Train Shows

[OCN Guy]

Sadly, only one train show a year here. And the two biggest vendors are the LHS. I guess for me the big fun is seeing the local HO club's layout.
I should join the N scale club, but don't have the time or money right now. They've got about 5 modules incomplete, last time I saw it.

 

[Iron Horseman]

I should join the N scale club, but don't have the time or money right now. They've got about 5 modules incomplete, last time I saw it.

My experience is that sometimes the incomplete modules attract more attention then the finished ones because people want to know "how it is done". Sort of like a behind scenes peak.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

The Great Scale Model Train Show at the fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland is this weekend (Saturday and Sunday). My friends and I went today (Saturday). I left my camera at home but managed to take some pictures with my phone of HO scale modeling that impressed me. Unfortunantly, this was my first experience using my new phone for picture taking. Even the slowest moving train came out blurry. Some of the scenery is worth the look though.
Heres the link to my pictures.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434387553274967.93251.100001111775214&type=1&l=1a6678c7af

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Just got home from the Timonium show. Rolling stock is on the rails and turnouts are sitting near where they will be installed.
Of course, when you go to the Timonium show you are obligated to stop by M B Klien's.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

There was another Great Model Train Show again this weekend Feb 2 & 3, 2013 (Saturday and Sunday). I went today and took about 50 pictures, of structures and modular layout displays. I took the pictures with my phone, and added them to my Facebook album pictures from the October show. ( The HO scale Hogworts Castle wasn't on display this time, so I couldn't get any better pics than the ones I took in October.)
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434387553274967.93251.100001111775214&type=1&l=1a6678c7af

Tomorrow (Sunday) is the last day of the show. Its worth the visit for those in the area.

I bought this old Tri-Ang Railway Station for $5.00. I think it looks more like a bus station, an airport terminal, or a retail store front, but I couldn't pass it up for $5.00. I likely will never end up using it, but I really like the art deco styling with the curved corners.

 

[GDSmith]

I was in Timonium yesterday for the show also .. found some Digitrax items at a great price and a box of 'oil tank'-type cars. Nine cars for $25 - great for my oil train. (I also have a twelve car coal train.)

I was amazed at the sheer size of the show. I've been to several local shows that were tiny by comparison but still nice to attend. If it wasn't a 90min drive for me, I'd consider going back today !

 

[Charles Smiley]

Jim that building looks like a suoer market I remember in Oakland, CA in the 1950's. It looks like a very nice model with lots of potential.

Who made that gray Chevy? I'm assuming everything there is HO scale.

 

[tomstockton]

I don't get to go to as many shows as I'd like, but over the years, I can maybe think of one or two I'd call lousy. And while I like the big "cattle barn" type shows, it's the smaller ones, hosted by a local club or NMRA chapter that I really like. Seems like every other show or so, I'll run across someone getting out of the hobby or going to another scale and get some really great deals. Plus, I love going through the "junk piles" and "dollar boxes" -- a great place to find little odds and ends and detail parts.

Regards,
Tom Stockton

 

[Jim 68cuda]

Jim that building looks like a suoer market I remember in Oakland, CA in the 1950's. It looks like a very nice model with lots of potential.

Who made that gray Chevy? I'm assuming everything there is HO scale.

Yes, everything in the picture is HO (1/87 scale). All three vehicles in the picture are by Classic Metalworks. The gray Chevy was one of their earlier releases and has been discontinued. You'll probably need to go to E-bay to find one. I know they made them in at least two different colors. The Chevy is diecast metal and the hood opens.

 

[tootnkumin]

Here you are Jim, a suggestion for your art deco building. This is located in the city of Napier on the east coast of New Zealand's north island. The city's main business district was destroyed by a massive earthquake and fire in 1931 and then rebuilt and is home (they claim) to the greatest collection of Art Deco buildings. This particular one I suspect is of newer construction, but interesting because of it's owner.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

Here you are Jim, a suggestion for your art deco building. This is located in the city of Napier on the east coast of New Zealand's north island. The city's main business district was destroyed by a massive earthquake and fire in 1931 and then rebuilt and is home (they claim) to the greatest collection of Art Deco buildings. This particular one I suspect is of newer construction, but interesting because of it's owner.

Very cool looking McDonalds. The model I picked up actually reminds me of a post office I went to with my parents when I was a kid. But personally, I've convinced myself that the structure would be best suited as an old airport terminal for a small city. It has big windows and "glass" doors on both sides. The canopy would be great for an arrival and departure lane for cars and taxis, and the windows and doors on the other side would face the runway with doors leading out to the planes. Only problem is lettering on that side of the building that says Tri-Ang Railways. Too bad I don't have room for an airport on my layout. And too bad there isn't a control tower sructure that matches.

 

[Dameon]

Well I am from SC and we just had our annual local train show. I used to live in MA and wasn't far from the Big E show. THAT was an awesome show. Down here they are tiny.. but I am glad they happen.

I do agree with certain sentiments:

A lot of what I see for sale at train shows is junk. Half broken crap or really low quality stuff any self-respecting hobby shop would not have on it's shelves.

Then there is the occasional great buy: something nice but in a road name nobody wants so the dealer just wants to move it.

There there are things I look at and think "are you crazy!?" and I know the dealer is hoping to get that customer who is hyped up on train show excitement and doesn't really think about the cost too much.

Mostly I just love to go and see the modular layouts and also all the stuff for sale that I can touch and see in person vs only looking at photos online.

 

[tootnkumin]

I bought this old Tri-Ang Railway Station for $5.00. I think it looks more like a bus station, an airport terminal, or a retail store front, but I couldn't pass it up for $5.00. I likely will never end up using it, but I really like the art deco styling with the curved corners.

As I was just mucking about, thought I'd do a Google image search for art deco bus/train stations and as the saying goes, there's probably a prototype for everything

And just in case someones looking for a grade crossing sign in that style

 

[Gary B]

Jm - I want one!!!!
and a great deal too. And of course I would have no place for it.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

Jm - I want one!!!!
and a great deal too. And of course I would have no place for it.

...and how would you choose to use it? bus station? train station? airport terminal? restaurant? retail stores? post office? supermarket?
From Tootnkumin's pictures it looks like it would be a natural for a Greyhound Bus station, but the canopy is too low to get a bus under.

 

[budinoh]

Well I returned last night to Ohio from the Timonium show. Glad others found deals because for me it was a waste. I spent twice as much on the expense to get there as I did at the show. Only deal I found was at the computer sale and show. Got a nice all in one HP with a 23" screen for 350.00. Sells for over 800 at Best Buy. But as for trains, I found didley. Picked up a couple new steam engines and a few 3 buck cars just to say I bought something. Too many "pack it up and move to the next show" dealers. There is no dealing with them. 25 bucks for a car MB Klein sells for 17 right down the street. There were 2 guys there selling stuff at a real reasonable price. One guy kept lowering his percent off number every hour. I waited till he hit 25% and bought a couple Kato steam engines from him for 45 a piece. The other guy sold me 10 of the MDC husky stacks for 7 bucks a piece. Not bad deals but when it cost you 350.00 to make the trip thats a bad weekend for me. I walked into the show with a grand to spend. I walked out on Sunday with 800 left. And almost 40 of the 200 I spent went to food. I will say all the layouts were nice as usual.
Will probably be the last Timonium show for me. Last year wasn't that great either. 10 years ago I could have spent that grand and then some. This year I forced myself to buy what I did. I was told the problem is the show has gotten too big and the promoter has big pockets to fill. So the table cost have gotten to a point where the small guy trying to sell off extra stuff can't afford a table anymore. Thats what drove this show 10 years ago. Now its guys who do this for a living.
Oh well, it only took me 20 minutes to spend that other 800 on Kleins website tonight.

Bud

 

[Gary B]

...and how would you choose to use it? bus station? train station? airport terminal? restaurant? retail stores? post office? supermarket?

Well tough choice but since I'm out of space anyway I might as well thing big -- Airport Terminal -- might have to mod that clock tower into a control tower.

 

[tootnkumin]

Unemployment office? It's got big doors.

 

[Matthewd5]

CMMR, that's not true necessarily about the tax. I had to pay IL tax on one of my purchases from the show this past weekend.

They might be able to sometimes get away with not charging the tax, however I have heard that at some shows there will be undercover agents from the state dept of revenue who try to buy and see if state tax is taken or not. I don't know if this is true or not, but I wouldn't put it past them here in Illinois.

I know at the big show in Springfield mass there were sales tax enforcement folks testing vendors

Matthew

 

[Cjcrescent]

At some of the shows that I would help one of my friends with, he was a full time vendor and he would rent 15-25 tables, we sometimes had to take the tax, and at other shows we didn't have to take the tax.

What's strange about this is that at one show where we had to take the tax, after the show when he sent the appropriate amount to the tax division, they sent it back! They told him in the letter he got with the "refund", they didn't know about the show, and they had no records concerning the show at all.

I have read the letter as well, and he decided to be on the safe side and keep the letter in case he was approached about the taxes in the future. That was almost 10 years ago, and to my knowledge that state hasn't come back for their taxes.