NO SNOW AT YORK
Yeah, that's the bummer for me and the wife in planning to return to the Big E in January. Many years ago we attended two big E's, a couple years apart. The weather was pretty decent for both. But it's not hard to imagine the difference were we fighting a good Nor'easter or similar.
You see, we're from Meeshigan. That's a good....or bad....12+ hour drive away! Both times we made the trip we overnited each way, each trip. Not cheap. Adds time.
That said, the show (Big E) was worth seeing! Nothing like it in our part of the world. Back then we were not as immersed/committed to O3R, so we found a LOT of things we otherwise might have never found locally.
But York.....a whole different experience. As others have confirmed, there's NOTHING, but NOTHING like it for O3R....and maybe tinplate and Gilbert/American Flyer, too. It's the 'mecca' of this part of the hobby, .......IMHO, of course. And worth every minute of the 11-hour each way drive...(through Canada, avoiding the $$$ turnpike tolls!!
)
Of course, the fact that on our very first York experience many years ago my wife's badge number was a door prize winner.....a Lionel Christmas Train set!!!...that might have something (
) to do with her continuing obsession to attend!!! Good grief, talk about 'setting the hook and reeling her in'!!!!!
Anyhow, the only other non-local show that impressed me was my one visit to the Timonium (Baltimore area) show. But that goes waaaaaay back, and I'm not sure it's the same, anymore. Besides, I was into (gasp!) HO back then. Got 'religion' since then.
KD
