As a slightly younger 2 rail O scaler, I will chime in here. With my work schedule, UAW autoworker, I work 6 days a week most of the year, only getting 1 or 2 saturdays off a month. I only get so much vacation time and not all gets to be used for "train" activities. This goes for many of the younger modeling generation right now, some working 2 and 3 jobs. Loosing the local meets is a huge blow to the 2 rail folks that are younger such as the Indy meet. I could attend the swap meet and be home in time for my shift at 3pm that Saturday. Now the closest is Chicago, a 4 to 5 hour drive each way depending on traffic. Travel far out of state for Nationals is out of the question till I retire. Many 2 rail items rarely pop up on evilbay or other online sources. Many 2 rail dealers are slow or rarely update their websites with current in stock older models brass or otherwise. While the national is nice for those that can attend, it really does not serve the younger folks we are trying to sway to the 2 rail side of O scale. They just do not have the time to attend right now. They have been trying to do a 2 rail room at the Danville Indiana show, but its not much/poorly filled vendor wise. Was more S and 3 rail in there than 2 rail this year. If we really want to get this back infront of the younger modelers, a return to more local meets or at least restoring the ones we have lost is more important than a huge national meet IMHO. I was hopefully someone would find a way to bring back the Indy meet, but get it away from the high doller hotel it was in. Plenty of lower cost venues in Indianapolis or even combine it with another existing show to get our scale infront of non 2 rail modelers.
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