Worlds Greatest Hobby Trainshow

[billincarmel]

I forgot to post this earlier in the week. The show runs today(Saturday) and tomorrow(Sunday) January 7th & 8th. It is located at the State Fairgrounds on East 38th St. in Indianapolis.

[Specter3]

Well...how was it?

[billincarmel]

I do not know how it was as I did not attend. I am now a bystander modeler having disposed of all of my stuff. I only read the forums looking for good things that I like.

[Nato]

        The WGH show is probably the best of the traveling shows,it has major exhibitors ie Kato, Bachmann, Woodland Scenics,Athearn,magazines Model Railroader etc. It will be in Salt Lake City,Utah the first  weekend in February Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th at the South Town Expo Center.The Wasatch N Scale group I belong to will have our layout set up there. If the show is anything like the last time it was in town it will be excellent as I'am sure it was in Indiana. My only regret is that it cannot come every year so most cities get it every couple of years. Having a layout in it is areal honor.Nate Goodman (Nato).Salt Lake, Utah.

[RioGrandeRod]

Very under-whelming.
There were some nice layouts and it was very well attended.
However, I have been to many shows in Colorado and Utah and was hoping for something different, but it was the same old story, over-priced stuff!
When are some people going to realize that old loose Atlas, MDC, MP, Bachmann, etc.. do not sell for $7 a piece!!
And not being a collector, I am not going to pay retail for Micro-Trains.
Maybe they just like hauling it around. Oh well.
I was going to the GTE in Louisville later this month, but not now.
Hopefully the Salt Lake WGH will be better.

[C855B]

Our club had a layout there (the Indy WGH), for the first time. IMO, hopefully the last - I did not like the show, nor the crowd. I'll echo Rod's "underwhelming". Too few real model vendors, and way too many junk/toy purveyors. The only plus was the major manufacturers (Atlas, Bachmann, Athearn, Walthers, Kato, MTH) had booths with real reps you could talk to.

I saw the TV commercials for the show, and a "morning show" interview. This show, at least at Indy, is clearly marketed to parents of toddlers. At the venue, there were lots of accommodations for play areas intended for the 3-to-5 year old set. This meant that the real layouts like ours were constantly subjected to grabby little fingers having escaped the hold of their parents while waiting in the line for the "Thomas" ride. Kids that age, unless they have a modeler in the family, are not equipped to distinguish between the Brio on the rugs everywhere and the neat choo-choos that moved by themselves.

We try not to use rope stanchions because they're a pain to transport, and we rarely have problems... until this show. I damn near lost an Athearn Challenger in the first half-hour, so all my trains stayed in their boxes for the remainder of the show.

[inkaneer]

One has to realize that this show is an effort by the model manufacturers to promote the hobby and thereby their products.  It is geared to the young crowd and is an attempt to counter the consumer agency listing for model RR products as being suitable for those age 14 and up due to the choking hazard of small parts [like wheelsets].  When one considers that by age 14 most boys are interested in girls, cars, video games and sports [not necessarily in that order] then the rational to lure them to the hobby earlier makes a lot of sense. 

Being an Ntrakker myself I know the concern of those who worry about kids taking a hands on approach.  Believe me a rope stanchion is no barrier.  They just duck under it [razor wire is what you need].  But seriously, when I run on the outside red line I am not putting my most expensive models out there.  I putting up some LifeLike FA/B's with some of the older Atlas Trainman cars.  Come to think of it, that comprises the majority of my stuff.  But the target audience is comprised mostly of non modelers who like to see trains moving and the longer the better.   Forget operations, it is an environment made for the old Ntrak roundy round type of layout.

[C855B]

Well, I guess what I'm trying to differentiate here is that the WGH show marketing is intended to draw an overwhelming crowd of "future modelers" significantly too young to appreciate modeling. They're happy with Brio/Thomas. We have no/few problems at the local (STL) shows, three of which happen to be GTE. That's even considering the most recent show where the show managers setup a wooden trains mat within inches of our layout on Saturday morning (surprise!) - there was no "critical mass" of toddlers that was unmanageable. Indy, however... yikes.

The "red line" strategy isn't always effective. Heck, my train was six tracks deep in the yard during the "incident". Your point is taken, however, about running lower-value and easily replaceable trains on the outer track, even if only as a screen.

It very well could have been the difference in the community, too. There is a certain comfort level with our local crowds who are consistently polite and appreciative, and know the score when it comes to restraining the young ones. They do a good... no... great job. We really weren't prepared to find out that this level of caution and consideration might not be universal.

[conrail98]

Hey now, let's not knock Brio/Thomas. I've got a 2 1/2 year old girl who has already asked for more track because she wants something bigger than her current figure-8. She's going to have a nice, running Thomas layout before I even get a single piece of track down of mine,

Phil

[C855B]

Not knocking Brio or Thomas... I got my start as a 3-year-old with Snap-Trains, a US-made Brio copy. Just saying that unless there is a modeler in the family, the random toddler at a train show is not going to inherently understand the difference between a $6 wooden toy they're freely allowed to play with and a $500 model that will give the adults a heart attack if they touch it.

Your situation is fun, however. My wife fondly remembers the pastel Lionel set for girls that her parents refused to buy her.

[davidgray1974]

Did anyone take any pictures of layouts at the show?

[C855B]

Did anyone take any pictures of layouts at the show?

Sadly, we didn't. But there wasn't much worth taking pictures of, which, yes, is harsh. There was one module on a multi-club layout which was absolutely outstanding - a very, very elaborate waterfront scene. It was a stunning work of art. But aside from that highlight and maybe a couple of other nice modules on the same layout, there was an embarrassing amount of "plywood prairie" nearly everywhere. One club had a medium-sized oNe-Trak appendage from the N-Trak layout that had no features at all other than a sprinkling of Woodland Scenic grass. I never saw a train running on it, either.

I'm not breaking my arm here because I had no modules at the show, but the club I belong to seemed to have the best overall layout even though it was the smallest. This had us looking at each other over dinner wondering how that could be. We received a number of compliments about the change of pace from the others, which probably is more a reflection of our "policy" that unfinished modules do not go to shows. I sort of hope the other clubs took note of that.