run of them all. I hadn't even gone to trainfest in a few years anyway because nothing really changes from year to year, it's pretty much the exact same layouts and dealers, and many of them also make the Madison show.
I am going again this year, simply because I haven't been in a few years, and my club is making an outing out of it, so I figured I'd go along. We are still going to try to get into trainfest in the next few years, but we are going to have to make it clearer we need to know further ahead of time whether we are in or not. And I know it can't be that hard, as every other show I've been to does it.....
Noah
I like the mad city trainshow a lot better but usually snows when its on and I dont like battling that when driving. plus the 19th of Nov is my bday so its like a gift to g to trainfest.
I do however ag ree with you that Tews needs to get his head outta his butt. I have heard many vendors and display , and layouts say he isnt meant for the job.
Honestly I joined the NMRA WISE division to try and help but with an grandmother he wants me over all the time working on something that didnt happen this year. I think someone needs to assist him in making it better he should have a side qick who isnt working. I will volunteer but I dont think he wants help. To be honest My father would be great for the job, the man can talk to anyone about anything.
Maybe what needs to be done is the vendors, and dsiplay people should bring this up to Mr. Tews and the whole WISE division. And give people a heads up if they are going to be attending Trainfest like 1 month atleast.