Timonium Train Show for O gauge - worth going?

Mike, I'm going, but not really for the O Gauge stuff.  There are normally about a half dozen dealers in O there; no manufacturers.  And not always a lot of new stuff...or blow out prices.  On the other hand, the Zane Show several years ago is where I got my MTH 70ft "Cincinnatian" cars to go with my Weaver B&O "Cincinnatian" Pacific...and at a good price.

 

I go for the railroad books (Ron's, my favorite bookseller is always there), the various historical societies, modeling supplies, and the large number of  modular layouts.  I simply like trains...and always get some good ideas from the HO as well as the (normally two) O Gauge modular layouts.

 

I particularly like the February show.  Health issues kept me away from York in October...and York and Strasburg are still a couple of months away.  So it's a good time for a show...and this time the weather is going to be conducive to driving.

This show just started seemingly expanding O and Hi Rail...the previous Show was billed as an "O and Hi Rail Show" within the regular one or "2 Shows in One"...manuf. were there etc. THIS one I think not and based on the adverts, if you were looking for O, I'd skip it. I live in maryland and have gone to the Timonium shows for decades, oft times for just a quick meander when my modelling enthusiasm was at low ebb or I was broke. Presently my modelling gears are revving but I'm broke and as much as I'd like to go, the voice of reason tells me keep my butt on the Eastern Shore this go round. Like Rick, I especially love the books and Historical Societies.

I have been there many times when I was modeling HO and the show was great for that. I would not drive the 90 minutes for it looking for a lot of O scale items I think you will be disappointed wait and go to York. 

Thanks everyone. I hadn't been for years and was hesitating. I've got about 120 plus miles to drive so I'm going to pass. Really appreciate the insight not having been there recently. Thanks again, Terry

I've been several times and have mostly ended up leaving empty handed.It's a good show overall especially for HO and N scales but there's not much O gauge except overpriced and dingy looking postwar.There's even less for 3rail hi-railer like myself. I'm an hour away and have decided to skip it this time.Allentown is coming up as well as YORK!

I usually go to this show because Scenic Express is there and Crusader who sells Arttista.  However, Greenberg is returning to Upper Marlboro, Md in a month after a 6 year hiatus so I'll be at that one.

Thanks to all for your input.  I think I'll skip this one.  If it was close by, it might be worth a walk through, but not a trip from Western Maryland.  I think I'll head up to Catoctin Mountain Trains to see if there's anything I can't afford to buy.  Otherwise, it looks like a good day to work on the layout in my warm basement with the wood stove turned way up.  It's cold outside!

 

Thanks again, guys.

 

Mike

Mike, to follow up, I went to the Timonium Show, and I'm glad I did.  Aside from purchasing books and several of the historical society quarterlies, including a fascinating one on how ACL and SAL harvested and shipped the watermelon crop in Florida...lots of great images...I picked up a Lionel scale Southern bay window caboose on the "White Elephant" table for $30.  And the owner had put Kadee 805s on it...which saved me the trouble!

 

I'm running Southern now on CONUS Lines and needed another modern SR caboose to augment my sole MTH bay window.  I guess the Lionel one had been used (there was a little dust on the roof), but other than that, it appeared "new" to me.

 

I was pleased with the size of the crowds (I always look forward to crowd size at shows as determining the overall health of the hobby, all scales) and there were more modular layouts than I've ever seen at this show before.  Highlight for me was a HO 21-car UP "City of Los Angeles" with five E8s, all from recent Walthers runs.  While not quite up to MTH/Lionel sounds, the package on the Walthers E8s was the best diesel sounds I've ever heard from an HO unit.

 

Though there were more O Gauge dealers and product there than I expected, they, of course, could not compare in scale and content to the delights of York.  But the book sellers and historical societies (which you don't see much of at York) as well as the "White Elephant" tabe made the day a "win" for me.

 

I view all the shows, Timonium, York, and Strasburg, as complementary; each has certain strengths and weaknesses.  And as I live within comfortable driving range of all three, I am blessed with the best of all worlds of the hobby of model railroading.

I went to the show yesterday and thought it was great. The place was packed as I had trouble finding a parking spot. I counted at least 10 operating layouts and displays,and actually sat in on some of the scenery clinics. Overall not a whole lot of o gauge items but as always there is deals to be found.

When that show is on at the beginning or end of York week, I show up...I even set up in it once, with no spectacular success.  Some years ago, when I first attended, I could find O scale structure kits, etc., and have picked up building materials.  Last

several tours when it was scheduled right, I found little or nothing.  Since it is titled

a "scale show", I wish more O scale would show up.  The headings on this forum and a great number of other venues are available for tinplate, and that three rail there is not usually the rare and unusual, but the current production, IMO.  Of course, it just takes one lucky "gold strike" find, which I why, if the miles and Pa. Tpke were not in the way, I'd wander through.