Pictures from 2017 N-Scale Weekend, Altoona, PA

[mr_mike_m]

We had a few kids run for hours at a time on the combined T-TRAK layout. One kid ran both Saturday and Sunday when Mom and Grandma brought him back to the show. We almost had to pry the throttle from his hands.

[MK]

Which layout Mike?  Hopefully not "ours"!   I love watching Thomas run.

I will tell you in person but it was not ours.  If it was, I would have ran it anyway in protest!  LOL!

[ChristianJDavis1]

Which layout is that?  I don't think I did as when I run I usually don't take photos of my own stuff.  The picture of Thomas on randgust's Hickory Bridge was static and not running.  Plus nobody was behind me.    I'm always concerned that when I stop for a photo the guys behind me would be rolling their eyes.

I tried to run Thomas on one layout and I was chastised as being non-prototypical so I left.

I told you what to tell the next guy who tells you you cannot run something that is not prototypical.

[MK]

Isn't part of the purpose of those layouts to expose and attract new modelers, and especially children, to this hobby?  Sheesh.  I bet many children would love seeing Thomas running.  It's not like they were holding ops sessions during N-Scale Weekend.  "Lighten up, Francis!" 

DFF

Hear, Hear.

Totally agree with you but it was my first time at the show so I didn't make a big scene.  Maybe they are afraid it would attract too much attention?   

Someone, who also shall be nameless, mentioned that I should go and ask them about the prototypical plastic wheels or coupler size on the rolling stock!   

[MK]

I told you what to tell the next guy who tells you you cannot run something that is not prototypical.

Oops our post crossed.  LOL@you.  Now I know I have friends!    And I will do that next time! 

[peteski]

I tried to run Thomas on one layout and I was chastised as being non-prototypical so I left.

WTF! 
It was probably some old crusty nit-pickin' rivet-countin' geezer.  Sorry, people like that should not be participating in public model RR shows.

[wcfn100]

It was probably some old crusty nit-pickin' rivet-countin' geezer.  Sorry, people like that should not be participating in public model RR shows.

As someone who's done 100's of shows, many times as a nit-pickin' rivet counter, I can say you're very wrong.

Jason

[peteski]

As someone who's done 100's of shows, many times as a nit-pickin' rivet counter, I can say you're very wrong.

Jason

Geez, are you a Thomas-phobic geezer too?

[MK]

OK guys, I don't want this thread to turn into a shouting match.  It's water under the bridge and we can't rewind the clock.  What's done is done, I will bring Thomas to that layout next year and run the damn thing and take a picture to document! 

Let's get back to how great the pictures are, what a good photographer who took the pictures, all the hard work and dedication and the sacrifice of running trains for the sake of capturing the event so those who can't attend can experience it...   

[POVC]

Which layout is that?  I don't think I did as when I run I usually don't take photos of my own stuff.  The picture of Thomas on randgust's Hickory Bridge was static and not running.  Plus nobody was behind me.    I'm always concerned that when I stop for a photo the guys behind me would be rolling their eyes.

I tried to run Thomas on one layout and I was chastised as being non-prototypical so I left.

I hope you aren't talking about the BANTRAK layout.  You ran him on our layout when Martin (mmyers) and I were running and I was joking about how I all the kids run around the layout following Thomas with 2 coaches and ignore the 100 car trains when we set up at a show.  I hope you didn't take that as criticism; if so I sincerely apologize since that was not what I intended.  We have 3-4 members who regularly run Thomas, including Martin, and I was just noting that he's always the most popular thing on the layout (unless Henry, James or Gordan are on the layout too).

Tim

[MK]

I hope you aren't talking about the BANTRAK layout.  You ran him on our layout when Martin (mmyers) and I were running and I was joking about how I all the kids run around the layout following Thomas with 2 coaches and ignore the 100 car trains when we set up at a show.  I hope you didn't take that as criticism; if so I sincerely apologize since that was not what I intended.  We have 3-4 members who regularly run Thomas, including Martin, and I was just noting that he's always the most popular thing on the layout (unless Henry, James or Gordan are on the layout too).

Tim

No, not you Tim.  I took it as a compliment.  I believe I was chuckling along with you in agreement.

Sidenote: so THAT was Martin?  Had I known I would have shaked his hands.  I read all his posts religiously on the Yahoo Digitrax group.  The guy knows what he is talking about! 

[chicken45]

Good thing I wasn't there with the Trainboard Limited!

[cbroughton67]

WTF! 
It was probably some old crusty nit-pickin' rivet-countin' geezer.  Sorry, people like that should not be participating in public model RR shows.

I introduced my kids to Thomas for the sole purpose of having "plausible deniability" for watching it myself! That, and SpongeBob, too, if truth be told, but I digress...


Thomas is the best thing to happen to the future of our hobby in years. Embrace it! I'd run a Thomas train all day long at a show if it'll keep kids entertained and engaged. They're the future of our hobby. Each one of us has that one memory that hooked us on model trains. Thomas might be that memory for some of our future TRW members.


Chris

[wcfn100]

Geez, are you a Thomas-phobic geezer too?

No, I like Thomas, especially the Ringo days but there's nothing wrong with presenting the other end of the spectrum.  And if that means not wanting to run a Thomas train on your layout, that's okay, it's not hurting the hobby in any way.

Jason

[randgust]

I saved that shot of Thomas - one of my favorites.  But watching the 'daylight' and the 'super chief' roaring across it was no less prototypical and just as much fun.

I saw kids having a great time.  My favorite was the blond-haired kid running the L&N E-unit with sound.  He blew every crossing correctly, released brakes... kid was good!