Greetings,
In just over 2 weeks Trainfest 2010 will be in full swing at the Wisconsin Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park in Milwaukee, WI. Trainfest is the "Largest Operating Model Railroad Show in the US". For more information about Trainfest check out www.trainfest.com Discount admission coupon available at the website. Trainfest features many operating model railroads. It also has several of the midwest railroad historical societies in attendance including, CNW, Milwaukee Road and Soo Line. Vendors sell model trains, DVD's photos and railroadiana.
Specifics for Trainfest
Saturday November 13 and Sunday November 14, 2010 9:00am to 5:30pm
In the past we have tried to coordinate a "FORUM" photo. Giving members a chance to meet the person behind the "screen name". So again this is the announcement for the TRAINS/Model Railroader FORUM Photo Op.
In the past we have met at the Kalmbach display at Trainfest. I will suggest a day and time for those who can make. This date/time is not set in stone and can change if more can attend at a different time. So let's try for
Saturday November 13, 2010 at 12 noon at the Kalmbach Booth
Of course Kalmbach employees are always welcome to join us.
Here are some past FORUM Group Photos
2008 FORUM Group Photo at Trainfest
2009 FORUM Group Photo
Hopefully we can get a nice turnout this year.
Thanks,
Keith Schmidt
Keith Schmidt KC9LHK You don’t bring nothin with you here and you can’t nothin back, I ain’t never seen a hearse with a luggage rack. George Strait Check out Flickr Train Photo Page
For those of you that enjoy lots of crowds and kids, the event is a great place to go. The layouts are pretty cool, plus there is lots of sometimes interesting stuff to buy.
However, if )like me) you're a bit reluctant to dive into a sea of humanity, the fest might not be such a great time.
For me, the best part is the photo op, which gives me an opportunity to meet some of the forum members.
I am going to try very hard to be there at the above-mentioned time.
Thanks for posting, Keith.
I can't use my job as an excuse any more, but we're going to be gone in the opposite direction that weekend. Darn!
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Trainfest is less than 2 weeks away so I am "bumping" Keith's post -- the annual gathering of the clans (so to speak) is coming up!
Dave Nelson
Another bump. The big show is less than a week away.
Pay attention, as many exhibitors have been shuffled around a bit.
Time to actually work on stuff to get it ready.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
It isnt just the exhibitors that are being shuffled...there are a few vendors that are NOT even on the show info list,like they were last year.If you omit the manufacture and historical society exhibitors selling their merchandise,there are only 39 listed.This is down from about 45 last year.Pretty sad to see the drop in vendors.
Partly this is a "bump" but also partly a reply to the post above this one. John Tews, who runs Trainfest, was heard to say that the year 2010 was when the great rescession finally hit the model train business and hobby full on. Some vendors are struggling to keep their brick and mortar places going. It is not cheap to buy table space at Trainfest.
The other complication is that Milwaukee already had a huge train show this summer as part of the NMRA convention. It was a great show but for reasons I can't figure out the NMRA allocated insufficient money to publicity so that the general Milwaukee public did not attend in huge numbers. Attendance was mediocre at best, but there are many vendors who figure they've "done' the Milwaukee market for the year. It will be interesting to see how 2011 goes.
The bright side is that some of the old layouts that have been seen year after year have been retired or sold, and a few new vendors were found to replace the missing ones. So while the totals may be down it may well be a "fresh" experience for those of us who go each year.
Join us at the Kalmbach booth Saturday at noon!
Well here it is the 2010 version of the FORUM Photo from Trainfest November 13, 2010. Quite a Rogue's Gallery.
Included in the photo from the Forums are
Loadstone and his son
WSOR 3801
Cheapclassics and Saucywench(i hope thats right)
da Milwaukee beernut
kschmidt626
Mike Yuhas - TRAINS Advertising Sales Manager and his daughter
Jim Wrinn - TRAINS Editor
Thanks for stopping by for the photo. Hopefully all enjoyed TRAINFEST 2010. Another attendance record was set with over 23, 000 in attendance over 2 days.
To see more Trainfest Photos checkout http://www.flickr.com/photos/22338037@N04/sets/72157625271623199/
To all,
Nice picture. The saucy wench and I really enjoyed the show. Hopefully we will be able to make it again in the future.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
I must apologize to my co-conspirator engine1385 who made the sign for the first Forum photo and we still have the sign. I neglected to list him as being part of the photo. Must have been the post-Trainfest hangover.
Sorry about that. He's the tall guy in the back.
Keith
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.