Indy 2014 Show

Wife and I are planning on stopping by tomorrow to see what we can find!

Sad - I remember the conventions of the mid 80's to mid 90's when it was hard to walk up an aisle due to all the attendees.

 

Please post photos as you can for those of us unable to attend.

 

Thanks;

Robert

 

First, this was not a convention in the traditional since, just called a convention which it was not! As the photo above shows, not many people at the show. I went to talk to someone at the Key table, but no one was there the whole time, and I finally left at 2:00.

 

Maybe it was the fire in back of the showroom at one of the booths at 3:00 in the morning. There was a black curtain around it with a gentleman vacuuming up the water for two hours for the sprinklers set off. There were more dealers than customers. Rich Yoder and Erick of Midwestern Models gave the impression that they will no longer come to the show as it is lightly attended and not worthwhile. They said the Chicago is the one to go to see. Kohs did not go because it is time wasted just sitting when his time could be better spent.

Stephen

 

I don't think there's ever been a question that the Chicago March Meet is the premier O scale show to measure all others by, with O Scale West coming in second. Very sad the Indy show doesn't draw the crowds, because some very talented and dedicated people put it on. 

 

butch

Well, head out to Outback for lamb!

I wish I was in town, I'd been there.

Me too - the only time I made Indy there was a lot of scratchbuilder supplies scattered on tables.  

 

Could it be that eBay is making shows sort of obsolete?  At least for the buying and selling part?

Hmmm, I was there from the opening bell and Mr. D was at the Key table.  Since this IS a train meet he was likely socializing with folks that he sees once or twice a year.  That's what many of us do.  

As for Kohs, I'm sure he has bigger fish to fry... that said from us who have outstanding orders. 

 

OH, and this Indy show may have not had a standing room crowd but Rich Yoder and I went to lunch and I got no impression whatsoever that he would not return to Indy.   To the contrary he did a brisk business... and this isn't the March meet or OSW. 

 

AND those of us who attended found no problems finding bargains in plastic, brass or supplies.  Not too many people left empty handed.   

 

The March meet (or OSW) gets more traffic and that's a fact. But the amount of product in one place and the fact that lots of the core O scale folks attend regional shows made it worth every penny that it cost me to drive the 750+ miles each way.  

 

 

I spoke to rich and two another attendees.  Rich had brush business and my other pals had a great time.    All seemed to have success either selling or purchasing.    I don't attend as I am out west, but it seems that canter put on a good event.   I am going to work on a making OSW next year...

Looks like a first class model train show.

I was at this show, as you HAVE to be, if you want any O scale (for two or three rail)

parts, details, interesting cars and structures, etc., for you won't find most of it in a hobby shop (if you can find a hobby shop) with maybe the exception of P&D in Detroit....Chicagoland long since went to three rail...with airport construction over,

they just need to put a map and times on their flyers, mail-out or posted, and they

would get more traffic.  The cost to get in, titled as a "convention", ($25)was a turn off, but....worth it to avoid all the N and HO in most shows.  It is O scale specific, and that is few and far between.  Some of the dealers only attend O scale shows, if they

have websites, or addresses, they are unknown to me, and their products are found nowhere else.

I talked to Jim Canter about changing to a Saturday and Sunday show so that people who have to work on Friday would be able to attend the show with more time available to them since Saturday is a short session.  He said that could be done if that is what is wanted.  Every vendor I talked to said they were in favor of that schedule.  I'm more than a little amazed it hasn't been done sooner.  Moral - I guess is it doesn't hurt to ask.

I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. No empty tables that I saw. Most all dealers and individuals I talked with were happy with their sales. Of course with any show if you bring in a lot of over prices pieces you will also be taking them back home.

A few more shots below and a full report in the next issue of the O Scale Resource.

 

 

I can see me coming to anevent like this only if it was within 100 miles. Any further gas money eats up all sorts of buying. That said, it appears that March and OSW are the 2 to save for.Fly in with an empty suit case and hope to fill it b4 one flys out later that day.Airfare up to several 100s. of $$s steals from purchasing power.

 

Dan:

I did see 4 or 5 items that I wanted, but needing them is a different story so I didn't buy them. I try to keep want and need seperate. No since of buying something that sits in a cabinet out of sight and tying up dollars. A show is always good when you find something and bad when you don't. Though I did not buy anything, my wife found some great bargins at an antique store we have been looking for. The NKP layout was interesting, an illustration of what could be done in a small area. Stephen

I agree. I did find some undecorated Atlas cars and detail parts. Lots of stuff for lots of people. Best part of shows like this is seeing items you may otherwise not know about.

Is it just that one room? That's smaller than I thought. I was debating on going, but living in the Cleveland area with our show coming in Nov. I decided not to go. Didn't seem like it was worth a 4-5 hour drive each way.

Had a great time!  Was able to meet Lee Turner and talked about his modeling and also his views on weathering.  I enjoy meets because I am able to visit with a lot of interesting people that I never would be able to any other way.  For me, shows are a social event as well as a place to buy or sell trains.  I can do that on ebay.

Was one room the past few years. The social aspect is 60 percent of attending here. Nice small meet with nice people. Like any meet with individual sellers vs "stores" and huge stock, you never know what will show up! If you had to attend one, March Meet is it.

Pretty good meet/show/convention or whatever you want to call it.  Was there at our table and was able to meet a lot of our subscribers, people were able to purchase back issues and subscriptions, and generally do a good bit of socializing.

 

Was able to fill a goody bag with detail parts, pick up a few wooden cabooses to finish and few wood box cars to have fun with, too.  Even managed to pick up most of the bits and bobs that were on my list!  Could have filled the back of the Outback with good buys and another 5 years of projects, but managed to resist that temptation.

 

Yes, folks packed it in early and by 1 pm the hall was pretty devoid of anybody other than the vendors.  I'm not sure how that issue can be reasonably and realistically resolved or improved.  It's a 9+ hour 1 way drive for me each way so I'm killing a day on each side of the show just on traveling.  Leaving early doesn't gain me anything since I'm not driving through the night.  Moving it to Sat/Sun may help or not since some vendors that have jobs might have to  leave early.  Remains to be seen...

they just need to put a map and times on their flyers,

Huh?  All of the flyers that I have include dates and times, and the address and there were instructions on the web site.  Pretty sure that the initial announcement that I posted included the dates and times, along with contact info...

Gary if you want to see a first class train show then come to the Chicagoland O-Scale Show. I enjoy my time at the March Meet (known as the Chicagoland O-Scale Show) since I can remember. One time I remember that Mike Reagan was there when TAS was still around. That was like back in 2001-2002. I've been going to the show since I was a baby (I'm 15 years old now). 

who made the Wabash boxcar ?

 

 

The show was one room but it was a convention hall sized room.

 

I'm not being an apologist for the show but IMHO it would have been worth a 5 hour drive one way... and I came 750 miles and it cost me a few hundred in gas and motels since I made a 4 day trip out of it. 

 

I've been to MUCH worse "Nationals" that were smaller than the old EOS meets.

 

Bottom line is that it was a good show with very good vendor representation.  The table list is still online and I'd safely say it was a few times larger than the Cleveland show.    

 

I did not do the clinics nor did I have any models in the contest so I cannot judge there though the number of contest models was light and the number that were truly  "scratchbuilt" even lighter.  Again, I am not judging nor disparaging anyone's workmanship, just describing what I saw.  

Did Rich Yoder mention any new projects?........seems like he has gone dormant, except for an oocaisional truck offering.

Maybe I will attend next year then.

Brad, the 40' Wabash single sheathed auto box car? 

 

That's a Rails Unlimited kit.   Can't remember the fellow's name that does custom kit building but it's on the list of table holders.

He had the photos of the sample ACL and C&O  ventilated "watermelon" box cars.  From what I hear the builder didn't get the cars to the states in time for the show so unfortunately he did not have the sample cars. 

 

He has been discussing 40' Mather box/stock/reefer cars pretty heavily as a possibility for a new project; he's actively soliciting interest in these.   These would be excellent choices since they were commonly seen and very unique cars.    This said, there are very few surviving examples and if (when) these are done they will certainly be amongst the best researched cars EVAH. 

Rob,

thanks for the confirm on the box car.    I believe yoders acl models will be here late dec. we spoke about them last week.   He has a fair amount of the Mather research done and is very close.    I would expect them to be a 2015 announcement.

Is this the vendor of the Wabash boxcar you are looking for http://railsunlimited.ribbonra...odels/40boxcars.html?

Did Rich Yoder mention any new projects?........seems like he has gone dormant, except for an oocaisional truck offering.       I suggested to rich  after the 2012 show that he consider offering the ''Carbon Black'' cars since he mentioned he liked to offer something not normally seen. I have not heard anything about them since he said he would consider them.       

Living in Sioux City, it take 12 hours to drive to Indy. I could fly in to Chicago but would have to rent a car for the balance of the trip as our only airline flies only to Chicago. I have been to a couple of National meets, St. Louis and Washington DC, as well as Indy a couple of times. I have yet to go to the Chicago show but will try next March. 

 

The closest place I have to look at 2 rail stuff in Cedar Falls, IA, 240 mile drive. Mpls is 300 so I don't get to see much. I have thank all of the writers who spend a minute to keep those of us in fly-over country informed. All I can do is dream.

 

Dick

St Louis was my last National as well. Not bad, but attendance was fairly low. IIRC the highlights of the show were the St. Louis train museum, those great big St. Louis soft pretzels and Jack Speer and Jerry Snow almost getting in a fight. Started out as a shouting match across 3 or 4 aisle and then got up close and personal. Ahhh, for the good old days.   

 

butch 

The few big O scale meets each year seem to be holding steady with vendors/tableholders but suffer from a shrinking "gate"[attendees/buyers] this in turn affects potential tableholders who add to the "core" group of vendors with additional sale items,eventually it becomes the usual tableholders/vendors at these meets buying and selling from each other. A few meets a year very far apart do not bode well for the future.JMHO

Rich Yoder had a signup sheet for a Sperry car to see if there was any interest.

Most likely only one # would be done as they are all different. I suggested a 50's model.

What does everyone else think?

Stephen

I signed up with Rich in Chicago a year ago for the rail detector car. Also sent him info on the carbon black cars. I think those would be popular.

Any of you order his acl cars....?     

I just got an e-mail from Rich last night asking what I thought about him offering the ''Carbon Black'' cars as his first resin project. I replied ''PLEASE,Brass not resin''. I had them when I had ''HO'' trains. I don't think I would be inclined to get any resin models of this on ''O'' scale. Lets lobby him to do it in Brass! I will get several if he does it in brass.