York vs Big E

No comparison. Many more sellers of trains and many more dealers of new trains.

If you are an O gauger, Springfield is nothing compared to York. You really can't compare them at all. 

Apples to oranges. No contest.  Unless I'm going to meet some friends I don't even care if I make it  the Big-E. 

The Big E is the largest east coast train show I've ever attended other then York.  Maybe there are other east coast train shows larger than the Big E that I am unaware of.  However, York is huge.  All of the Big E would probably fit in one York hall.  If you're a MTH fan for example, at York you can walk up to Mike Wolf and say Hi.  Bring you sick MTH product to their clinic. Purchase MTH spare parts. View MTH's operating layouts and static displays. Attend DCS seminars and more.  It's an O gauge paradise.

Springfield?  Well, the Springfield, OHIO, show is a decent show, but it is no where

near Wheaton, which is a MONTHLY show, and Wheaton's relationship to York is that

it has several buildings on a fairgrounds.  But you'd have to roll several YEARS worth

of Wheatons into one show to equal York.  There is no equivalent.

Big E is useful to an O-Gauger IF you've completed a layout to the point where you only really need scenery materials. Otherwise the overwhelming majority of locomotives and rolling stock is HO or N. Virtually all of the dedicated O Gauge dealers I found in one side of a single exhibit hall, with maybe a couple of outliers in the other halls..

 

York inverts this in favor of the O-Gauger (you can find scenery stuff and HO, but it's mostly confined to one side of one hall).

 

---PCJ

I like to attend both shows. The Springfield, MA show at the Big "E" is the largest show that I've attended outside of York.

IMHO, they are very different shows. The Big "E" show has lots of display layouts and plenty of trains of all gauges, ages, and brands for sale.

The TCA Eastern Division's York Train meet (or is it show?) has very little in the way of display layouts. It is primarily a place to buy and sell trains.

I think the Big "E" may actually have more attendees. I am positive that the York show has more tables.

I've been going to the Big E for 25 years and York for the past 6. It's all in what your looking for. If it's 3 rail trains and accessories it's definitely York. All the major players are there.  If your looking for a lot of detail items from many of the cottage industry types. The Big E has a lot to offer. Model Tech Studios, Crow River, Bar Mills and many others as well as modeling clinics. Lots of layouts to view. Such things as Bob's photos where I spent about an hour looking through albums to find some pics. of a B&A caboose. I wouldn't miss either show. They are the only two I attend. They offer different things but I seem to come home with a good stash from either one.

In my opinion, the Big E is superior to York if your a kid or adult for that matter who loves to see trains run.  As C W Burfle pointed out, there are a large number of layouts in all gauges to watch in action.

living only twenty minutes away from the Big E fairgrounds, the Amherst railway Society show is a must do for me.  As stated above it's an all gauge show and since most people do HO, the show is mostly HO.

 

If West Springfield was all O gauge it would be on par with York.

 

NO SNOW AT YORK

I think this hits the nail on the head.  I go to York to buy locomotives, rolling stock, and accessories (and to see toy train friends).  I go to the Big E to look at others' modeling, scenery, and operation techniques and to get design ideas for my own layout.

 

That said, there are certainly scenery items at York and certainly O Scale equipment at Big E, but the proportions are significantly tilted in the directions noted by PCJ.

 

Both shows are definitely worth going to.  I would say to the original poster: If you like Big E, you'll love York.

 

Steven J. Serenska

Big E is my show even in last years snow storm. Unfortunately for me with my current work situation getting to York is almost impossible. I will make the venture someday. I wish York would do full days on  Saturday and Sunday. I've heard from friends that Saturday is the last day and vendors are packing up and the shows over earlier.

From my own, previous, and current posters' interests expressed on here...that is: of

building and finding structures, I'd sure like to see some of those structure kit builders

show up at York, that Dave C has mentioned above.  They are a major reason to hit the Narrow Gauge Convention, even if you are not into scale or narrow gauge. (but it is

a floating "show" held in a different part of the country annually.  One structure dealer shows up at the (recent) Cleveland FG show, and at Timonium...speaking of which, how does "Big E" compare to Timonium? (Size-wise and content, as Timonium is also very heavy on the smaller scales....but recently has had more "tinplate")

As my main focus is on tinplate, the big e is not worth the trip from NJ for me.  I went once and probably will be the last time 2 years ago.

I did pick up some modeling supplies there. 

I would hope everyone interested makes it to a York Meet at least once in their lives.

BOTH shows are fabulous. Please don't get the idea that the Big E does not have O, it does. York, of course, is THE place for O gauge/scale. The Big E is a favorite for many reasons. You will see model raiI road layout artistry at the Big E . You see lots of railroadiana and lots of railroad "characters" at the Big E. The Big E is at least 65% as large as York. Whoever said you can fit the Big E I to o e York building is mistaken.

 

the Big E is huge, has an amazing array of Raikroad related material, lots of amazing layouts and lots of trains. I would never miss the Big E. I AM the Big E.

 

Eliot

You could fit all the O Gauge that is at the Big E into the brown hall at York.

The Big E is not far from me.  It is nothing compared to York.  York is members selling to members.  The Big is everyone trying for the retail buck.  The Big E has the worst restrooms and food I have ever seen.  If I have nothing else going on, I will sometimes go.  

You said it, Marty. See you next week.

It is a big train show for me and my feet give out. I enjoy seeing OGR forum members and dinner afterwards. Never been to York but maybe next year.

Red Rose is a calling Don

Agree!

One other funny thing that Big E has that York doesn't is the fact that alcohol is served.

 

Every time I walk through the Big E doors and see all the neon Bud, Coors, and Miller signs, I laugh to myself and say to whomever I'm with, "Oh YEAH.  That's EXACTLY what we need."

I.e., as if my judgement and discretion isn't bad enough when it comes to restraining myself from buying trains...

 

Yeah, that's the bummer for me and the wife in planning to return to the Big E in January.  Many years ago we attended two big E's, a couple years apart.  The weather was pretty decent for both.  But it's not hard to imagine the difference were we fighting a good Nor'easter or similar.

 

You see, we're from Meeshigan.   That's a good....or bad....12+ hour drive away!  Both times we made the trip we overnited each way, each trip.  Not cheap.  Adds time.

 

That said, the show (Big E) was worth seeing!  Nothing like it in our part of the world.  Back then we were not as immersed/committed to O3R, so we found a LOT of things we otherwise might have never found locally.

 

But York.....a whole different experience.  As others have confirmed, there's NOTHING, but NOTHING like it for O3R....and maybe tinplate and Gilbert/American Flyer, too.  It's the 'mecca' of this part of the hobby, .......IMHO, of course.  And worth every minute of the 11-hour each way drive...(through Canada, avoiding the $$$ turnpike tolls!!)

 

Of course, the fact that on our very first York experience many years ago my wife's badge number was a door prize winner.....a Lionel Christmas Train set!!!...that might have something () to do with her continuing obsession to attend!!!   Good grief, talk about 'setting the hook and reeling her in'!!!!! 

 

Anyhow, the only other non-local show that impressed me was my one visit to the Timonium (Baltimore area) show.  But that goes waaaaaay back, and I'm not sure it's the same, anymore.  Besides, I was into (gasp!) HO back then.   Got 'religion' since then.

 

KD

I've hit snow traveling to and from York many times. Bad driving conditions due to heavy rain and fog on route 81 is much more common.

 

My trip to the Big E takes me over route 90 through the Berkshires. I like the show, but its not worth driving through the mountains in the snow. I missed last year's show due to weather, hopefully this year it will be better.

Yeah, that Saturday was dead due to the snow.  I heard they more than made up for it on Sunday.

If you have to drink at a train meet (show) you have a problem.

I have never heard of the Big E train show.

Where/When is it held?

See here. The Big E is the the Massachusetts State Exposition fair grounds thus Big E. The train show is held by the Amherst Railway Society.