Timonium Report

[Blazeman]

Also, if you come through the area more than once each year, go eastbound over the Route 40 bridge over the Susquehanna River (parallels I-95) and get a commuter decal, which costs the same as one trip, but you get to drive through for free for an entire year! 

Thanks fellows. Pays to know the locals. Hate to deny your states their revenues, but some of the tolls are outrageous any more. I guess it's a symptom of the situation in the real world with governments reaching out for every nickel  they can get.

If forgot about the other events going on last Saturday at Bridgeville and Strasburg. Know one or two guys from my neck of the woods who went with the Schuylkill Valley MRC to Strasburg rather than Timonium.

[AlkemScaleModels]

I have been going to the shows since 1996 when I first moved here. You can actually see me in one of the promo pictures.

It's not lack of things to do. There are lots of layouts .

It's not lack of vendors - there are lots of them .. but Kleins dropping out was a big hit ..

It's not the lack of organization - Howard has a partner, and a very good crew to keep things rolling.

It could be the economy

It could be the prices - deals are hit and miss .. if you get there Friday night for setup, you see dealers buying from each other .. buying out the low price guy, then reselling the same thing on Saturday for higher ..I usually do my shopping around 8am on Saturday - before opening time .. so I get to see the best deals .. (there is a benefit to being in a club that displays there)

I can't remember the first GSMTS I went to but it's got to be around 13 or 14 years ago. There has been a gradual drop in attendance in the GSMTS in the past ten years that I have been going. I think internet vendors, aging of the model RR hobby, high gas prices, proximity to other shows and recently, the slow economy have taken its cut.

In my case, there is no local hobby shop that carries the type of supplies I need, like scale lumber, detail parts, DCC components, and fine scale scenery materials. So I need the GSMTS to see what products look like, especially scenery stuff. That's why I've been bummed that Scenic Express hasn't been to the last two GSMTS. In some sense, the GSMTS is my hobby shop. For routine stuff I order from Mainline Hobby, but when I am just looking for what's new, ideas, spur of the moment stuff the GSMTS is it.

[sirenwerks]

Dave, I hear ya'. While nowhere as bad a drive, when I lived in Eureka, it was 5 hours to anywhere big enough to have a Target, or a LHS like Chuck, or that other place in Sacto. And you had to contend with moose and logging trucks, and the occasional landslide. But honestly, I am eager to get back to that.

The one thing I like about shows like Timonium is going through the stacks of back issues and books not found at LHSs. I can easily walk out of there with 50 lbs. of recyclables breaking through those cheap grocery bags they give ya'.

I think the bump in cost was for the deodorant fund. The last time I went there weren't as many guys with BO as normal.

[TrainCat2]

My trek worked out to be 2320 mikes round trip of driving, 7 tanks of gas and 5 nights of hotel stays.

I don't believe that there is ONE factor in the show's decline. Reducing the number of shows, better date selection and getting manufacturers to attend will go a long way to revitalization. Heck, Eric from MTL flies all the way out for Springfield. Manufacturers will attend a well run show. Shows on Bowl weekends do not help in attendance! IMO, the Oct show would be better if closer to the holidays.

IIRC Springfield used to be after Timonium until several years ago when they moved it to the weekend preceding. If true, that had to affect the GSMTS Jan show as people did not want to go to "another" show right after spending their monies at Springfield.

Howard does have help from Ken Young. The two actually work together as a great team playing off the others strengths.

BTW Bernie, I believe that Scenic Express was there. Their truck broke down in transit and they got there late and had to setup a small display in the north hall with all of the big layouts.

[John]

Shows on Bowl weekends do not help in attendance! IMO, the Oct show would be better if closer to the holidays.

I am a big football fan .. especially the local NFL franchise, and like to go to many home and away games when I can.  Model railroad shows interfere with that for me. I generally don't like participate in those shows. I won't go the the January show if its on Super Bowl Sunday

[sizemore]

BTW Bernie, I believe that Scenic Express was there. Their truck broke down in transit and they got there late and had to setup a small display in the north hall with all of the big layouts.

If that was Scenic Express, it wasn't the normal guy either that or he grew 6", put on at least 100lbs and was rocking from "Great Looking Grey", and they didnt have their signature sign or "Hey look at me I'm Scenic Express" pizzazz.

The S.

[TrainCat2]

As you walked through the big doors there was two signs taped to the pole that said "Scenic Express" with an arrow.