Who **WENT** to the TW Design/TrainWorx Layout Festival?

Hi Chris, great photos and looked like a great time with the Mid America 3-railers

I wish I was there. Thanks for posting.

Alex

Hi Chris, great to meet you today and inform us about NYC. We all had a great time and was blown away by what we saw. We drove 800 miles round trip and it was well worth it. Hope they do this again some time.

Took my daughter with me today and had a good time as well. Lots of nice layouts and great ideas.

I was there, and thought it was a first class event, but that's the only kind Roger puts on.. I spoke with Mike Reagan, about Lionel repairs, and got some real good information. Mike is a class act and he has done wonders for Lionel. Other members of the Lone Star Hi-Railers were there and I enjoyed being with them. Good show!!!

It was an outstanding event. There even was a 6-piece band playing at the entryway! Very classy. A nice crowd was in attendance, with lots of trains running and everyone in good spirits. Nice to see Roger, George and the rest of the crew, and TWDesign/Trainworx's nifty new digs. Very impressive, with lots of exciting things going on, as Chris's great pictures indicate. An unexpected surprise was seeing Mike Reagen, Lionel's Director of Customer Service, who was there talking to attendees and answering questions about engines and repairs. A great guy, with an amazing knowledge of Lionel engines and their workings. We're certainly very fortunate to have a resource like TWDesign/Trainworx here in Dallas. 

Is that the Temple, TX ATSF Depot? Beautifully done. What are the dimensions?

Here's a panoramic shot of the TW workshop interior near the end of the festival.  Still working on a video of the layouts.

Looks like great fun.  They certainly make great products; I have several...worth every penny!

A M A Z I N G!!! Those buidlings are awesome. Wish I could've made the trip. Thanks for posting the photos.

I was there early in the afternoon and was very impressed with the event.

Nice layouts, TW has a very nice operation.

I hope they raised a bunch for the Ronald McDonald house.

Chris...thanks for posting.  Looking forward to seeing your videos.  The TW Design layouts are amazing.

Rick

I was there and had a great time.  Looking forward to it again next year.  Roger and Dorcie are a one of kind class act.  Very knowledgeable and friendly people.  TrainWorx's own electrical guru, George Watson, was a heck of a nice guy, as well.  Really enjoyed talking to him a great deal of time.  I may take him up on his offer and run some trains with him and the rest of the crew at Lone Star Hi-Railers' club soon.

Also, Mark Martin from the Museum of the American Railroad that is currently being built in Frisco, Texas was there and had a lot of great info to share about the upcoming grand opening which is slated for the first quarter of 2013.  He also was a great guy and awesome to talk to.  I met many other folks from around the country and everyone was having a wonderful time.  Too many names to remember.

The BNSF and GCT layouts were both superb.  Also, another layout currently under construction for a customer who also was there is another gem in the works.  Roger and his crew are masters of the hobby!!

BTW, Matt - yes, that is the Temple Terminal.  I spoke to Dorcie during the event and she confirmed that is an HO scale building and a shade over $1,100.

Looks like some very exciting changes to the Grand Central layout! The Pan Am Building, the storefronts on 42nd Street and the circumferential driveway look outstanding!!! Can't wait to see it in NY. Thanks for the pictures Chris. 

Wow! Wow! Wow! Did we ever have some fun yesterday with so many of our family and friends who share our passion and love for the wonderful world of toy trains I can't thank everyone enough who came and truly made our Layout Festival an absolute success!

I was blown away by so many of you who ventured from all parts of the country to participate in our event. The folks from the Ronald McDonald House were in awe of the generosity and at last count we were almost at 4k but the final tally won't be in until next week ----> again, THANKS to those of you who donated - you are making a difference in these families lives!!!!

I tell you what, I don't think I've ever been to an event and seen such joy in the faces of folks young and old...sheer happiness was the emotion that was rocking in the shop all day long...and out at the Yellow Belly Food Truck too

Special thanks and appreciation to our friends at the LCCA - Dennis, Ed, Bob & Dinah, Lionel - Mike & Ryan, Museum of American Railroad - Mike Martin, BNSF - Paul Parisot, Dennis Brennan and The Streamliners for the great music! 

No way we could have had such a great event without our phenomenal Traingineers (and their volunteers) and employees of T W Design. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, Roger & are truly blessed! 

I took a couple of pictures with my iPhone but have been promised more pictures from the pros. Enjoy some of the night before, preparing for the festival as well as the day of:

This event was absolutely fantastic.  Just wish us OGR members that attended would have thought to wear logos and name tags so that we may have gotten together! 

I, along with Roger Wasson, Vernon Hart, and Wes Drummond went to the event together and had a blast.  Seeing all of the layouts that you just hear about was wonderful but seeing them with your best friends is the ultimate experience!

The four of us enjoyed Mike Reagan Friday evening and then again at breakfast Saturday morning.  Mike....you are a top notch guy and have completely converted me to Lionel.  Thanks so much for spending time with us!!

Dorcie and her crew were so very busy with the hundreds (perhaps a thousand?) of folks that attended and yet she took the time to sit down privately in the conference room to talk details to me about my Penn Station purchase.  Thank you so much Dorcie...you will be hearing from me this week.

Chris...what a wonderful surprise to meet you!!  And thanks so much for going to lunch with the rest of the crew.  I feel I have made another friend in NYC....

Chris posted some great pictures above and I will post a few below.....I hope that Roger and Dorcie consider making this an annual event...thanks so much Roger and Dorcie and their great crew!

Alan

  Alan Arnold     Roger Wasson   Mike Reagan     Vernon Hart Wes Drummond

    "Quick!!.....I'm loading this into the car!"".....

          Alan          Roger F.          Roger W.

I remember the fellow in the Santa Fe Chief red shirt, and saw somw of the others pictured, but did not know you were from the O Gauge forum.

I was the guy in the black BNSF pullover shirt, with the Trainworx customer badge (not in any of the above photos).

I thought it was absolutely first class.  Did anybody else eat off the food truck?  I ate a brisket sausage sandwich made with yellow barbecue sauce and covered with pear and jalapeño cole slaw, and it was yummy.

Tom,

I tell you what...the Yellow Belly Truck was a huge success!!! I'm still getting emails about how much folks enjoyed their food! Thought I'd post some pictures of "outside" the Layout Festival...

Chef was busy preparing...

Don't you just love those "bacon" puppies????

And here's what it's ALL ABOUT...from the generous hearts of our Train Enthusiast friends we raised ...

$5,000.00 for the wonderful folks at the Ronald McDonald House!

Wowzers - - - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

I'll add my comments as well. This was a most rewarding trip. Lot of great ideas, met a lot of new friends, got a lot of good information and just plain enjoyed the whole experience.

I didn't get a chance to make this event but I'm glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for posting the pics. I recognize a few faces from the area.

I got an email thanking me for attending.  Funny thing is I was 1000 miles away, at home prepping for Sandy.  Maybe my daughter went and bought a nice Lionel display layout for me.