Today is our first full day in York, Pennsylvania for the Train Collectors Association Eastern Division’s “York Meet”.
Yesterday after a four and a half hour plane ride and stopping for dinner to avoid rush hour traffic, we took the scenic route towards York. We went for a ride to see our former home in Oxford, Pa. just for fun. Then we drove around the neighborhood past some of our favorite places and reminisced about our time there. Just driving around it still felt so familiar and natural even after nearly six years since we moved to the San Diego area. After arriving in York we checked in to our hotel.
Today, after fighting off the remnants of jet lag, we met up with one of my life long friends and his wife for lunch at the Lyndon Diner.
My friend and I use to go railfanning a lot, so we all took a ride up to the Harrisburg, Pa. Amtrak station. When we were driving around the station we saw a bunch of people standing across the street from the station. After parking in the lot near the tracks, wondering what was going on, a local news internet search reported an active shooter incident and the station was evacuated. The shooter was down but the police were suspecting an explosive device on the body. YIKES! We could have been blown up when driving past the station!! But a short while later all was clear and people were let back in the building.
But I took a few pictures and a video while there.
Amtrak station train shed.
A Norfolk Southern freight rolling by. In the video you can hear the sirens of arriving police to the station.
Tonight I’m going to try to find a good pair of walking shoes for the Meet and then some dinner at Cheddar’s. After dinner we’re going to sleep off the lingering jet lag!
I will be at York for Friday only. Can’t stay overnight this time. My 18 year old beagle, Rocky, is slowing down and the misses might need help at late night with my buddy. So.. I said I would go for the day cruising through the halls. Catch up on Friday.
I will be at York for Friday only. Can’t stay overnight this time. My 18 year old beagle, Rocky, is slowing down and the misses might need help at late night with my buddy. So.. I said I would go for the day cruising through the halls. Catch up on Friday.
See you tomorrow, Ted! I hope Rocky will be ok. I know how difficult it is to deal with.
Hey Brian, I hope you and Lynley have a great time. The really great thing about York is that you can have a great time whether you buy something or not. Of course, it's always better to find that gem that you really want (the word need doesn't apply to trains) at a bargain price.
I no longer come to the Spring York meet because I spend the winters in Florida. Oh how I miss the smell of fertilizer on the fields in that open the window ride to the TCA museum. But I will be there in October. Thanks for posting and safe travels.
Just got in after a long day at The Fairgrounds. We started the day meeting with a bunch of train people at the Round The Clock Diner at 8am.
After a wonderful meal we had two hours to kill. I didn’t go out last night to get my new pair of walking shoes because I didn’t feel like it. It was getting late and I was tired. So after breakfast I stopped at a good quality shoe store and got some. Only took a few minutes and we were on our way to the York Meet!
After the National Anthem played people began entering the Orange Hall. (And no one kneeled).
We went in and started strolling around all the tables of trains, stopped and chatted with a lot of friends and I found a few treasures. We stopped by Vince’s Trains booth first. We hadn’t seen them since they moved to Florida several years ago. It was great to see Vince and Peggy! I don’t usually buy much on the first day, but I found one item I was hoping to get and another item that I never expected to find that I wasn’t even looking for. That’s the thing about the York Meet, you’ll never know what you’ll find! I was so busy looking and talking with friends I didn’t take any pictures inside. I only got halfway through the Orange Hall so I’ll be back tomorrow and make sure I snap a few.
My first find was a K-Line New Haven 21” aluminum baggage/ combine car. Years ago I had bought an incomplete set of these and now I have the whole set. I went so many years not finding it and not even looking for it anymore. And there it was on a rack right in front of me!
My second find was the recently released MTH Premier B&O 4-6-2 Pacific with whistle steam. I didn’t preorder this when announced but thought it would look great hauling my Golden Gate Depot B&O Heavyweight passenger car set. So I took a chance I’d find one at York and there it was! And at a great price brand new in the box.
Later in the afternoon I had my Lionel Legacy system updated to the recent software version by Marty Eibeck, who used his own time to offer this service to whoever needed it. Thank you again Marty! After chatting with him and Gunrunnerjohn for a while it was back to shopping.
In between Lynley and I had a snack and rested our feet a bit. My new shoes were a big help, too. It was very warm outside but low humidity. Inside the Orange Hall is was air conditioned and comfortable.
Time was getting short as we had dinner reservations at Victor’s Italian Restaurant with some members of our former Northern Central High Railers O Gauge club. What wonderful food and fantastic menu!
After dinner and some raspberry drizzled cheesecake we headed over to Quaker Steak & Lube sports bar for a beer or three with some train friends. However we arrived five minutes before closing time so beers will have to wait until tomorrow.
Time to rest up for tomorrow! I’ll have pictures of my goodies after I get home next week. Who knows what I’ll find tomorrow!!
Starting the day with another great breakfast with friends at Round the Clock Diner. My feet still aching from yesterday! Undaunted I enjoyed and ignored the pain. There are more trains and people to see!
Returning to the Orange Hall to see the aisles I didn’t get to on Thursday. After buying some fantastic finds already I wasn’t expecting to buy anything else. With the collection of trains I have I’m more selective now than I use to be. Silly me! But in the meantime I had fun window shopping.
This is a neat accessory.
I took another look at Vince’s Trains.
Coaster Dynamics cool amusement park accessories.
Someday I want to get one of these Altoona Model Works engine houses.
I preordered two of these MTH Premier Union Pacific plated 100 ton hoppers. They are beautiful They will be delivered soon!
THE LAYOUTS
Taking a break from looking at trains on tables we took a look at the layouts in the Purple and Black Halls to see some trains in motion. Walking outside it was a hot afternoon but thankfully the humidity was low. The Purple Hall is not air conditioned and was a bit stuffy. But the layouts were hot! The River City 3 Railers recreated the “disappearing train”. Check it out on the inner track in the beginning of the video!
After a break and a couple of nutritious hot dogs we ventured back to the Orange Hall. I hadn’t bought anything all day and was developing a twitch. Although there was a lot of product available, none of the products were talking to me. They were silent all day. Nothing wanted to come home with me.
But then I wandered back to Mr. Muffin’s Trains booth. The chatter was deafening! I ignored it yesterday but the voices became overwhelming!! In his booth Steve had some of his MTH custom locomotives on display. He doesn’t just stack boxes on his tables. No, he takes them out of the box and wickedly displays them promiscuously for unsuspecting buyers to be reeled in sending their wallets into emptiness. Ah, but I am keenly aware of this tactic and cannot be tempted. But the voices, the chatter, saying “Brian, take me home!” was becoming more than my human emotions could resist.
The chattering voices were specifically coming from Steve’s custom MTH Premier Milwaukee Road 2-8-2 Mikado with whistle steam and the Milwaukee Road Fairbanks Morse Train Master locomotives. They were at good prices too. I soon became prey. After getting my “Traindiesel Price” I joyfully handed over my plastic card and gently placed them in our rental car. Lynley just shook her head, enjoying the sight of my kid-like glee. I told her one engine was for my birthday and the other was for the Summer Solstice holiday. Yeah, yeah, that’s it!
The Halls were beginning to close as they prepared for the Ice Cream Social event. We headed over to Olive Garden to have dinner with about 20 train people, some of whom we met for the first time. One of the highlights of attending the York Meet. After tons of salad, bread and pasta the fuel tank was getting low.
Another marvelous day at the Fairgrounds. Tomorrow is the final day of the Meet. One more lap around the Hall in case I missed something.
Nice time talking with you BRIAN!!! Glad something was speaking to you as you entered those booths…nothing spoke to me….maybe in the fall. Enjoy the rest of your time with family in Philly…spoil that 9th GRANDKID!!!!!….
We did chat some a few years back at one of the Trainstock events in Paterson. Saw you a few times in passing but you were engaged in conversation and did not want to interrupt. Hope all is working out for you in San Diego.
Day Four: Saturday, the Final Day of the Spring Meet
So I planned to go to breakfast before heading over to the Fairgrounds. The alarm on my phone began playing it’s tune at 6am. I immediately hit the snooze icon. Ten minutes later it sounded again. I turned it off altogether. &@(:/$!/ I grumbled. My legs and feet still ache, I’m still full from Friday night’s dinner so I’m not going to eat anything and I’m done shopping. So we slept in for another hour or three. We eventually got ourselves together and headed over to the Meet.
We walked into the Orange Hall and I was stunned! “What is this? Is this Saturday?!” I’ve been going to the York Meet since 1983 and I’ve never seen so many people in the Orange before! I would usually have entire aisles to myself on a Saturday. But today I had to dodge some real live breathing people! Now I’m not saying the attendance rivaled a Thursday or Friday, but it was a lot busier. A couple vendors I spoke with said overall attendance was down but the people that were there were buying.
At noon there were a few still buying tickets to enter. And several young families. The best was seeing a young couple and their toddler son pushing a stroller. The child had to walk because the stroller was toting boxes of trains. OUTSTANDING!!
Although I was done buying during this trip I just wanted to see if the Atlas O "Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis" PS-1 box car was still at the booth I saw it in on Friday. I liked it because we went to Chattanooga back in October for a wedding that caused me to miss York. I wanted it as a trophy for retribution for missing last October’s Meet! If it wasn’t there, no big deal. But it was still there so I bought it. But wait! What’s this??!! (You know where this is going now!) Two of the new Lionel covered gondolas in Milwaukee Road and Santa Fe! I was surprised how hefty they are. But wait, that’s not all! Up on top of the rack was the recent “Altoona Curve Beer” reefer. I’ve been to Altoona, Pa many times railfanning and tasted the Curve beer. Onto the pile they they go, paid for them all and out the door I went!
As I was putting my new treasures into the trunk of our much too small rental car, I was now in full hunt mode!! I remembered seeing a Vision Line NYC sound box car set, but where? I couldn’t remember! So with a deep breath and blazing red eyes I ventured into the abyss of the Orange Hall to acquire them. No such luck. I was either in the wrong place or it was sold. But the O Gauge Gods smiled upon me again! Instead I discovered a Vision Line Santa Fe stock car set with sounds that I really had hoped to find. I had to excavate the box from a pile of freight cars. I just knew if I waited to ask for help someone else might steal them from me. Out to the much too small rental car they went.
Lynley just shook her head and laughed. “I thought you were done”, she said. “I am”, I said, “But I want to check one more thing”! I didn’t wait for a reply. With tunnel vision I dragged my tired ::bleep:: for one more trip through the aisles. I was trying to find a Vision Line B&O box car with sounds I saw on Friday. It was gone. So I figured I’d call it a Meet and headed back to the lobby to get Lynley and take my stash to the UPS table outside the Silver Hall to ship back home.
As I slowly strolled through the aisle, taking it all in and absorbing the energy that model trains provide before leaving York, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Two Atlas O Milwaukee Road box cars with different car numbers. I got a little discount because the vendor didn’t have to pack them up. Then, like The Incredible Hulk when he calms and returns to become Bruce Banner, I knew it was time to go. I always end up buying most of my trains at York on Saturday!
But first, I checked out the TCA Kid’s Club layout in the Orange Hall lobby.
We then drove over to the UPS tables outside the Silver Hall. While they worked to secure by bounty for shipping, I went inside to make my final purchase by registering for the October Meet and got our badges to take home. When I came back to UPS my packages were ready to go.
As they finished up “Happy Trails” was playing over the Fairgrounds speakers signaling the end of the April 2023 York Meet. It feels like the last day of summer vacation before school starts up again.
By now we were really hungry so we went to Lattuca’s Sub Bar for lunch. The best cheesesteak this side of the Susquehanna River. (Until we get back to San Diego county where I go to a sandwich shop owned by a family friend from the Philadelphia area who makes authentic Philly cheesesteaks).
Cheesesteak with pepperoni, fried onions and sweet peppers.
After lunch we started our trip to Philadelphia to visit our youngest daughter who will be having her first child, and our ninth grandchild next month. Near the end of the show there were announcements that the Halls would be closing an hour earlier because of heavy thunderstorms on the way. Weather was calling for torrential rain, hail and possible tornadic activity. The wind was picking up and the skies were getting angry. Luckily we outran the storm and made it to Philly without a drop of rain. We checked into the hotel, relaxed a bit then got ready to take my daughter and her fiancé to dinner. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, “The Pub” in Pennsauken, NJ. Of course on the way the rain arrived but just a few steady showers. Not as violent as was predicted.
9oz filet mignon with 8oz lobster tail and fresh green beans
After dinner we took the kids home and headed back to the hotel. We are winding down from another great York Meet. My purchases should arrive by Friday. Then it’ll be exciting all over again!
The trip continues Sunday after a good night of rest.
We did chat some a few years back at one of the Trainstock events in Paterson. Saw you a few times in passing but you were engaged in conversation and did not want to interrupt. Hope all is working out for you in San Diego.
Steve
Steve, yes I remember when we met at the NJ Highrailers. Wish we could’ve chatted, hopefully in October!
San Diego has been great. The weather is outstanding, love our house and the neighbors are great. But I do miss a lot about the east coast.
Brian, thanks for posting. Sounds like a lot of fun. But you really got me with the Pub in Pennsauken. At the circle with Admiral Wilson Boulevard, Rte 130, Rte 70, etc. A convoluted intersection if there ever was one and a great challenge to drive.
Back when I turned 16, driving and cars were a big deal. In fact, driving, cars and girls (not really in that order) was what totally distracted me from toy trains. My father was really great about getting me ready for driving. Pa. had "blue laws" back then and retail businesses couldn't open on Sunday. So he would take me to parking lots starting when I was 14 and let me practice driving. In all sorts of weather, including snow. Anyway, on my 16th birthday (a Thursday), I got my driver's permit in the morning. We lived in Havertown. For dinner, we all piled into the car (a 59 Olds) and I drove down City Line Avenue, to the Schuylkill Expressway, over the Ben Franklin bridge to the Pub for my birthday dinner. That was more than a couple of years ago. BTW, I got my driver's license that Saturday morning.
Good to know that the Pub is still there and that you enjoyed it.
It was nice to briefly chat with you on Friday night in Olive Garden. Hopefully we can meet again and chat it up at October York. Till then, be safe and all the best!!
Brian, I see why you make the long trip to go to York, you clearly really enjoy yourself here! No complaints about this York, the weather was great, the trains were great, and I got to see lots of folks I usually don't see for months, what's not to like.
Brian, thanks for posting. Sounds like a lot of fun. But you really got me with the Pub in Pennsauken. At the circle with Admiral Wilson Boulevard, Rte 130, Rte 70, etc. A convoluted intersection if there ever was one and a great challenge to drive.
Back when I turned 16, driving and cars were a big deal. In fact, driving, cars and girls (not really in that order) was what totally distracted me from toy trains. My father was really great about getting me ready for driving. Pa. had "blue laws" back then and retail businesses couldn't open on Sunday. So he would take me to parking lots starting when I was 14 and let me practice driving. In all sorts of weather, including snow. Anyway, on my 16th birthday (a Thursday), I got my driver's permit in the morning. We lived in Havertown. For dinner, we all piled into the car (a 59 Olds) and I drove down City Line Avenue, to the Schuylkill Expressway, over the Ben Franklin bridge to the Pub for my birthday dinner. That was more than a couple of years ago. BTW, I got my driver's license that Saturday morning.
Good to know that the Pub is still there and that you enjoyed it.
Gerry
Gerry, yes that circle intersection by The Pub is like a demolition derby waiting to happen! My family has had many Christmas Eve diners there over the years. It’s one of our favorite restaurants and has immense nostalgia and tradition for us. I’ve been going there since I was five years old.
Over the years the place has gone bankrupt, burned down a few times and changed management a few times. But it keeps coming back!
It was nice to briefly chat with you on Friday night in Olive Garden. Hopefully we can meet again and chat it up at October York. Till then, be safe and all the best!!
John, it was great to meet you, even briefly. We will definitely have to get together in October!
Brian, I see why you make the long trip to go to York, you clearly really enjoy yourself here! No complaints about this York, the weather was great, the trains were great, and I got to see lots of folks I usually don't see for months, what's not to like.
Agreed! It’s a week long party for me and I enjoy every moment being around the trains and the friends like yourself. To me everyone feels like family!
Brian.....we miss you and Lynley.....great to see you both!
Peter
The feeling is mutual, Peter! We had fun talking and dining with you. The layout looks great and it was apparent you all were proud of it and had a lot of fun. Which makes it fun for us and everyone.
The York Meet has come to a close. Upon waking up this morning I sat up and thought about the great time we had at the Meet. Seeing lots of friends and meeting new ones, buying way more trains than I planned and eating like Kings. My aching feet didn’t matter. It was sooo much fun. The Meet went by so quickly. It seems like the more fun we have the quicker it goes by! Now the Post York Syndrome has set in. The realization and let down that the vendors have left, friends have gone home and I have to wait six months until October’s York Meet. I hope the sun will still shine tomorrow.
But the fun isn’t over yet! I still get to relive the joy when my purchases arrive on Friday. And today is the day of my youngest daughter’s baby shower.
The plan was I would take Lynley to the event and then I would go do some railfanning along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor just outside Philly. However, my daughter Collette told the organizers she wanted her Daddy to be there. So of course I stayed and escorted her in when she arrived.
Myself, Collette and Lynley
Of course, since she’s having a boy our gifts included the obligatory railroad themed clothing and engineer’s hat that we bought at the York Meet, along with convertible crib/toddler bed/ regular bed and related bedroom furniture. When the party was over Collette was very tired so we helped take home some of the baby gifts.
When that was done we met up with a former coworker and friend of Lynley’s for dinner. After another big meal we were done for the day and headed back to the hotel. I need to squeeze in some railfanning at some point before heading home on Wednesday morning!
Congratulations. It was good to see you and was happy to get you upgraded!
Thank you Marty. It was great to see you as always! It was perfect timing for my Legacy update. As I’m building my layout I had just unearthed the box with my command control equipment before heading to York.
It was great to chat with you for a few minutes again. Congratulations again on the grandchild.
Thank you Joe! It was great to see you. This will be our ninth grandchild. Hopefully I can help keep his nose out of a cell phone for a bit and focused on the trains! Haven’t had much success with the others so far, but I’m working on it!
I’ll be steering the boy towards scale equipment, but he’ll get whatever he wants.
Right. Take a one year old, put the track on the floor, run 18 volts through it, tell him to lick his fingers (you really don't even have to tell him to do that) and touch the rails. And while you're at it, put a train on the track (which seems small to you, but which is HUGE to him, and run it. Sort of like people who think they can beat the train when the lights are blinking and the crossing gates are going down.
You really should watch Thomas on TV. They do really nice stuff.
Right. Take a one year old, put the track on the floor, run 18 volts through it, tell him to lick his fingers (you really don't even have to tell him to do that) and touch the rails. And while you're at it, put a train on the track (which seems small to you, but which is HUGE to him, and run it. Sort of like people who think they can beat the train when the lights are blinking and the crossing gates are going down.
You really should watch Thomas on TV. They do really nice stuff.
Gerry
George Carlin and Ringo Star narrating....what could be bad......
We have a load of the blue plastic track and battery powered engines....the Tomy stuff, not the later.....my son and I (ok- mostly me) would spend hours on the basement floor running them.
Brian- thanks for sharing your York adventures with us.
9th grandchild? WOW! Maybe the 9th is the charm 👍👍
George Carlin and Ringo Star narrating....what could be bad......
We have a load of the blue plastic track and battery powered engines....the Tomy stuff, not the later.....my son and I (ok- mostly me) would spend hours on the basement floor running them.
Brian- thanks for sharing your York adventures with us.
9th grandchild? WOW! Maybe the 9th is the charm 👍👍
Bob
That blue plastic track and battery Tomy stuff is awesome for kids. All 3 of my kids (including the daughter) loved playing with those in their younger days. We saved the stuff for youngsters in the future. We have a ton of it. The wood stuff is good for the first introduction into playing trains.
I think I saw you from a distance in the orange hall but I was there for Friday only and after speaking to my wife around noon, I had to leave around 2:30-3:00 to head home. My good buddy, Rocky was not doing well. He did eat a little and drank some water when I got home. Maybe he missed me? At 18 years, 3 months old, my beagle was at the end of the line when we took him to our vet the next day, we made the hardest decision ever to let him go. My Rockstar, Rocky, was ready and it is still hurting us emotionally. Next October, I will be there for Friday/Saturday and hope to see those Philly/San Diego folks there. Sorry I missed you folks there but a family issue arose. At least he let me go to York for the day!!
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No complaints about this York, the weather was great, the trains were great, and I got to see lots of folks I usually don't see for months, what's not to like.
