Great Train Show in Raleigh, NC.

Great photos. Greenberg used to do two shows at Hofstra University until a few years ago. If I want to go to one now I've got to go to Edison, NJ which is not a hop, skip and jump from Queens. So instead of it being a short drive away, now we have got to plan to go and spend 1 1/2 - 2 hours in Sunday traffic to get there. Abd then thereis the cost of gas to get there and back. I still wish that Greenberg, or someone else woud come back to this area but I guess the costs of doing shows in thsi area has become prohibitive.

WE went to a show they were holding at the Long Island Railroad Museum a few weeks ago. Nothing special but my granddaughter did enjoy it. So did my wife. 62 miles one way and 62 miles back. Going there was nice because ther were hardly any cars on the road. I couldn't say that about the way back.

Irv

Train shows

The Model Railroad Club I participate in just had their annual model railroad show. This year was a record turnout. However, I obvserved the same thing you did.. vendors were nor pricing to the economy. There were no deals at the show although a reasonable selection of cars and power. The best displays to me was a few kit manufacturers, one of whome is basing kits on a town I project to be on my next layout, and a guy who sold timetables and was a wealth of information about my prototype.

At the end of the day, I walked away with some magazine back issues from the white elephant table, a B&M T-shirt ("Minuteman Service", makes my wife laugh), a calender, and some reasonably priced ground foam. I was not able to find any of the other things I wanted. The dealers really were heavily HO and Hi-Rail locos and power. I guess that sells well at the show.

It was a good experience, but I look forward to going to a show that offers more in the way of clinics and speakers in the future.

Regards,

Chris

Ditto!

I agree, the train shows that have been more enjoyable for me are those that have clinics, demonstrations and speakers in addition to the vendor tables.

Last year the GTE was in Winston-Salem, NC and the NC N-Scalers had a table and were doing a landscape tree making demo and it was hands-on too, allowing guests to make their own little tree. It was fun, educational and you got not only a knowledge "take away" but you got to take a tree home too!

Train shows

I haven't been to any train shows that had clinics, demonstrations or speakers. At least not formally anyway. I've been to few where you could look at or try out different things but that is not the same.

I do have some videos of clincs done at various train shows but it's not the same as being there and being able to ask questions about things that may not have been covered in the clinic.

I missed the opportunity in 2006 to go to the NMRA convention in Philadelphia because I couldn't take time off from work to go on what would have been a nice train ride along the Northeast Corridor. I have been sorry I missed it ever since.

Since the next NMRA convention is in Hartford, CT, I try to make that one. This time I'll probably have some buddies to go with as well and that'll another incentive to do it.

Irv