Allentown Train Show

Allentown is the second-best show, after York, in the PA area in my opinion.  You will find a great mix of Old and New there.  It's a real train show, you won't be disappointed.  A few dealers like Gryzboski's are always there.

Great show and as SEAN stated second best in PA after YORK!  We make it a day there very spring, then hit DEMARCOs Restaurant on the way home for super.  You might even see GUNRUNNER JOHN there?

You will almost certainly see me at the two Allentown shows, I try to make them every year.

Allentown is a great show   Not nearly as big as York but I still love it   Meet the guys for breakfast in the morning and get the early entry tickets from Chuck   Then hit mariannes donuts in the farmers market before they sell out and then the show

@bluelinec4 posted:

Then hit mariannes donuts in the farmers market before they sell out and then the show

You need donuts right after breakfast?

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

You need donuts right after breakfast?

Noooo  The donuts are so good that they sell out by 10 am   I take a dozen home   If you wait until you come out you dont get the good ones

@bluelinec4 posted:

Noooo  The donuts are so good that they sell out by 10 am   I take a dozen home   If you wait until you come out you dont get the good ones

OK, I was a little worried for you!

I've only been to Allentown once(First Frost). I mainly chatted up with Gun Runner John, Ed Boyle, and a few other folks as well as my local dealer. It is indeed a good show with a good amount of options depending on what you are looking for. Even if you are looking for something specific, it may turn up there depending on how new or how old.

As Sean stated, a good mix of new and old. The running layouts are pretty great too. I think the S Scale one in 2019 was the better of the layouts at that show if I recall. That might be because they were running that from the start whereas the other two(or three) I think had stopped for a bit(while I was there that is).

I didn't find exactly what I was looking for(being that it was a specific engine), but I did get some excellent deals on rolling stock from two of the dealers.

Also, John gives great advice if you run into him. He was talking to me about soldering(which I am terrible at) as well as one of the brass Williams engines(Niagara I think) that someone was looking at. I think he may have mentioned a Williams J during our conversation, but not entirely sure and I wager John probably slept since then as well.

Regardless of me carrying on, it is a great show. See if you can get in on breakfast. Being that I had a ways to travel and couldn't get out of bed, I missed out on breakfast.

Definitely worth going, it is very much (to me) its own show, it is more train focused than Greenberg (you don't have all the toy stuff) and you never know what you see there. Also def worth getting there early for breakfast....

Before I moved south I attended Allentown twice a year. Definitely is worth going. Most of the big dealers that attend York are at Allentown. You will find old stuff and new stuff, Train Layouts and Tools. Anything you see at York you will find in Allentown. All under 1 roof. Once you go you keep going back.

OK, I"m hooked!   What is the date of this Fall's show?

First Frost this year is November 12 & 13. Here's a link to their web site:

https://allentowntrainmeet.com/

I live about 40 minutes away so it's easy for me to attend both First Frost and Spring Thaw. They're both great shows. I'd agree with those that have said Allentown is second to York but I've never been to any shows out of the Eastern PA area.

Bob

Watch for the breakfast thread from Chuck (Alentown) as we get closer to the show and join us for breakfast!

-Greg