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So excited York is around the corner. Just thinking about our plan is totally cool.

1) Arrive late morning on Wednesday. Go to the PA Railroad Museum and the TCA museum.

2) Isaac's for lunch

3) Railfan the Strasburg and do some Amish photography

4) Dinner at Hmmmmmmmmm maybe Quaker State (50 feet from our Hotel)

5) Thursday morning: Breakfast at the Hotel and, perhaps, meet friends at the Round the Clock Diner

6) Head to the tables outside of the Orange Hall for train gab. I'll see Dr. Condro, Don Close, Gilly, and and a host of other friends.

7) National Anthem and head into the Orange Hall

8) Over to Lionel to see friends and the down the far side to Charles Ro. Then all the horizontal rows.

9) Orange Hall will take up most of the afternoon.

10) Brief foray into Brown. The Brown Hall has been a disappointment the last few Yorks. I see the Public Delivery Track and that's about it.

11) Over to Purple. Purple has skidded a bit, too, the last several Yorks. I miss Kirk at Just Trains, may he rest in peace.

12) If there is any time left, over to Silver or Blue.

13) Grab EZMike and head over to Quaker State for a salad. Lots of train friends to see.

14) ZZZZZZZZZ

15) Legacy breakfast. Thanks to Marty E and Lionel. Lots of friends.

16) Over to Silver and Blue halls, then Red, White and lunch.

17) If it is not too blustery and cold, we'll do the Grandstand at 2PM

18) Back to the Orange Hall for small stuff like figures and smoke fluid.

19) Start thinking about dinner and Spring York

Last edited by Scrapiron Scher
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1) Go to work Monday-Thursday thinking about York. Meanwhile, maybe an hour of "real" work will get done as I'll be thinking of all the trains I'll see and buy....

 

2) Drive Friday to York. 

 

3) Tour the entire Fairgrounds twice (yes, I move fast...no screwin' around here) with a stop for lunch and the OGR meeting. 

 

3) Go home

 

4) Wait until April and repeat. 

Arrive Thursday around ten AM, and set up in the Orange Hall, row BB13, next door to Korber Models. Spend some time visiting other booths, and saying hello and meeting new people. Hopefully, Joe Hayter from Weaver Models will be there, he said he may go to York, and look forward to meeting more OGR members, and seeing old friends. Stop by and say hello. One thing I noticed, not everyone looks like their photo in forum posts, so I try to look at name tags. Normally, October is when we would pick up the latest club car by Weaver, but since it has closed, this tradition has sadly come to an end.

Don

I don't have much of a plan, this is first York since 1999. 

But so far it is:

Saturday

Drive to Dallas

Sunday

Drive to Nashville

Monday

Drive to York area

try to find a place to stay.

Tuesday,

make the hotel swap meets if they still exist.

Maybe go to some of the other local sites.

Look for some place to stay.

Look for some place good to eat.

Wednesday,

repeat hotel swap meets if available,

go to the Strasburg area to see what is there.

Look for some place good to eat.

Thursday,

breakfast at the Round the Clock Diner I think.

Try and meet people from the OGR forum.

Do the halls from open to close I presume.

Look for some place good to eat.

Friday,

do the halls and try to find someone to repaint some bodies/shells.

Also try to find some parts for my existing trains.

Saturday,

do last minute shopping and then drive to Nashville.

Sunday

drive from Nashville all the way home.

Monday

drag into work with a train hangover.

Tuesday

find a calendar to mark the April York dates.

Wednesday

try to smother any regrets and wish-I-would-have's.

Thursday

it's a better day, because it's less than 180 days till the next York.  Right?

 

Any suggestions?

 

Originally Posted by aussteve:
................

Monday

Drive to York area

try to find a place to stay.

Tuesday,

.......................

 

Any suggestions?

 

I'd probably try to deal with finding a place to stay before arrival.  Most hotels have a rate available that allows cancelling anywhere from the same day to 24-48 hours before arrival with no penalty. (though it may not be their lowest rate, which most times involves a no cancellation/refund policy)

 

Unless you are really thinking there is a very high risk of not making it due to your long drive and multiple hops, I'd try to do that early.  While it's not as impossible to find lodging as it used to be, waiting until there may be pushing it a little.

 

-Dave

Last edited by Dave45681

Plans for my 1st York Meet:

 

1. Wake up early Thursday morning.  7am flight to Baltimore, MD.  Rent a motor car and drive to York, PA for the noon opening.

2. I will probably start in the Orange Hall.  Then try hit a few more halls before closing time.

3. Head to the QS&L for the OGR dinner gathering.  Drive to Hampton Inn (York South)

4. Swim some laps, if the pool is still open?  Get some sleep.

5. Enjoy a nice breakfast at the hotel.  Check out.  (Maybe go to the Legacy meeting)

6. Spend the day in toy train wonderland.   2pm grandstand meeting.  Visit a few more halls.

7. Drive back to Baltimore to catch a 9pm flight back home.

#1 Crawl out of bed far too early.

#2 Pack up and drive to the Fairgrounds (a mere 20 minutes).

#3 Arrive at Red Hall 9AM, set up at 10AM at G-35, "windowshop" till 12 Noon.

#4 Fight off hordes of eager customers.

#5 Hit the Orange Hall at 4:30PM.

#6 Leave at closing time, have dinner somewhere, go home and sleep the sleep of the Just.

#7 Do the same on Friday and Saturday.

#8 Go home and dance naked in a pile of money (bathing thoroughly afterwards). The usual.

 

 

Last edited by artyoung

First York in a couple of years.

1 Got tickets

2 Told wife I got her one too

3 Ask her to go and threw in a couple of dinners

4 Get cash

5 Make a list of wants

6 Get to York Thursday maybe hit a hall or two

7 Friday all day trying to find what I want

8 Saturday head home

9 With wife with me no need to smuggle things in the house she can help

10 Start the honey do list she worked on at York to which she will reward me with one item I bought as I get each chore done

Tuesday pick up rental van.

Wednesday figure out what to bring, load van and head out to York.

Do I bring the RailKing Hellgate Bridge?  takes up a lot of valuable space.

14102 175 rocket launcher

32910 Rotary Coal tipple   don't forget the bathtub gondolas

How many MRC Pure Power dual transformers?

22975 345 culvert unloader.  I must have the loader around here some place.

All the engines and Christmas cars plus a lot more

Thursday morning go crazy bringing everything into the Blue hall and setting up

Thursday, Friday and Saturday  sell it all

Thursday PM  con somebody to watch all my tables for an hour so I can find some good prewar.

Thursday night  buy buildings for new layout

Friday dinner with my buddy Charlie

Saturday return home in NJ

unload the van from the "few" things I have left.  Return the van

 sleep in on Sunday.  Pack the car with trains to take to Florida

Monday head to Florida

 

Al

Originally Posted by Scrapiron Scher:

Dave45681,

Get on Booking.com or Hotel.com asap and grab a room.

They'll tell you how far away you will be.

There is an excellent Hampton Inn bout 6 miles from the Fairgrounds

I'm with you Scrapiron, I always reserve in advance (though I will admit I just did it right now, the latest I've probably ever reserved - I normally try to do it at least a month ahead).

 

My response and suggestion was to aussteve, he had "look for a room" on his to do list twice, both Monday and Tuesday of York week itself.

 

-Dave

Fortunately, my sister and her husband live nearby in MD, just a twenty minute ride south, so I stay there on Thursday and Friday nights. I don't see them too often, so we get a chance to catch up, and drink some awesome wine from South Africa, which I can't get in PA. In April, she gave me a manger that I made for her many years ago that is in need of repair, so I've been working on that, and will return it in two weeks. She'll be able to put it under her tree, hopefully with some trains.

Judy's Manger 001

Judy's Manger 002

Judy's Manger 003

Judy's Manger 007

Judy's Manger 008

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Images (5)
  • Judy's Manger 001
  • Judy's Manger 002
  • Judy's Manger 003
  • Judy's Manger 007
  • Judy's Manger 008

Monday depart Georgia for Ohio and stop by Dixie Union Station (Mason, OH)

Spend night at fellow OGR members house with Tuesday departure for Altoona

Visit Flight 93 Memorial on way to Altoona (Please no government shutdown this time!)

Visit Horseshoe Curve and Gallitzin Tunnels

Overnight at Altoona

Wednesday depart for Johnstown to ride Amtrak back to Altoona (just don't visit the tunnels and curves............RIDE THEM!!!  Tickets are cheap and it is a blast.)

Wednesday evening arrive in Lancaster for overnight

Thursday morning breakfast at Red Caboose Motel Restaurant car (Car moves periodically, pretty cool)

Be parked by 11am and ready for the fun

Try to stick to my list and decide what to sell when I get home b/c I didn't

Friday stay at show until noon and then depart for GA (long drive, but worth it).

 

Love the Fall show for the weather and foliage during the drives.  Can't wait.

 

 

Last edited by David Case

My plan is to drive to PA on Wednesday. Find a hotel along the turnpike and call it a night. I'll finish the drive Thursday morning, hopefully before the noon opening.

 

I will meet my father in law there and proceed to shop til the member halls close. I don't really have a strategy as to what order to go to.

 

We will likely hit the hotel around five and grab a quick bite to eat. We then go to the Marx show and tell (at 7?) We'll both be very tired when that lets out and we get back to the room.

 

Friday will be more train shopping in various halls. There's a Plasticville Collectors Association meeting sometime Friday that I plan on attending. I heard they changed the time, though I don't remember what time it was last year anyway. We will likely hit the orange hall toward the end of day. We'll get back to the hotel a bit earlier on Friday. Saturday morning should be a load up the FIL's car with all his goodies, see him off, check out of hotel, and go back for one last look at the show. I'll swing by a beer distributor and buy a case or two of Yuengling, and then hit the road. Hopefully, I will make it back home without having to get another room.

 

We'll see how much of this works out as planned.

 

J White

 

Tuesday hop aboard a 737 from Tampa to Baltimore. Get ride to York. Wednesday load, unload, and set up my final time. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday sell everything. Thursday night have fun at Quaker. Friday night dinner with my guys and friends at Logan's. A few lunches at Latuccas thrown in (yes they deliver to the hall).  Many handshakes, hugs, and a few tears thrown in.  Saturday if anything left all inventory going to a fellow forumite and sponsor. Sunday back on another 737 to Tampa.  Sunday afternoon laying on the beach in Siesta Key with a few cold ones reminiscing.
Originally Posted by Scrapiron Scher:
... Get on Booking.com or Hotel.com asap and grab a room.

They'll tell you how far away you will be.

There is an excellent Hampton Inn bout 6 miles from the Fairgrounds

for those who don't travel much this is actually a great tip.  most hotels only require 24 to 48 hours before arrival to cancel a reservation.  what i've found is that large groups will overbook a hotel months in advance and then wait until a few days before arriving to trim the room count down to people actually participating in their activity.  i've gotten $300+/night rooms before for ~$100/night by using this tactic.

 

btw, good choice on the Hampton Inn, one of my favorite chains.

cheers...gary

have a full day off work thursday, so i may drive leisurely up to York Thursday morning, instead of the usual leave work at 9:30 am and make York...and a nearly full parking lot by 11:15.

     But this time, arrive by 10:30....take a cat nap. be in Orange Hall to meet SideRod/ Barney/ Scott/ Harold/ Gary Noel  and a few others. As soon as the doors open...go into Nirvana and buy stuff. at 1 pm I expect to be lugging stuff over to the 4 runner already. then at 5:15, be at QSL for a beer invigoration/ dinner/ tell more tall tales, and have a great time. this time staying over until Saturday to see York Meet until the end. Then drive back to Ijamsville (yes it exists)  and Mockingbird Lane ( yes my street) (we live next door to Herman Munster)!

Last edited by redjimmy1955

I will have to do Thursday only this York as I'm leaving town Friday. Works for me as I frequently get there for Thursday opening and spend most of the day.

 

I've got a few items on my list (among others, need more train shelves from G. Snyder & some misc.Lionel parts) and the rest of the time I'll browse and see what catches my eye.

Last edited by johnstrains

Our plan is to leave at 9AM when my wife gets home from the night shift at the asylum, arrive at York around 12-1PM just stay for a few hours to pick up a few un-necessary items, then go over to meet the good folks around 6 PM at Quaker State. Afterwards we head back to Lancaster to spend the evening there. On Friday we shop a bit, meet up with some good friends for lunch and then head home. This is pretty typical for us and outside of being invited to make our last and final trip to E.D. York it is really no different than any other trip. 

Wednesday: Around noon leave home and check into motel, go to the DCS Users Mtg/diner.

Thursday: run 5-6 miles, eat, be at Orange Hall around 11 am to see friends, go to Vince's at opening, meander around Orange then Brown until 6 pm or so, head on over to OGR Forum get together.  Buy any items I see that are on my short list, check out layout/scenery vendors.  Say hi to Alex.

Friday: Check out of motel, go to LUG meeting/breakfast, meander around all halls, leave for home around 2 pm.  Buy any items on list I see, check out layout/scenery vendors. 

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