Railwire WGH Meetup

[Skip]

So I guess only 2 or 3 of you all are coming to the show this weekend?  Be sure and come by our N scale layouts (both TTRak and NTrak) and look me up.  I plan on being there all day both days. Its the Peninsula Model Railraod Club.

Skip

[brokemoto]

GF and I will be there. 

We received a postcard in the mail, which GF saw first.  She immediately started saying that she wanted to go.  I told her that it was not the normal Greedberg, but it was like the one that we went to when the WGH show came to Chantilly, Virginia.  She still wants to go, so, who am I to say 'no'?  I would rather drive to Hampton Roads for a train show and spend all day there, than drive ten minutes to a shoe store and spend one hour there any day.

From your description, it sounds like the show is growing.  It appears that it will be larger than it was when it was  in Chantilly, Virginia or when it came to Edison, New Jersey a few years back.

[Skip]

Make sure you look me up.  I will be there all day both days.  I'll have my FJ&G hat on and our club shirt.

[Chulvis]

Make sure you look me up.  I will be there all day both days.  I'll have my FJ&G hat on and our club shirt.

You forgot to mention the white spats.

[Norm P]

Hello my baby, Hello my darlin', Hello my ragtime gaaalllll

[brokemoto]

It was worth the trip, I found the MT Virginia State car at Neal's.  I was not too interested in the State Cars, except for Massachusetts, because I am originally from there and Virginia, because the GF is originally from there.

It was easy to get the Massachusetts, but the Virginias disappeared before they hit the streets.  FINALLY!

Now, there is the District of Columbia Car, but since that is for the 'factory air' types only, I will have to wait until someone's eight-year-old opens the box and the parent must let it go for a reasonable price.

Neal's also had some assembled old MDC nineteenth century MDC kits for five bananas apiece, and with MT trucks.  I bought some.  Most of them had Bettendorf trucks, but I had some archbars at home, so I made the change.  I did find one that had one Bettendorf and one archbar, so I only had to change one truck on that one.  I once bought a MT B&O USRA boxcar like that, but since I had let out the factory air before I discovered it, it did not help.  Anyhow, what do you want for five bananas?

I also found the diorama kit at the Woodland Scenics booth.  I do wish more FLHS would carry it.  They can special order from WKW, but none seem to carry it.

The Athearn representative stated that while there might be more roadnames in the nineteenth century line, there were no new products planned   .  I saw the Big Boy.  It looked nice, but not something that I would want.

The WKW representative stated that the RS-2s were selling.  I find that difficult to understand as the Kato RS-2s did not sell.

The Atlas representative answered questions about the Tru-Trak (the roadbed and track, similar to Kato UniTrak and Bachmann E-Z Trak).  The rails on it are code sixty-five.  He stated that older equipment would operate on it.  I asked him about sectional street trackage.  He replied that it had been discussed, but said no more.  Atlas had samples of their product.  The two bay hoppers with the B&O 'Thirteen Great States' herald looked nice.

Saw the Kato GS-4 and the cars.   They had it's running a bit too fast on the display loop, but it looked nice.  The strobe headlight flashes and the articulated diner looks nice.  Obie's Trains had several copies, but I did not buy one.

Saw the layouts, but did not see Skip.  He must have been gone when I went by there.

[Skip]

Sorry I missed you.  I was there, probably either eating or looking.  I just got home after three long days.  But it was a good show. Lots of people and we should gain several new members.  I would have liked to see nore new products (how wouldn't).  Kato did not bring the new banked unitrak, and that surprised me.  Now to relax and get back to working on my layout tomorrow.

[POVC]

I wandered down to the Hampton show on Saturday, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed; it took me 3.5 hours each way to drive down and I pretty much covered the whole show in 90 minutes (although I stayed for about 3 hours).  I guess I'm spoiled by the Timonium shows, which have significantly more dealers and larger layouts (although no manufacturers). 

Several of the major manufacturers were present, and I talked to most of them.  There were plenty of dealers if you wanted Thomas or Lionel; if you weren't into toys or tinplate your options were more limited.  Both RANTRAK and Penisula N-scalers had Ntrak layouts, plus the Penisula guys had a T-trak layut.  I got to meet Skip, who was manning the T-trak layout, and apparently no one ever told him not to let your picture appear on the Railwire.   ;D



Some other photos from the show can be found here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/TimNixon5045/WGHHampton

Items of interest:
Kato - they had the Daylight running (GS-4 w/ 10 car set, kinematic couplers); it looked really sweet!  Rep said the reason they haven't officially announced the Broadway Limited yet is they are still trying to make a final decision on exactly how many cars they are going to do.  He indicated is will probably come as a 10 car set with add-on cars, like the Daylight, although that is subject to change.  He indicated we'll "really like" the BWL.

Athearn - They had the new rescue trucks there; they look sharp.  Nothing else new.

Atlas - I was hoping to see either Cory or Paul, but neither were there (my theory is the terms of their parole won't let them out of the state without permission from the governer  ).  Saw the Dash 8-40C and GP-15 models; very nice.  I talked to the rep about the pickup on the GP15, since someone mentioned it wouldn't use the phosper-bronze pick-up strips; he told me that was true, because the cast fuel tank prevented them, but that it would have a different type of pick-up strip.  He basically disassembled the mock-up for me, and the frame and drive are the same as the master-line locomotives.  They also had display models of most of their upcoming products, all of which looked outstanding.

Bachmann - Nothing new.

Intermountain, Micro-Trains, Red Caboose were all MIA.  BLI/PCM were there, but only had HO stuff out.

I did manage to score 2 Fox Valley Bay Line boxcars from Neal's; my only purchases for the day.

Tim Nixon

[Rich Businger]

I thought the show was pretty good.  The N scale layouts were all very nice.  I had the pleasure of meeting Skip and several of his fellow club members.  Got to talk a bunch of DCC!


Rich