Chicago Land March Meet

By judged do you mean The model builder will get feed back on the models flaws?

Hi,

 

Look at the sample form located here http://marchmeet.net/Pages/contest.shtml

 

This is what you turn in and receive back after the contest.

That's exactly what I wanted to know Thank you for your quick reply

Dan, Can't wait to get to Lombard, really looking forward to seeing everybody.  Always a lot to see and do.  Time always goes by quickly.  Tad Daito from Japan and Mike Calvert (Gilmaur Models) from England won't be attending and I will miss them.

Yes, I will be there as well. I knew about Ted, but had not heard about Mike not making the show, I hope everything is fine. The Clever Models Brothers, Thom and Dave will also be missing this year due to family issue.

 

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

 

Charlie

Of the three days of the show which one is the best day to attend and why.I am coming from out of town and would like to know thanks

Friday afternoon is "set-up day". Saturday is open to anyone willing to pay the $20 admission fee. Sunday is "pack-up and depart" day, however some "good deals may be found on Sunday morning from folks not wanting to take stuff back home.

 

Thus, the BEST DAY is always Saturday, from 9AM to 5PM Central Time.

This years model contest, sponsored by The O Scale Resource Magazine

 

more like an e-zine, unless you started printing editions?

 

sigh... another year, another missed Chicago.

I have heard a lot of good feedback about  the past shows & I will try to make it to the show this Saturday. Does anyone know the list of Importers / Manufacturers / dealers who will be represented at this show?

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

looking forward to it.  

 

 

I'm sure that the Hill family knows.

Yes, but it just might be a useful feature to have on the web site for the meet...

But he didn't ask THAT. He only asked, "Does anyone know…….?"  Thus the answer is, yes,,,,,someone knows.

I should have known that you would only accept the narrowest of meanings possible.

I didn’t realize that my original posting could be misinterpreted. I wanted to know the dealers / importers / manufacturers who would be attending the show & was hoping someone on this forum could let us all know, since the March Meet website didn’t have this information. From the replies I realize that there is no official published list of these individuals / companies. So why don’t we create an unofficial list of vendors who will be attending as well as the ones who will not be attending.

 

I will start the list by mentioning that Norm from Protocraft will not be attending this year’s show. Just got an e-mail from him.

 

I agree that the people organizing this show should make this list available. I knew of this show the last 2 years but I didn’t attend since I did not know which dealers will be participating & that lack of information didn’t motivate me to drive 3-hours each way to this show.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

I'll be there.  One more day to go, I can't wait.

 

Art

Just because a manufacturer / importer / dealer isn't there doesn't mean their product will not. And as a once a year show, it would be tough to miss. Always great finds on the tables. There are way worse shows in the Chicagoland area!

My railroad will be open Friday 1pm - 10pm and again Sunday 11am - 6pm.

 

I am in Dwight, IL so if coming from the South, stop by on your way up. (Email me for directions)

 

 

There are way worse shows in the Chicagoland area!

 

Not to sound ignorant on the matter, but what other show(s) are you referring to?

I would be happy to visit them at least once and decide for myself the shows worth.

 

Thanks.

 

Charlie

I think this is the only O Scale (2-rail focused) show in the chicago area.    The other big ones in the midwest are in the fall.   A one day in Cleveland, and a 1-2 in Indianapolis.  

 

Probably most of the other big shows in the Chicago area advertise someplace.   I think there is one in Dupage or someplace monthly, but it is mostly HO.  

 

So depending on your interests, you may want to track some down.

Thanks, I really hoped he had been talking about O scale. the monthly DuPage show is great for what it is, but it is not an O scale show/meet.

 

Charlie

 

Sooooo....presuming no station tour this year still?  The website still says the schedule is in progress.  I thought it was Thursday night. Not the end of the world but I was hoping to go as I've missed it the last couple of years.

Jim

That was a mix up and I apologize for that. As far as I know there are no outside tours this year.

Whoever said the monthly show at DuPage is mostly HO is way off. There is a large HO showing but that meet is at least 85% three rail 0 Gauge.

About 11 years ago I was unemployed and worked for the Hills at the meet in the hotel near the racetrack (I think it is being torn down). Worked the year after that even though I had a job.

 

We were told to police the tables for anything not two rail O scale and to either kindly ask them to put it away, or get one of the owners to do so.

 

All you needed to do was ask the seller, do you have any three rail, and if he/she did, they would say, yeah, there, under the table, or drag something out. Not many did though.

 

The Koh's equipment was impressive.

 

Lord I can't remember if it was Jim Weaver of Atlas or Jim Atlas of Weaver, but whomever, gave a nice presentation on their stuff.

Lucky dogs some of us have to work. I know I planed to be there this year too, but just like last year work got in the way. Of course middle daughter wants to finish college and the 2 younger welps would like to go to camp this summer, Me I would like to be trolling for some 41NP trucks right about now. Oh well at least next year my models wont have that many mistakes. 

The real issue here is, those 11 times a year, DuPage County Fairgrounds "trains shows", are not in the remotest class of "meets", like the annual "O Scale March Meet" in the Chicago area. 

The March Meet has come and gone, at least, I have been there and done that...and

found few items, but a few.....as for DuPage, I used to be a regular, including set

up for about two years, but I don't think I EVER found one O scale thing there (never

could figure that out, as the O scale show is now not that far away, and some O scale

kit makers...All-Nation....were in the area).  As stated above  DuPage is mostly three rail.  There was really good weather for the show, so that was a plus.  I thought this

was a much better show, though, than the one a year ago, as far as there being

a lot of stuff there.

Any show reports attendance? deals? any reports on new imports? Overland, Key,MMW.

Protocraft...I get the impression they're 2 rail...if they do 3 rail too I'd want to go to the next show just to lay hands on some of their neat gearboxes and drives.

Yes, they are a "2-Rail SCALE" supplier. However, if you are a 3-Rail SCALE modeler, they have some very desirable products.

Yeah they do...those gearboxes would lend themselves to a nice power truck for a B+B that I'd like to build someday....do they show up at the show...or someone who has their products?..when it comes to that kind of stuff I like to see and touch in order to fully envision what I want from it...sounds weird, I know, but that's how I am.

Just back from the Chicago Midwest shoe. - it was fabulous.  The large (for 2 rail O) dealer hall was packed with full tables and buyers in the aisles.  It was the best show I've been to in many years.   My congratulations to the Hill family for another great show.

 

Ed Rappe

Bob,

 

The motors, gearboxes, and wheels were designed with 2r (P48 & Ow5) in mind but we could probably create something for 3r.  The biggest issue is the helical gears we use.  We can pore them out to 4mm or 5/32" but any larger could weaken the gear too much (we did an experiment with a 5mm axle and there wasn't much metal left.

 

We've had a few examples at O Scale West and we'll probably have more later.  The problem is we normally have to build the drive to match trucks & frame.  Bottom line no two setups are the same.

 

Norm had planned on being at the Chicago Meet but he got sick and canceled his trip.

 

Jay

I was there for an hour on Saturday with my family. Apart from the good time I had meeting people who I hadn’t seen in a long time, I didn’t think this show was worth the drive or the tolls along the way. There were some good-looking posters / displays from Key Imports, Midwestern Model Works & Kohs but luckily they were beyond by affordability or interest. This was the first time I had seen models made by Key Imports or Rich Yoder & if I were buying equipment from those early-diesel eras they might have looked impressive.

 

I didn’t see any representation by Atlas, MTH or Golden Gate Depot (Sunset). Overland Models weren’t there either, as expected as I had read on this forum some time ago that they no longer import O-Scale models after the most recent SD70ACe. I was hoping to get some update on the Golden Gate Depot ATSF / Amtrak Hi-Level passenger cars but that didn’t happen.

 

But my disappointment probably was a good thing. As I have narrowed my focus since last year to modern BNSF Intermodal & modern Amtrak trains, which may not be very popular, I didn’t spend much on the great deals that were offered by many of the vendors.

 

I did buy some newer Kadee Underset couplers & replacement Overland diesel locomotive cab door handles. I also bought a good looking Maersk container from Jeff at JD’s Trains.

 

Then again, I may have had low expectations even before getting to the show as I called America’s Best Hobby Shop (less than 20 minutes from the show) the previous day & got a good deal on a Lionel die-cast 2-car Husky stack that I am in the process of converting to 2-rail.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

 

Had you stopped by the Sunset/3rd Rail/Golden Gate Depot display, which was right on the end of an isle (where it has been for the last 4 March Meets), all your questions would have happily been discussed/answered.

 

Concerning Atlas, MTH, and overland, I have not seen any of those three companies at a March Meet, in the 8 or 10 years that I have been attending.

That’s unfortunate. I regret having missed the opportunity to talk to Golden Gate Depot at the show. Were there any updates on the progress of their Hi-Level passenger car project?

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan