Who else has withdrawal symptoms?

Sorry Art, can't say that I do. I kind of have my plate full at home. I've pretty much stopped going to shows. I think the last one I was at was DuPage about 3 years ago.

Art, Check out the Detroit Model Railroad Club's Summer Hours

Gary - Cheers from the Detroit & Mackinac Railway

  Click poster to enlarge.

Honestly in the summer I try to take the kids and visit/ride the real thing.  I still work on the layout religiously, but the train shows have just gone down hill lately.  I find  more  items here on the  forum than at a local train show.  Just a sign of the times...

 

 

I go through bouts of it... I don't usually touch the model trains during the summer, aside from picking up ordered items at the store. I have to many outdoor projects and interests! My train "involvement" during the summer usually consists of the forum and reading history books/material.

No withdrawal symptoms here.

In my area, there are outdoor antique shows, flea markets, garage sales, and estate sales. Plenty of good hunting, but no train shows.

Yes, I do.  There's nothing like seeing and holding the piece you're considering buying. 

I, of course, live in an area - like most, really - where train shows are not "common"

at any time of the year. In fact, they are as likely in the summer as the winter, here.

There was one in Tallahassee FL in July. 2 in the Mobile area - March and Sept. Swap meets here and there. But, pretty thin compared to the RR belt and its outposts (central and south Florida, for example).

 

But, there often seems to be a feeling - I even hear it here - that train shows are strictly "buying" events. I don't look at them that way; I go mainly because I'm a RR hobbyist and so is everyone else in that building for 1 or 2 days. Things in common. Model RR atmosphere. Birds of a feather flock together.

 

I/we drove to the Tallahasse FL show - a pretty good drive from Mobile - and I spent $20 at the show. Mostly books. That's it. Enjoyed the day; had some laughs. Now, the vendors may not like that - and I am one at local area shows, usually - but sometimes I go because I can't see why you wouldn't go, just to hang a bit with your peeps.

 

Next show I may find that 4-10-10-6 that I've been "needing" for years, at a "good price". Probably it's cost me more than $20. Or I may just buy another book; either way, it's usually fun.

Art, once you get your layout yard work finished and you start hosting regular operating sessions (monthly or more frequently) you won't miss train shows one bit.  If whatever new whiz-bang locomotive or rolling stock doesn't fit into your operating scheme, you won't pay any attention to it.  Once you have the equipment needed to hold your op sessions, that's nirvana and you don't need any more.

 

Personally I hardly attend train shows at all any more.  I get together with some 3-rail friends once a week for lunch and attend 6 or 8 operating sessions a month (besides my own).

D500, that's a long haul for a 'meh' show. I was founding member of the club that puts that Tallahassee show on and it was never anything to write home about. I not only left that group in utter disgust in the 90s, I left the hobby from his disgusted I was with them. That group killed my love for model trains for the better part of 15+ years, my experience with them was so bad....

 

I live in the Pacific NW now and this month we have the mother of model train shows coming to our area at the end of the month:

http://www.nationaltrainshow.o...015/ntsportland.html It's associated with the NMRA convention in Portland this year. I even joined the NMRA to be able to go, but my employer usually denies most requests for time off. I couldn't even get a single day off for the convention. I would say I'm livid but more than anything I'm not surprised. Where I work, you usually should expect to be denied when you want time off because most of the time, that's what happens (heck, they denied me for Jury Duty 2 years ago! I had to have a manager go tell the schedulers that they couldn't legally do that). It's one of the joys of working for a company that permanently staffs nowhere near the number of people they need.

Model trains shows around here are usually the ones that move around. There are a few model train shows in the Fall and spring. Otherwise, there are plenty of steam railroads in the general area, so I doubt anyone has withdrawls.

Yeah it's along time between shows around the Puget Sound area. First show is at Monroe in February, next is Lynden first week of October. Then comes Boeing Employee's Model Train Club and The Great Train Expo in Puyallup both in November.

 

In between is EBay, of which I'm not complaining about as a source of train stuff, but unlike the shows there is no personal interaction, just me and PayPal loose on EBay.

 

Bogie

No withdrawal symptoms here.  I am a year round train guy too. 

 

Just got back from a weekend trip with my son to Buffalo to ride behind the 765.  Outstanding weekend.  Did the Arcade and Attica trip on Saturday. 

 

In June, did a trip with my son to Lynchburg VA to ride behind the 611 between Lynchburg and Petersburg, VA. 

 

There has been a bunch of work going on in my basement on the Spokane Southern too.  The work pace has not slowed down over the summer. 

 

I leave on 21-Aug for a week in Portland at the NMRA convention.  Operating sessions on Saturday afternoon, and Monday evening, plus whatever I can dog catch.  Clinics all week, and the National Train Show on Friday.  It will be nice seeing different layouts 2000 miles plus away from Chicago.

 

Lots to do during the summers. 

 

Regards,

Jerry

 

We have kept busy this summer with train activities. In July, we hosted a wonderful Summer Outing for train enthusiasts. Next week, we have two groups visiting our layouts. Later this month, we are taking a trip to Rhode Island to visit a layout.

 

Maine has nothing like the Dupage Show, so we have to create our own activities.

P51 -

 

Well, it is certainly a "meh" show, but, once again, I enjoyed the day, went with friends,

we had a good Mexican supper in T'hassee on the way back...that was my point. Don't know anything about the people or club there. 

 

Just an enjoyable day. REALLY good A/C.

No not for me, I take the summer months to enjoy it with my boys.   

I do MOST of my train buying in the summer instead of year round...ahhh, who am I joking...

Yes, if I miss the Greenberg show in Monroeville Pennsylvania the weekend after Independence Day.  This year, I missed it, but for a fun reason.  I went to the North Penn O Gauger's open house that same day.  It was an excellent alternative.

I have spent more time "workin' on the railroads" this Summer than I have in the previous 6-7 years combined.  Frankly, I am looking forward to the alternate weekend run sessions that start-up in two weeks.  

 

Time to have some fun running and chatting "trains" with the guys.  

No withdrawals here but I am looking forward to the Dupage show this weekend I need some parts and may try to sell also.

Menards has been keeping summer going with all its new releases, i'm looking forward to the winter season and their store releases.

franktrain 

Fair point.

One of the things I don't miss about the Deep South is that if you don't have AC, you think you're going to melt. I was born and raised in Tallahassee and lived there into my late 20s. I miss my parents who still live there and a couple of good friends I kept in touch with when I left, but other than that I don't the miss the area at all.

 

As for train shows, I generally have everything I need for my layout other than some supplies which I'd be better off not getting used.

I'd hit a model train show more for any book books or RR collectibles than anything else.

Also, this time last year my layout was coming along and you could only run stuff back and forth to be able to say you'd done that. Couldn't do any real operations at all. Now that I'm really only lacking the scenery to be done, there's not much withdrawl as I can walk into my layout room any time, fire up a loco and take a tour of the layout anytime I want with functional turnouts and pulls and DCC humming along.

Summer & Fall - O Scale, 2-Rail Fun.   Check it out…….. Members of the Detroit Model Railroad Club, will be in Indy.

http://www.indyoscalenational.com/

www.dmrrc.org

Gary - Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway

  See poster below….. Click to enlarge.

I do a train show every night on Ebay.

Good point. I'd say probably 95% of my rolling stock came from either ePay or one specific local hobby shop. Almost none came from model train shows. All my ten-wheelers came from ePay...

Model train shows have gotten me mostly good 1:1 scale RR stuff than anything else. I attended the really good Monroe, WA show this year and got a bunch of publications, video and other 1:1 scale stuff. I spent about $150 at the show and walked away with a hug grouping of good stuff, but not one model item than I can think of...

Train shows seem to have dried up and stayed dry the year around, since the beginning

of the Great Recession.....shows I went to every year have been long gone.  Others

just became too far to go to with rip-off gasoline prices, now abated.  I walk through

a number and buy nothing, but it is the hunt, and sometimes you find something. I

miss them, and would go year around.  Of course, maybe a lot of it has gone to the

Bay and would not be in a show, if there WAS one.

Gee whiz, you have a train show every month in your area, and you're feeling "withdrawl symptoms" because they skip July?

 

In my area, there's one show in March or April, and another in October, and that's it.  I wish I had your terrible problem.

 

I know that we are spoiled, but when you get used to a good show every month you miss it.  I love to look for bargains and things that are hard to find.  I don't find anything every month, but I do very much look forward to seeing my friends.  For many of us it has become as much a social event as anything else.

 

Hope to see a lot of you at the show.  We will be at The Verdict Restaurant at 6:30 - 7:00 and would love to have you join us.

 

Art

Not here, RC3R is already spooling-up for a great 2015 season. We've already got two displays under our belts and another coming up this coming Thursday.

Between e-bay ,o-gauge forum , TCA ,local train shows around the State I'm busy enough

i didn't even mention the club layout I am involved.

I sometimes tinker with train projects during the summer, but most of my time is spent working on the real thing.  I'm an engineer/fireman at the local museum railroad, so when I come home from a long day of work, my models aren't usually my first priority.

 

I of course set up my toy train and village display at the Redford Theatre in Detroit every year which goes on public display at the end of November there for the Christmas movies.  That's usually when my toy train playing begins, as our operating season at work ends early in November and our focus turns to winter maintenance.

You guys are lucky. There has never been a train show on Maui. Don

Way too much going on during the warm months to play with trains.  Besides trains are a winter sport.  This forum is as close as I get.⚓

 

Wait just a minute, You are in Maui... and we are the lucky ones???  

 

What is wrong with THIS picture?  

For me, I don't have to go a long time between shows to be Jonesing (intense drug addict like cravings, with shakes).  It happens over the course of a week between operating sessions at the club layout.  By the time Friday arrives, I'm really looking forward to going down to the club.   A few trains doing laps and some whistles blowing and I feel much better.    Maybe I'm exaggerating a little about the shakes, but by the end of the week I do look forward to an operating session helping all the stess go away.

I am having withdrawal symptoms on lack of New diesel locos and accessories.

A couple oxy's and all my troubles seem to disappear on track 9 somewhere. lol

I feel it all the time. San Diego has swap meets but no train shows except the Great American Train Show which only has been to SD 1 TIME IN 3 YEARS! I go to the TTOS Cal Stewart Meet lots of good stuff.

Every summer here in Arizona. "It's a dry heat" they say...... yeah right, put your head in the oven at 120 degrees, it's also a dry heat!

I don't. Plenty to do on engines and rolling stock, not to mentioned work at NJ Hirailers Club where now it is catch up time. 

I am trying to feel sorry for you.  There hasn't been a train show here in the 11th largest city in the USA in 10+ years.  But there are 4 train shows a year within 100 miles.  I always go just willing to buy interesting things at a good price. 
Unfortunately for the hobby, several estate liquidations have dominated the train show scene in recent months.
We don't have a LHS that carries Lionel except for RTR small sets.  Summer months for me are train months.  Winter months are for outdoors and outdoor projects.