Just to add a little balance to the gloom and doom scenario, there were 182 manufacturers/dealers in the Orange Hall Chart for the October 2018 York Meet and there are 171 in the Orange Hall Chart for the April 2019 York Meet. We know that Lionel, Atlas and Mr. Muffin will not be attending, although Steve will be attending as a Member. Deichman's Depot is closing down because of Len's passing last year, and is done at York. MTH and Sunset Models/3rd Rail will be attending the April Meet.
This hardly represents a precipitous decline in manufacturer/dealer attendance. Indeed, many of the top train dealers will be in attendance as usual at the April Meet including: CharlesRo, Grzyboski's Trains, Stockyard Express, Trainworld, Nicholas Smith, Hennings Trains, Island Trains, Norm's Trains and the Train Station, and I may have missed some. There are also smaller train dealers attending as well. Really, the only top train dealer which is not attending the April 2019 Meet that was at the October 2108 Meet and situated in the Orange Hall appears to be is Mr. Muffin's Trains, and that sounds like that was the result of special circumstances. There are also several large train dealers in the Purple Hall Chart for the April Meet, including Just Trains of Delaware and Neely's Trains.
I am not a member of the Eastern Division and certainly cannot speak for it, but this is not a picture which would make me think seriously about migrating to a once a year Meet in October. That could of course change in the future, as facts and circumstances dictate.
