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7 Responses to Upcoming Model Train Shows
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Joey, A lot depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking to see the MFG’s at the show or all new sales the big shows are the way to go such as Train Fest, World Greatest Hobbies, nand Train Expo. If you are looking for some good used buys like I do then local NMRA shows, or Model railroad shows such as put on by model railroad clubs, They have a little bit of everything especially used. The door entry price will reflect the type of show too. A world Greatest Hobbies is very high price show usually and even if you find something at a very good price consider the admission, parking, and food and figure that in to that good deal and it usually adds up to more than if you had just went to the hobby shop. If I attend a large show I am usually trying to get ideas for my layout and don’t expect to find very good deals. For instance the Indy World’s Greatest Hobby Show on the second weekend on January has 15 door door entrance and I know the fairgrounds charges 5.00 parking. So a family of 4 paying adults ends up 65.00 before you get into the door. Most NMRA and other local shows entrance is 3 to 6 dollars and lower price eats. I have been known to carry 4 bags of what I call my show finds like things I can buy and fix up without spending too much replacing couplers and wheel sets and a little touch ups and still make them look like a new car. At least I can call the repairs and touch-ups my work.
You will find a lot of shows listed in the model rr magazines and the NMRA magazine. The largest show is Train Fest held in Milwaukee and you get the benefit of lots of MFG’s showing off their new products for the upcoming year. and there is a lot of stuff there. There were in HO scale operating layouts alone a total of 59. That is on top of N, HON3, T, A, O, G and What I call Live steam layouts (Actually running battery trains because of running inside. You can expect 25,000 people at that show. It is I think the largest I have ever attended. and they claim it is the largest in the US. .
Hope this answers your question. from Newman Atkinson
You’ve already missed the 2015 TrainFest (November each year). It may be the largest, but it’s also the most crowded. Very annoying. I found no one selling repair parts, new or used, and only one hands-on demonstration (Woodland Scenics). I was rather disappointed in this year’s show. I like Mad City Train Show (Madison, WI Feb 20-21, 2016) and the Titletown Train Show (Green Bay, WI Apr 23-24, 2016). The best of the larger shows I ever attended was the national NMRA show the year it was held in the state of Oregon. It featured not only model railroad equipment and supplies but modeling tools as well. This year’s NMRA show is scheduled for July 8-10, 2016 in Indianapolis, IN. Otherwise, ditto what Newman wrote. I like the shows that have the words “swap meet” because many of the tables are not professional merchants but real modelers. For learning you can hardly beat one of the model railroading magazines; my personal favorite is Model Railroader, but some others are also very good. Become a regular at a local hobby shop; while the dealer might have his own preferences, he still needs to keep up on market trends and can be a valuable source in information on techniques and contacts with other modelers.
Hi Rand I can’t agree with you more on the swap meets and the small shows. Some of the best finds I have ever found at these. I picked up a 86 foot Wood kit Auto Box car 80% complete at one and as it turned out the kit exceeded 44 years old. All that was left to do was the roof ribbing and the doors on one side. After I did some research on the model and talked to the company did I find out how old it really was. As you look at the completed side it looks as good as any plastic model body of the same car if not better. and the car with the instructions and spare wood cost me only a 5 dollar bill. The Company does not do wood models anymore from what they said. I hope to have that car up and running on the layout before winter is over and it is not far from painting now..
As far as the big shows, There are nothing wrong with them but in my case I go to some of them to get ideas, see the work on layouts, and see what is new. Train Fest was huge and I had friends trying to get me to go for years. It had every model scale there almost. Although I bought a few things. The biggest part of those it to get ideas. I seen a new fad of Railroad cars, Buildings,and scenery made from totally printed papers and paper kits. There were model railroads that their whole scenery was from that and very nice. Like I say to get new ideas is the goal and talk to the Manufactures about new products coming out. Merry Christmas from Newman
Hi Rand
A group of model railroaders travel east from Calgary, Alberta Canada down to Springfield Mass every two years for the weekend show hosted by the Amherst Railroad Society. The show is held in late January and encompasses 3 large exhibition halls (google the show and it will fill in on details). We always travel by train across the US which adds an added thrill and when we are in Springfield are hosted at layouts such as George Selios’ Franklin and Manchester and others. If you every get up to Calgary, we host SuperTrain which is the largest train show in Canada and held in mid-April each year.
Take care and have a Prosperous New Year
Cheers, Mike
Don’t waste your time. We stopped going several years ago, when we paid $10 each for admission and $10 for parking = $30, and walked out with $10 worth of goods. It’s puzzling as to why so many people attend these attendee money-losing events. Many products are geared to children and not even train-related (pink jump rope, anyone?). Anything you need to reference will be shown in train magazines, websites such as this, YouTube videos, Walther’s catalog, etc. The best deals, information, and fresh ideas are at local swap meets and community train organizations. Even grossly over-priced Walther’s puts things on sale/clearance at better prices than any major train event we’ve ever attended. Many local hobby shops (like Hobbytown) will price match Walther’s sale prices – and DON’T CHARGE SHIPPING! These “shows” may be dazzling to the newbie, but they’re a joke to real model railroaders.
I agree with you as I find most of my best deals and finds at smaller shows and swap meets.
The World’s Greatest Train Show I think they call it is coming to Indy this weekend. and even it I could take my portable train layout and display it I would get in free. But what they are charging the visitors to get in is so un-real. So I quit going to those expensive shows even if I can take the layout and get in free. I just will not support an overpriced show. We are here to promote the younger generations to get into the hobby and what those big shows will do is scare them away. So come by the Noblesville Show north of the Indy area the last weekend of January or the Martinsville show in April in the area and that is where you will be finding me running the Tree Stump Railroad. In fact I will be doing a free clinic at the Martinsville show on Couplers, You won’t find too many free clinics and the big shows… from Newman
well, the best way to find one is simply to search the web. I recommend the great train expo as one. it just was at the Bay Area last week and has a great selection of layouts and stores. i recommend the Z scale layouts. there’s a friend of mine there who can tell you all about it.