@gmorlitz posted:It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. Somebody really smart wrote that.
That is my take on York, October, 2021. The best of times and the worst of times. I'm sure everyone will have their own opinion, but I have mine. It was great to be back and see friends I haven't seen for a couple of years. I'm a snowbird (winters in Florida) and the last train gathering I had before COVID was the OGR 50th birthday party at the NJ HiRailers, immediately following York, October. 2019. That was 2 years ago. The DCS dinner on Wednesday night was a wonderful last minute surprise. Thank you Dave Hikel for scheduling that and putting in the effort to make it happen. The meeting was very informative. That was my first time at the Eagles Nest and it was a nice place to have a meeting. Peter's breakfast on Thursday was much like they have always been. The Round the Clock dinner took good care of us and it was wonderful to see so many people who had always attended these breakfasts. The OGR Thursday night dinner at Quaker State was well attended. Once again we filled up the back room to overflowing. And were well taken care of.
It seemed to me that on Thursday and Friday there were lots of empty stalls where there used to be vendors. Even in the Orange Hall with it's new spread out layout. Lots of big dealers were missing, like Charles Ro, Trainworld, Nicholas Smith, Mianne, Trainworx, Z Stuff and others. Or maybe I just missed them. The postwar 736 you saw in the white hall 6 years ago was still there. And the 2344 and the GG1, etc. Lots of postwar stuff. Two rows of tables were missing in the blue and silver halls. The aisles in those halls didn’t seem to be any wider, but the dealers had chairs behind the tables. And there were still empty stalls. The other member halls were a mixed bag. The yellow hall was a pleasant surprise. I recall when it was jam packed before there was an orange hall.
Why fewer vendors? Some combination of current economics, the internet, COVID and a changing business model. More and more built to order and special order items. Perhaps the time when you could come to York and compare prices on fairly new items has passed.
And there were the missing people. Lots of them. We know some of them passed and others were just too concerned to attend York. I spent time at York with a Physician who told me about a lot of the COVID deaths he witnessed and with a mortician who told me about the realities of burying and cremating people during COVID. Really depressing stuff. And there we were, a crowd with an average age above the norm generally without masks. I know I'm vaccinated and I hope others are too.
On a more positive note, the dealers I spoke to said they were having a great show. I'm glad for them. Two years of somewhat pent up demand should do that.
On the annoyance side, I drive out from NJ and came out Rte 30. I got to Strasbourg about 9:30 on Wednesday morning and decided to stop at the Museum. It was closed. Apparently it opens at noon. I don't know it's hours during the year (how many members go to the Museum the third week of January?), but it seems to me 8 hours a day during York week should be attainable. I'm sure someone (or many) will tell me why the Museum can't do that. No problem.
Bottom line -- thank you TCA and ED for coming back.
Gerry
Great report. Thank you
