Feb. 1-2 Timonium

[basementcalling]

Mid-Atlantic asshats and normal hobbyists in the area, who's headed to Timonium this weekend? I know some of our modular club folks will be around, and maybe a few randomly wandering shoppers drunk on show fever as well?

Sound off if you're planning to show up.

I'll be there Saturday AM looking for a DCC set up and other assorted bargains. I guess that means I spend some time with Tex n Rails and Yankee Dabbler st their booths.

The more the merrier.

[mu26aeh]

No go this round for me, have to cover the home base at Mainline Hobby Supply this weekend.

Someone have a Gino's grilled Chicken Caesar wrap for me

[POVC]

I'll be there with Baltimore Area Ntrak (BANTRAK).  We're going to have our FreemoN and Trak layouts at this show.  Stop by and say hi!

Tim

[John]

I'll be there with Baltimore Area Ntrak (BANTRAK).  We're going to have our FreemoN and Trak layouts at this show.  Stop by and say hi!

Tim

Bring a train ..

[wm3798]

Not this time.  Heading to the other end of 81 for some 1:1 model building

[basementcalling]

Not this time.  Heading to the other end of 81 for some 1:1 model building

Seems a long way from home to build a dedicated train building. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I was there today.

Showing off the demo of my T-MO modules.
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And doing some ops on the BANTRAK Free-MoN layout. @John , this module is really nice!
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[basementcalling]

Found Ed at the Baltimore TTRAK layout. Watched him put his Conrail hopper train through the paces. Got him laughing at a good roadname joke. Saw him preach the TTRAK gospel to two HO guys, while a mom and dad 4 year old asked questions at the other end of the layout after their boy announced he liked N scale more than his Lionel layout.   

Ed, I came back after my shopping run, but you'd parked the coal train and I guess gone to lunch. I did find a couple Rapido plastic pellet hoppers, and 1 batch of ME code 55 track for a bargain price. Wanted a building and some 3d grain elevator detail prints from guys who only were taking cash, but the damn ATM ran out of money when I was next in line (There was a 30 minute wait in line to get there.) Someone was having a good show morning because that was the second ATM to get cleaned out of bills.

Less that 2 hours to drive up. Slightly under 3 and 1/2 to get home. Pretty typical for DMV traffic. 

Prices weren't great, but there were a few bargains to be had if you looked carefully, but it was strange to see new release Atlas Trainman 4750 covered hoppers selling for more than MSRP. The new Otter Valley trash gons were in evidence at several dealers tables, but there was no sign anyone was buying them at full retail either. They do look incredible though. Just as nice as the Aurora 7550 boxcars, and definitely the same factory in China doing the manufacturing. Sadly I guess their prices went up today thanks to the new tariffs. 

Highlight of the day was seeing the new Scale Trains GP30s in action on the BANTRAK FreeMoN layout. A member had a UP ABB set with sound warming up for a passenger run. They look amazing, even if that coupler does "hit you in the face" as someone said in the thread on them.  Never thought to see the day when N scale had RTR GP-30B units, with or without steam generator details. @C855B your wallet may be hurting, but it will be worth the pain when your engines arrive. Scale Trains FTW with these units.

[C855B]

Highlight of the day was seeing the new Scale Trains GP30s in action on the BANTRAK FreeMoN layout. A member had a UP ABB set with sound warming up for a passenger run. They look amazing, even if that coupler does "hit you in the face" as someone said in the thread on them.  Never thought to see the day when N scale had RTR GP-30B units, with or without steam generator details. @C855B your wallet may be hurting, but it will be worth the pain when your engines arrive. Scale Trains FTW with these units.

Thanks, Peter.

They have arrived. However, I haven't opened the box yet. Frankly, my wife already commented on "how heavy" the box is, and is likely to go ballistic when she realizes I bought ten. So I'm waiting until I have the chance (tomorrow) to take it over to the layout building before uncrating.

That said, I seriously have to cull a bunch of stuff, including three Hallmark brass GP30Bs, and several Kato SD45s that are being replaced by the new Atlas release. My favorite local(-ish) train show is coming up in five weeks, so I'm thinking it's time to get a table and see what I can clear out.

[brokemoto]

I went to-day.  The layouts were the best part of it.  I bought some track and a Kato F-unit.

I bought the Kato because I had to change the power chassis on one that I do run.  I had taken the thing apart fifty-eight times and still could not figure out what was wrong with it.  It is an older one and is making the clicking noises like the E-R shark when the gears are starting to go bad.  Never have I heard of gears' going bad on a Kato and I could not see anything wrong with them but I could not figure out what was wrong with it so I changed the power chassis. 

Someone will trade me something for the old chassis and the shell.

Other than that, it was the typical overpriced stuff everywhere.  On another forum, they have a long standing multi-page topic about ridiculous listings on FeePay..  Perhaps we need one for ridiculous prices at shows.  A Mehano locomotive that actually runs is worth ten dollars on a good day.  It totally escapes me how some of these people think that someone will pay seventy-five bananas for one.  Even though it is not bad power, I have yet to see a LL plastic frame FA pair (dummy B) that is worth one hundred bananas,

It has been looking like the proprietors of Star Hobby will be retiring.  There goes another reliable B-mann source.  First, the Bachmann Babes went now Star.  There is one other couple that sells many B-mann N scale  items but their prices, except for track, are high.

[reinhardtjh]

It has been looking like the proprietors of Star Hobby will be retiring.  There goes another reliable B-mann source.  First, the Bachmann Babes went now Star.  There is one other couple that sells many B-mann N scale  items but their prices, except for track, are high.

I miss That Favorite Spot on Ebay.  I bought so much Bachmann stuff from them.  I have a drawer full of DCC tenders I got for $9.99.

[brokemoto]

I miss That Favorite Spot on Ebay.

I miss that guy, as well.  I bought more than a few things from him.  He was another reliable supplier of B-mann.  His prices were very good.

The Bachmann Babes continued to sell on FeePay for a little bit after they stopped doing shows but eventually they faded away.