Train Train Shows-Tucson AZ or Jacksonville FL

I believe that the internet has made it tough on the train shows, as far as deals go. I usually go to the Jacksonville train show and look for a item or two. It is fun to see a lot of trains in one location. I like the operating layouts the most.  

Thanks, Terry, I'm going to see what it will cost me to fit it in. I can always skip it later if our trip plans change.

Whether it's worth the drive from Peoria to Tucson is a personal choice depending on how much you hate I-10, but it is a nice show. It's about as big as anything in the Phoenix area except maybe the TCADD show a couple of weeks ago. There's generally a good variety of trains for sale in all gauges. Last time there was even a surprising amount of tinplate. We usually get at least four or five portable layouts including Standard Gauge, G, and N. Total number of tables should be over 120 as January is our biggest show of the year. I'll be there with four tables. 

 

Here are some pictures.

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Thanks for posting the photos, SH. If I can get a room at DM, I think I'll try to make it. I had to miss the TCADD show up here because I had made plans to take my brothers-in-law to see Cardon's Children's Medical Center and Dennis Sirrine's garden layouts.

 

If you get there, look me up. My table is the one in the second picture with the Mexican blanket and the tinplate.

 

And by the way, we do get some sellers from Phoenix and San Diego. 

Tempting to truck it to Tucson, but all I'll do is spend more money, which my wife wouldn't like.  She's still on my case about my last train "binge."

The Jacksonville show at the Prime Osbourne Convention Center is pretty good. Not too many layouts though.

Will do, I've made a note.

I'll have to come up with another reason to go to Tucson, maybe a visit to the Desert Museum will do the trick.

I just double-checked the calendar and realized the baseball tournament runs all day on the 22nd, so there's no way to get to Jacksonville that day. I thought the show was the day after the tournament, darn it!

Baseball tournament in February? 

 

Bill

 

Yeah, Richmond Hill High School outside of Savannah. First scrimmage is Feb 13 and regular season starts Feb 17 with region games starting Mar 7-Apr 19. One grandson is a junior on the Varsity team, the other a freshman on both the Freshman and JV teams. They've both been playing ball since they were old enough to hold a bat and they play travel ball during the summer. At times, they've also doubled up playing rec ball too. My daughter had some tough times trying to juggle schedules when our son-in-law was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan over the last few years. Fortunately, his deployments are over and he'll retire in March after 27 years. Hoorah!

Been to all those, Desert Museum and Saguaro several times, Pima twice and Gadsden once. We usually come down to Tucson twice a year to watch the hummingbirds in Madera Canyon and stay at DM.

I've only been to Pima.  Lots of great planes there.  I'll have to check out the others.

Dave: I was focusing on the word “TOURNAMENT”.  Still sounds a little too early for a tournament in February.

 

Anyway, please thank your son-in-law for his service and good luck to your grandsons this upcoming season.

 

Bill

Well, I called it a tournament, but it's turned out to be just a couple of games with different teams on Friday night and Saturday morning. Originally it was 4 games with 4 teams starting Friday night and ending Sunday morning, but then I found that was just some potential games before the schedule was finalized. Sorry I misled you with my terminology.

 

Thank you for the kind words. As it turns out. my son-in-law and I will have both served 27 years 4 days and we both made it to E-9. I'll still outrank him though based on time in grade.

 

Oldest grandson will probably get some kind of scholarship with a 2nd tier school. Youngest grandson is small, but full of spirit, much more than his brother. My hope is he can get a coaching or announcing job at some point unless he surprises me with a real growth spurt soon. He's all heart and knows the game inside/out, but lacks upper body strength.

I don't think you'd be disappointed in the Sonoran Desert Museum. Our favorite part is the hummingbird habitat. We haven't seen the raptor free flight that runs through Apr 20, though we have been to the one at the Arboretum up near Flagstaff.

 

Saguaro is awesome for those who can appreciate the beauty of these majestic cacti and it's especially nice when the cacti are in bloom. The trails are easy and the drive is peaceful. We have the National Parks Senior Pass, so it's free for us. If you do go, be sure to attend the short video in the Visitor's Center. The ending is really nice if it's a sunny day.

 

Not much to say about Gadsden, who doesn't like train layouts, etc.?

Just a reminder - the Tucson train show starts tomorrow (Friday, January 10) at 2:00 p.m. at the Expo Center, on Irvington Road just east of the I-10 freeway. 

 

See you there.