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It's been over ten years since I have been at a York train meet!

Moving from PA to CA put a damper on going to York!

I am now, once again getting the notion that a trip to York should be considered!

I live on the Central Coast of CA so I will need to fly from San Luis Obispo to Harrisburg (one stop in Dallas). Stay over in Harrisburg since flight arrives at midnight. Rent a car next morning, drive to York and check into hotel in York. Attend all ORG get togethers, enjoy pre-York meet events and then Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon at the train meet. Then drive back to Harrisburg (maybe stay a night) then fly back to San Luis Obispo.

I am looking for advice for any other CA resident forum members that make the trip.

Thanks in advance for any comments!

Best regards,

Stan

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Hi Stan. When we moved from the Philly area seven years ago to San Diego county I had only one condition. To be able to continue to attend York Meets just like when we lived about an hour away from the Fairgrounds. Only missed one Meet that was a couple weeks after we arrived here.

Your itinerary sounds similar to what we do, except for one thing.  If you can avoid Dallas airport!!!  There’s nothing wrong with the airport itself, it’s just so huge. We did a stop to and from York through Dallas once. The terminals are so far apart that we almost missed the connecting flights.

We fly out of San Diego nonstop to either Baltimore or Philly via Southwest Airlines. Baltimore is a little closer but sometimes we go through Philly to visit our daughter and our grandson. It’s about an hour and twenty minutes drive from BWI to Round the Clock Diner and all the hotels in the area.

You can get a flight out of SLO with one stop in LA or Denver and arrive in Baltimore late afternoon/early evening. Or take the Surfliner to LA, stay overnight there and get a nonstop from LA to Baltimore or Philadelphia. Car rentals are available near the airport and off you go!

Make sure you visit the Strasburg Railroad which is a 30 minute drive from York straight out Rt. 30 East.

@stangtrain posted:

It's been over ten years since I have been at a York train meet!

Stan

You will find it to be VERY different from the last time you attended the event. Not meaning to discourage you from making that long trip, but just be aware that you will be attending a significantly different York Meet. Oh. . . and if it's going to be April or October, shoot for October.

Last edited by Allan Miller

You will find it to be VERY different from the last time you attended the event. Not meaning to discourage you from making that long trip, but just be aware that you will be attending a significantly different York Meet. Oh. . . and if it's going to be April or October, shoot for October.

Absolutely true, and IMO it's better.  I kind of miss the blowout sales of excess inventory, but to be honest it tempted me to buy unnecessary stuff.  You'll still see rare / unusual items, and prices for common operator-grade trains have fallen substantially.

There's a lot more emphasis on club layouts and the meetings for various groups - social media, brand-specific, etc.  The Standard Gauge Module Association (SGMA) takes over the black hall with a huge layout and has a fun meeting - not to be missed.  The smaller crowds and wider aisles make it easier to have a leisurely look at the items for sale, and there are many more opportunities to talk with people. 

If I may add another option - AMTRAK! (we're all 'train guys' - right?)

They are now running their annual sale of $299 for 10 stops over a 30 day period. I've done this twice. One trip was 'Pittsburgh/Chicago/Omaha/Denver/San Diego/San Francisco/Portland/Fargo/Chicago/Pittsburgh. ALL of that for $299!

Yes, I slept in the 'recliner coach' seats on some of the longer runs, but for the most part I scheduled my stops with a day or two so that I slept in a 'real bed' and got to tour the cities.

And WOW, what scenery!

I definitely recommend going to York. I have only been there in October and it was great. We don't have any big shows on the west coast anymore and this is still the best show I have been at. I would arrive early to attend bandit meets and train related events in the area. Now that I'm retired, I'm planning to go every October. We drove the last two years and it worked out great. Plenty of room to bring stuff back.

Bob

You will find it to be VERY different from the last time you attended the event. Not meaning to discourage you from making that long trip, but just be aware that you will be attending a significantly different York Meet. Oh. . . and if it's going to be April or October, shoot for October.

I have to agree with Allan. I would go with the October meet. Since the pandemic York has changed considerably. I went back after a 3 year hiatus and did both shows, April and October. Shows are still worth seeing and I went primarily to see old friends and see the different clubs that now run layouts. Of course I also bought a bunch. Much has changed some for better some not. Just don’t go with the anticipation of what York used to be.

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