PLANO,TEXAS

Good Day,

I'm planning on being there on Saturday.

Regards,
Swafford



http://www.dfwtrainshows.com/c...w-january-21-22-2012

Is that the weekend of the 20th? If so, I'll be in Dallas that weekend. I'll try to drop by Saturday.

Thank you for posting this.

I'll be there!!

I'm going to try and make it Saturday. I will be in Plano that week. Haven't been to it in a couple years. Last time I went it was great.

The North Texas N scale group had a fantastic layout. Lots of neat ideas to transfer to my layout.

The O was very good as well.

I'll be there with the TCA booth

Wouldn't miss it.

The January Plano show is a lot better than the November Fort Worth show... although, I don't miss that one either. IMO, there are a lot more items that I'm interested in or looking for at the Plano show.

I'm planning on being there.

The Lones Star Hi-Railer, train club. (LSHR) Would like to invite any Plano train show particapants to visit, our layout in progress. It is located in Grapevine, TX. You can come to the baggage car, located on Dallas St. You will see a Southern Pacific Mikado. That car is attached to it. Our hours are from 11 AM. to 2 PM, Sat. and Sun. If you bring your ticket stub from the show, or are a TCA member, bring a train to run. We have DCS, TMCC, Legacy, and conventional controls. We would like to see you. P.S. our 12X28 layout won't be at the show. Have fun................

I'll drop in on Sunday. I've always enjoyed this show, it offers a little of everything.

quote:

Originally posted by MACADO:
The Lones Star Hi-Railer, train club. (LSHR) Would like to invite any Plano train show particapants to visit, our layout in progress. It is located in Grapevine, TX. P.S. our 12X28 layout won't be at the show. Have fun................

Sorry to hear about that. Your layout was always a highlight of the show for me. Just wish Grapevine were closer.

I am coming to Dallas for work and coming a day early to go to the show. For the Dupage Illinois show, some of us meet early for breakfast. Anything like that for Saturday am?

Ray Marion

I'll be there with three tables selling a very mixed bag including books, HO cars, trucks, structures , track and of course Lionel O
Tom

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Marion:
I am coming to Dallas for work and coming a day early to go to the show. For the Dupage Illinois show, some of us meet early for breakfast. Anything like that for Saturday am?

Ray Marion

I'm not aware of anything in the morning but the internet group railspot on Yahoo has a lunch Saturday at a local restaurant, but to need to sign up. The NRHS chapter hold a slide show nearby after the show
Tom

Great show today!
Lots of o scale stuff to buy.Many great layouts on display. My favorite part of this show is the Home & Club layout tours. I first went to the Interurban Railway Museum in Plano they had a nice little O scale layout on display.The guy running this place was from Queens so I could understand him.He directed me to the Dart rail system across the street that took me straight to the Union Station Model Railway Club. When I returned to Plano I drove to see 3 more home layouts.When I get up tommorrow I plan on getting to a few more before I head north. You Texans sure know how to put on a great train show!

Unfortunately, wasn't able to make it. Did get to look at four potential homes. Wife and I both had interviews. At the airport right now waiting to board flight home.

quote:

Originally posted by CHOO-CHOO MIKE:
Great show today!
Lots of o scale stuff to buy.Many great layouts on display. My favorite part of this show is the Home & Club layout tours. I first went to the Interurban Railway Museum in Plano they had a nice little O scale layout on display.The guy running this place was from Queens so I could understand him.He directed me to the Dart rail system across the street that took me straight to the Union Station Model Railway Club. When I returned to Plano I drove to see 3 more home layouts.When I get up tommorrow I plan on getting to a few more before I head north. You Texans sure know how to put on a great train show!

Sure wish there would have been as much O as there was HO. I went with my full 6 months of train allowance. Came away empty handed.

Just gimme some O!

quote:

Originally posted by navy.seal:
Similarly, there wasn't much O gauge for sale at the NTCRRC's other show in Fort Worth last November. That really surprized me since that pre-Christmas show was the ideal show for dealers to sell O gauge starter sets to young parents looking to buy their kid's first train. In fact, though the "Thomas Play Area" at the Fort Worth show was mobbed with kids having fun playing with toy trains, there were almost no new O gauge starter sets for sale at that show.

Why don't dealers populate these shows? Are there any large annual shows remaining in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where the dealers do show up?

In a word, no. First of all, there are only two dealers left in the area. Only one has ever worked a show; he was there, but always just brings odds and ends and junk to get rid of (which does sell pretty well). He downsized a few years ago, and doesn't carry much new stock anymore anyway - mostly preorder on the good (expensive) stuff.

One dealer from near Houston used to show up - did for years - with new stuff at the shows, but I think he retired. I agree, someone with new starter sets could do some sales at these shows. I talked to some friends who worked the show, and I remarked that on Sunday (when I was there) the show had a good crowd. They said that was nothing, that on Saturday it was absolutely packed - said you couldn't stir the place with a stick. That's positive, and makes you wonder why someone who is a dealer doesn't set up with some newer product.

[.... I talked to some friends who worked the show, and I remarked that on Sunday (when I was there) the show had a good crowd. They said that was nothing, that on Saturday it was absolutely packed - said you couldn't stir the place with a stick. That's positive, and makes you wonder why someone who is a dealer doesn't set up with some newer product.[/QUOTE]

Your friends were right in saying that the show on Saturday was packed. I arrived before the show opened at 10:00 AM and the lines to get in were already backed up into the parking lots. In fact, the large parking lots on three sides of the Plano Centre rapidly filled up and soon arriving cars were overflowing into new "grass" lots spontaneously created by arriving attendees adjacent to the paved ones. Inside, the hallways and aisles were "crowded". Not to the same degree as at York, but nevertheless you "felt" the crowd as you moved around the dealer tables and club layouts. At times you even had to wait in line to see some layouts or move into some dealer booths.

It really is a shame that some dealers with O gauge starter sets weren't present as there were certainly several parents (and/or grand parents) with kids in tow ready to buy them their first trains.

Bob

I once asked a dealer why he stopped coming to the local shows. Part of the problem was money. He brought stuff to the shows and he usually didn't sell enough to make it worth the time. When times got tough, he would have a small table with signs directing people to his shop. When times got even tougher, he didn't have the staff to be able to have someone work the show. So I can see how, for a "mom and pop" (or simply "mom or pop") it could get difficult to "do the shows". There may well be other issues too.

I've been out of trains for awile and I enjoyed seeing the guys in the Lone Star Hi-Railers at the show, makes me want to join up again. Wasn't much 3-Rail for sale at the show, but I guess everyone buys online as I do today. Also saw other who I have not seen for sometime, they all seem to be much older then I am, what happen to them.

John

I was there Saturday afternoon right before closing time and took this video - Enjoy!

Thanks train dame for the video. At least someone attending the show took the time to "visually" share the Plano train show experience with us. Most don't take the time or think about forum members who can not attend for one reason or another. It doesn't take much effort these days to carry a digital camera with you and shoot some photos or a video. It's much appreciated.

TEX
Steve

Good Day,

Breezinup........ I agree 100%. In addition, there are business men that will go the extra mile to be successful and there are people that are in business that do not have a clue! Some people in business do not have any imagination.

Regards,
Swafford

What a royal bummer,I was off that weekend and could have come up there had I known about it.I don't know how I missed this.Would love to do the York show someday but its way too far,this one in Plano would
have been perfect.

Always next year

quote:

Originally posted by BryanM:
What a royal bummer,I was off that weekend and could have come up there had I known about it.I don't know how I missed this.Would love to do the York show someday but its way too far,this one in Plano would
have been perfect.

Always next year

Bryan,

In the future if you don't want to miss any train shows in the states of AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, or TX, I strongly recommend you subscribe to the COWCATCHER MAGAZINE. The magazine covers most train related activities in those states and it's "Train Order" section has by far the best schedule of upcoming regional model train shows that I've found to date. If you subscribe, I know you'll find it to be most useful in planning what regional train shows you'll attend.

You can subscribe online to the COWCATCHER MAGAZINE at:
http://www.cowcatchermagazine.com/

Bob