York train shows, never been to one

Everything you wanted to know about York

Eastern Division TCA York meet

York FAQ

Clem's Famous Primer

October 2017 York Meet Notice

thank you so very much Chris!...it will be my first time!

harmonyards posted:

............. if we are gonna be up there for a week, is places like Strausburg and steamtown that far away? ............

Strasburg is close to York (approximately one hour, maybe more in rush hour).  Many people going to York visit the Toy Train Museum and/or the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania during York Week.

Stroudsburg is closer to Scranton (where Steamtown is).  These are (according to Google maps) around another 140 miles or so away from Strasburg (in the opposite direction of York from Strasburg).  Here is a link showing York to Steamtown(~150 miles).

-Dave

If you have the time take the whole week off. Both Steamtown in Scranton and all the sites in Strasburg are worth checking out. Read Clem's primer for info about the bandit meets. They actually start the preceding Sunday though one day now is plenty to see them all. Plenty of other sites to see in PA including Gettysburg, Hershey, and the Lancaster area.

Pete

Steamtown is just under 3 hours north. I have been in the York area 30+ times and never tire of train stuff to do. My brother lives 7 miles from the meet.

Here are some of my typical activities:

Miller's Smorgasbord

Strasburg RR

New Oxford Train Station

Lincoln Train Museum

New Freedom Train ride & cool civil war layout

Choo Choo barn

PA Railroad museum

Trains stores in Gettysburg (!!!) (on route 30 in town), Hanover, York (downtown)

Visit the Enola yard & Rockville Bridge

TCA Toy Train Museum

Roadside America

GG1 at Harrisburg Amtrak station

Walk around the town square in Gettysburg - lots of train items in the antique shops! Good food too!

And there is more... some of these require a little travel. look them up and plan your itinerary well. Have fun!

Strasburg is an hour or less away, as mentioned, Steamtown is several hours to the north. You could replace that with the "Steam Into History" train (check the dates, the steam engine doesn't run every weekend so some weekends it is "Diesel into History", if motive power matters to you). To carefully "see it all" in Strasburg, you really need two days. The TCA museum has a open house on Wednesday where the big manufacturers give demos and lectures on new products and "happenings" - certainly worth the time. The Strasburg Railroad is running their rare wooden "doodlebug" as shuttle trips from town to the Red Caboose motel, next to the TCA museum. Not sure what the details are with this but I'm sure it will be popular.  

Bring cash, and lot's of it. Bring a lot more than you think you'll need. You can re-deposit it when you get home (and that is exactly what I do just about every Saturday morning following York). DO NOT rely on the ATM's on the fairgrounds. I have always seen them drained by closing Thursday and never re-loaded the rest of the weekend.

You MUST be a TCA member, or guest of a TCA member, to get in all of the halls. Friday and Saturday will get you into the "dealer halls" where most of the modern products are. If you are in to the older stuff, you'll want to visit the "member halls". Of course, good deals on modern stuff can also be found in the member halls (don't ask how I know....)

Read Clem's Primer. I'm sure the Fall 2017 version will be available soon.

Have fun!

SJC posted:

You MUST be a TCA member, or guest of a TCA member, to get in all of the halls. Friday and Saturday will get you into the "dealer halls" where most of the modern products are. If you are in to the older stuff, you'll want to visit the "member halls". Of course, good deals on modern stuff can also be found in the member halls (don't ask how I know....)

 

Read Clem's Primer. I'm sure the Fall 2017 version will be available soon.

Have fun!

 

Just a reminder now you will be a guest of those at the registration desk. Just show up at the Silver Hall Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning and register. No need to collar an existing TCA member. You will then be able to visit all of the Halls.

Pete

thanks sooo much for all your replies! sounds like there is a lot to do and see!

Strasburg is 45 minutes from York. If you drive the long distance to Steamtown, there is not much else to do up there.

Strasburg offers the Strasburg steam RR, PRR Museum, Choo-choo Barn huge layout, Toy Train Museum, and Amish attractions.

HARMONYARDS,

You will have the greatest time of your life relating to toy trains. Your time there you will never forget. When you return home, you will think about York and how much fun you had. Everyday, you think April can't come soon enough.

I think so too Jim, been absent from trains for a long time......all my equipment was in storage bins in 4 closets for 20+ years. work, kids, kids in college, all kept postponing their return. Just this spring I got my new addition to the house just for my trains (gift from my wife) ....getting all those trains out was like Christmas for a week straight!.....Ive been working 12-14 hour days for as long as I can remember.....now its time to slow it down a bit and enjoy these trains!

Wow....12 posts...and the TCA PC gendarmes haven't reminded us that...

It's a meet.....not a show.

Arby's has 'the meats'.   

TCA has the meets. 

Seriously, though, you're in for an eye-popping, awe-inspiring, mind-blowing great experience....I predict. 

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

"Meet" me at York and I'll "show" you what I have for sale.

Bob

thank you all, I will definitely let you guys know how my first experience at the meet goes....I'm pretty pumped....always heard about it, never had the chance to experience it.... 

HARMONYARDS I would suggest that if you really want to attend a York Meet that you should plan now for the April/Spring Show as there is limited lodging and it fills up very fast folks will be making their spring reservations as they check out from their stay for the fall meet. Also check out the Gettysburg area and since you are coming up from NC give yourself some extra time and stop at the B&O Railroad museum in Balitimore.

Harmonyards... If you have  week to spend in the York area there are tons of things to do and see. As suggested reading Clems's Famous primer is a must and gives you a better understanding of what goes on.  One of the non train things to see is to take the factory tour of the Harley Davidson plant in York. It's free and you'll be amazed how they build a Harley. Tons of places to eat in the area and I would suggest to try "round the clock diner" for breakfast and Coombs Tavern for some awesome prime rib.  Take your time and enjoy....

LV601, that's a real good idea, my wife likes Harleys, so that will be a must stop.......gonna take a whole week off, and enjoy and unwind.....its been a roller coaster year, so I'm really looking forward to it!

Yes Rick, I forgot about the B&O museum......can check that out right out the gate!.............thanks!

HARMONYARDS .... Just a fyi on the Harley-Davidson factory tour . When you and your wife go , be sure to wear regular style shoes . They will not let anyone take the tour in sandals or open style of shoes . These are safety rules of the factory . 

                                You are in for a fantastic week in York . Please keep us posted as to how your trip went .  Jim

I have already made my Spring reservations. It is now the time to do it. I plan to go in April but if I can't make it, I can still cancel with no lost. Do it now so you know your set for it.

Someone should write a YORK PRIMER for first time visitors. Where to go and not.

AlanRail posted:

Someone should write a YORK PRIMER for first time visitors. Where to go and not.

What a great concept..... 

gotcha Jim.....we don't wear open shoes no how......something bout a public health hazard  I will be sure to let ya'll know how the trip goes....really lookin forward to it!

AlanRail posted:

Someone should write a YORK PRIMER for first time visitors. Where to go and not.

Clem did.

http://www.easterntca.com/read-more-2.htm#primer

Chas posted:

Hi hate to hijack this post but here goes anyways.  

I recently acquired a set of Weaver of Canadian Pacific passenger cars and I am looking for a set of E-8’s for them.  If you or anyone you know has a Weaver AA or MTH Premier ABA set they would want to part with please let me know.  I know York is right around the corner and I imagine someone would be selling a set there. Please reply in confidence to my Email address in my profile.

Thanks,  Chas

WEAVER 1034L

MTH 20-2596-1

MTH 20-20050-1

 

By not following the rules (using the For Sale or Wanted To Buy forums) for this you are not only hijacking the thread but may cause it to be deleted.

Please delete your reply.

Joe

I read or tried to read this 75 page doc without any maps or photos. This is not a Primer it's a rule book and an insiders guide to Clem's and his wife's close friends at the TCA, restaurants and hotels. Which is fine but this is not a first time goers Primer.

Haven't been to Coomb's Tavern, , but have hit many of the Amish buffets around Lancaster, East Earl, etc., but always looking for other discoveries? Must be others...tucked away?

colorado hirailer posted:

Haven't been to Coomb's Tavern, , but have hit many of the Amish buffets around Lancaster, East Earl, etc., but always looking for other discoveries? Must be others...tucked away?

There are a few places up along route 83, but unless you are staying up there (hotels near Harrisburg are generally available for much less than York itself for the ~25 minute drive), they may not be worth a separate trip.

I've had decent meals at both the Hillside Cafe and also Culhane's Steak House over the years.  Definitely look at their websites and a map so you know the right exit to get off before hand.  If you wait until you see the establishment, you went past their exit (when heading North).

-Dave

AlanRail posted:

Clem did.

http://www.easterntca.com/read-more-2.htm#primer

Joe

I read or tried to read this 75 page doc without any maps or photos. This is not a Primer it's a rule book and an insiders guide to Clem's and his wife's close friends at the TCA, restaurants and hotels. Which is fine but this is not a first time goers Primer.

While I'll agree that it can be a dense read and the format can be challenging, it IS the best source for info about attending York.  I attended for many years before seeing the Primer, and I was amazed at how much I was missing.  My system is to print it out (sooo last century), carefully parse through it, and highlight and tab the info that I find useful.  Gleaning useful info from it is no more difficult than sifting through all of the posts on the forum.  

In addition to Dave's picks above, I can recommend John's Diner near New Cumberland. 

http://places.singleplatform.com/johns-diner-4/menu

Good food and inexpensive too!

I love good Diner food....will check that out Bill....and the two places Dave mentioned!....I remember as a kid my parents taking us to Zinn's Diner, but I hear its gone now....somewhere around Lancaster ...I think...

AlanRail posted:

This is not a Primer it's a rule book and an insiders guide to Clem's and his wife's close friends at the TCA, restaurants and hotels. 

Oh please.....

Farmer_Bill posted:

In addition to Dave's picks above, I can recommend John's Diner near New Cumberland. 

http://places.singleplatform.com/johns-diner-4/menu

Good food and inexpensive too!

 

I didn't think of that one, but I ate there for the first time in April. I don't remember off the top of my head what entree I ordered (might have been veal parm - but I do recall having the salad/soup bar with it), but I seem to recall I liked it, and I believe I had leftovers.  Unfortunately I forgot them on the table!  I'd definitely consider eating there again.

A friend and his wife decided to try a hotel near Harrisburg last meet (possibly after hearing me mention the drive is not bad all these years for the $ savings ), so I had dinner with them there, possibly on Thursday.

-Dave

harmonyards posted:

I love good Diner food....will check that out Bill....and the two places Dave mentioned!....I remember as a kid my parents taking us to Zinn's Diner, but I hear its gone now....somewhere around Lancaster ...I think...

I visited Zinn's many years ago while on a vacation with my family.   That was back in the days of the original Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad when they had 2 restored Pennsy E8's pulling passenger cars that we got a chance to ride.   IIRC Zinn's had the BEST Shoe-fly Pie I ever tasted.   I have yet to find anything comparable.

Chief Bob (Retired)

Bob....my mother says the same thing.....she still talks about the shoe-fly pie.....and has yet to find the "often imitated never duplicated" ... 

If you're in the area long enough and you like mechanical things in general, you owe it to yourself to visit the National Watch and Clock Museum in nearby Columbia, PA.  Via Rt. 30, it's 16 miles from the York fairgrounds and it's well worth the trip.  Plan to spend at least 2 hours there.

https://nawcc.org/index.php/museum

I'm not in any way associated with the museum; I just really like it and my wife and I have been there twice.  As stated on their website, it has the largest and most extensive horological collection in North America, with over 12,000 items (of course, not all on display at one time.)  The really neat part to me is that many of the clocks on display, even very old ones, are running, which brings their history to life.  Highly recommended!  Also, in recent years Columbia has become an somewhat of an antiques Mecca, with many shops and lots of quality antiques, if you like that sort of thing.  If you decide to visit the museum, here are the hours for this time of year, taken from their website:

September 5 thru November 30
Tuesday--Saturday, 10-5
Sunday, 12-4

Above, Harmonyards mentioned childhood memories of Zinn's Diner.  My wife and I have fond memories of it too.  It's now called Park Place Diner, in the same building on Rt. 272 in Adamstown.  The statue is gone (preserved elsewhere) but the last time we ate there the food was still very good IMO.  If you're into antiques, you HAVE to go to Adamstown, which bills itself as Antiques Capitol USA, and that's no exaggeration.  In our collecting days my wife and I used to make trips to Adamstown several times a year, and we never went home empty-handed.  From the York Fair to the diner is 44 miles.  That's what we like so much about this part of Pennsylvania:  it's never really all that far from one attraction to another.

Off-topic, the Watch and Clock Museum was instrumental in igniting my desire to build a musical cuckoo clock that could play more elaborate tunes than the commercially-available clocks being made nowadays.  I used a three-tune musical movement that wasn't designed to be in a clock, with a case of my own design and construction, and I made it all work.  If I could only put that much time and energy into my scenery, which I'm ashamed to admit, I haven't started yet ... but since May I've been submerged in a bathroom renovation.  Yet another sidebar!

I would be interested to know how many fellow forumites also have an interest in mechanical clocks, particularly ones that strike or in some other way call out the hours.

Cheers.

Farmer_Bill posted:

In addition to Dave's picks above, I can recommend John's Diner near New Cumberland. 

http://places.singleplatform.com/johns-diner-4/menu

Good food and inexpensive too!

 

 

I KNEW they had to serve Scrapple 

MIKATT1, yes, gotta try scrapple at least once.  Either you like it or you don't.

Something you may want to try when traveling.  Air B&B.  Every stop is uniquely different.  As is every host/hostess.  Usually  great prices.